Upper Valais cave in Salgesch, run by the Kuonen family for four decades and directed today by Patrick Revey with Larissa Kuonen as oenologist. Range runs from Heida to Cornalin.
Tip: Ask for the Lafnetscha, one of the rare high-altitude Upper Valais white grapes.
Address: Unterdorfstrasse 11, 3970 Salgesch, Switzerland, Valais
Salgesch estate run by the Mounir family for three generations, Bio Suisse certified across its own parcels. Range runs from Fendant and Petite Arvine to Cornalin and Syrah.
Tasting: Tasting packages, vineyard hikes and virtual tastings; Monday to Friday 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00, Saturday seasonal; capacity 50.
Tip: Book the vineyard hike for context on the Salgesch terroir before the tasting itself.
Family cellar in Sierre founded in 1982 by Maurice Zufferey and joined by his son Adrien in 2016, making Fendant, Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Syrah among others.
Tasting: Cellar and vineyard visits and tasting packages; open Friday 13:30 to 18:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 12:00, other days by appointment; capacity 50.
Tip: Open Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings; other days are by appointment only.
Visp producer run by the Chanton family since 1944 and led by Mario Chanton since 2008, working near-forgotten Upper Valais grapes such as Himbertscha, Lafnetscha and Heida.
Tasting: By appointment; capacity up to 10 people; open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 09:00 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 17:30; German, English, French and Italian.
Tip: The place to taste Himbertscha and Lafnetscha, grapes almost no other cellar bottles.
Salgesch estate run by the Mounir family for three generations, Bio Suisse certified across its own parcels. Range runs from Fendant and Petite Arvine to Cornalin and Syrah.
Tasting: Tasting packages, vineyard hikes and virtual tastings; Monday to Friday 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00, Saturday seasonal; capacity 50.
Tip: Book the vineyard hike for context on the Salgesch terroir before the tasting itself.
Family cellar in Sierre founded in 1982 by Maurice Zufferey and joined by his son Adrien in 2016, making Fendant, Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Syrah among others.
Tasting: Cellar and vineyard visits and tasting packages; open Friday 13:30 to 18:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 12:00, other days by appointment; capacity 50.
Tip: Open Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings; other days are by appointment only.
Sion house founded in 1944 by Charles Favre and his three sons and still family run, with a tasting space, Espace F, opened in 2023 on the Place de la Planta.
Tasting: Espace F tasting space, opened summer 2023: cellar visits, vineyard tours and tasting packages; Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00; capacity 80.
Tip: Drop by Espace F on Place de la Planta for a walk-in tasting in central Sion.
Family cellar in Ayent producing about 28 AOC Valais wines from Fendant to Diolinoir, founded in 1954. Tastings and meals also take place in the underground cave at Saint-Leonard.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment for up to 60 people, including vineyard tours and cellar tastings; the estate also hosts tastings and meals in the Saint-Leonard underground cave. Two rentable vineyard huts are available in season.
Tip: Ask about a tasting in the Saint-Leonard underground lake cave, a short drive from Ayent.
Organic Bio Bourgeon certified estate in Savièse above Sion, run by the Reynard and Varone families, producing Fendant, Amigne, Cornalin and other Valais varietals on limestone parcels.
Tasting: Vinotheque tastings Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings and afternoons, and Saturday mornings; groups up to about 70 people; French, German and English spoken.
Tip: Visit the vinotheque Tuesday, Thursday or Friday for a tasting without booking ahead.
