Earliest pollen evidence of the vine
before 5000 BCE
Sediment analysis from Lac de Montorge, above Sion, revealed vine pollen grains older than 5000 BCE, the earliest known trace of Vitis in the Valais landscape, long before organised cultivation.
How Valais came to make wine the way it does: the eras, families and rules that shaped the glass.
Key eras
Grape seeds at the Gamsen site
circa 600 BCE
Archaeological remains at Gamsen, near Brig, yielded grape seeds dated to around 600 BCE, evidence that grapes were already present in the upper Rhone valley well before Roman rule.
Confirmed Roman-era cultivation and wine imports
2nd-5th century CE
Cultivation of the vine in Valais is confirmed from the 2nd-3rd century CE, while amphorae recovered from the period show wine was also imported from Tuscany, the Rhone valley, Spain, Rhodes and later Africa and Palestine through the 5th century.
Bisses irrigation channels first documented
12th century onward
The oldest verified documents for Valais irrigation channels, known as bisses or Suonen, date from the 12th century, with surviving wooden channel elements dendrochronologically dated from 1270 onward; the network let farmers irrigate vines and crops on the canton's dry, south-facing slopes.
Cornalin first named in the Anniviers register
1313
Cornalin, one of the oldest indigenous grapes still planted in Valais, first appears in writing in the Anniviers Register dated 20 January 1313, making it one of the canton's earliest documented varieties.
Humagne blanche named in the same 1313 register
1313
Humagne blanche is also first mentioned in 1313 in the Anniviers Register, and later became known informally as the wine traditionally offered to new mothers, a custom that persists in some Valais families today.
Amigne documented in Vetroz
1686
Amigne, a rare white grape grown almost exclusively around Vetroz, has its first documented mention in 1686; DNA profiling has since linked it to Petit Meslier, a variety from the Champagne region.
Chasselas named in the 1828 harvest records
1828
Chasselas is mentioned in Valais harvest records from 1828, before the grape that would become Fendant took on its distinct local identity later in the century.
The Vaudois fendant spreads into Valais
from 1848
Starting in 1848, the chasselas strain known in Vaud as fendant was introduced into Valais and spread under that same name, gradually becoming the canton's most planted white grape.
Phylloxera reaches Switzerland
1871
Phylloxera was first recorded in Switzerland in 1871 at Pregny near Geneva, on vines imported from England, the start of a national crisis that reshaped Swiss viticulture including the Valais vineyard in the decades that followed.
Cornalin nearly disappears
early 1900s
Despite its medieval pedigree, Cornalin plantings fell sharply at the start of the 20th century and the variety came close to disappearing from Valais vineyards entirely.
Fendant du Valais gets protected status
1966
Fendant du Valais obtained its protected appellation in 1966, and Valais became the only Swiss canton legally permitted to market chasselas under the name fendant.
Indigenous-variety revival lifts Cornalin
from the 1970s
From the 1970s, a broader movement to recover Valais's traditional local grapes brought Cornalin back from the brink, and it is now marketed as a flagship link between the canton's past and its contemporary winemaking.
Dole formally regulated by AOC ordinance
1993
An AOC ordinance dated 7 July 1993 set the production rules for Dole, requiring at least 85 percent pinot noir and gamay with pinot noir in the majority; wine that falls short of the standard is sold as Goron instead.
Marie-Therese Chappaz turns to biodynamics
from 1997
Marie-Therese Chappaz discovered biodynamic viticulture in 1997 during a visit to Domaine Chapoutier in Tain-l'Hermitage and adapted the method to her own Valais vines, using herbal preparations, homemade compost and indigenous yeasts, becoming one of the region's leading biodynamic voices.
Vetroz introduces the Amigne bee system
since 2005
Since 2005, Vetroz producers have labelled Amigne bottles with a bee symbol showing residual sugar: one bee for dry wine, two for off-dry, three for sweet, giving buyers a quick read on style for this historically rare varietal.
Nationwide AOC Suisse framework takes effect
2008
From 1 January 2008, all Swiss wine-producing areas, Valais included, came under the unified AOC Suisse regulation as part of the federal PA2011 agricultural policy, standardising appellation rules across cantons.
Petite Arvine becomes a top-five white grape
2021
By 2021 Petite Arvine, native to Valais and Italy's Aosta Valley, covered 243 hectares in Valais and had become Switzerland's fifth most cultivated white grape variety, overtaking pinot gris.
Europe's highest vineyard at Visperterminen
present day
The vineyards of Visperterminen climb to 1,150 metres, described by the commune as the highest vineyard in Europe, planted largely with the native Heida grape on terraces that trace back to at least the 15th to 17th centuries.
Valais grows to a third of Swiss wine output
2015 data
With 4,976 hectares under vine according to 2015 federal agriculture office figures, the Valais vineyard supplies about a third of all Swiss wine production, the largest share of any canton.
Wine History in Valais, FAQ
When is the best time to visit Valais for wine?
Peak wine-travel season in Valais is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
Do I need an appointment to taste at Valais estates?
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
What hours do Valais cellars and tasting rooms keep?
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
How does tipping work at Valais tastings?
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
What is the one wine to try in Valais?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Valais rewards trust.