Valle d’Aosta in wine: the sub-zones

Donnas

This sub-zone, which is close to the entrance of the valley, enjoys the distinctive sight of Nebbiolo grapes grown on vertiginous terracing, trained to ‘pergola’.  The vines grow up the wall to the rear of the terrace, and then over the top. The fruit hangs beneath the leafy canopy and is picked from below.

These vines are entirely on the left bank of the Dora Baltea, and reach up to 700m. The terracing really is quite a sight.  MTW customers can walk through the Donnas vineyards as a ‘bonus’ extra, whether as a stop-off in one of our accompanied trips, or as an extra hike in Heart of the Italian Alps or The Five Days of the Matterhorn. Part of the hike follows the ancient Via Francigena pilgrim trail.

The wines of Donnas are complex and structured.  They require a minimum of 24 months of fining, of which 10 in wood; Superiore versions need 30 months, of which 12 in wood.

📸 Ejovien

Arnad-Monjovet

Entering the valley from Piemonte, this is the second sub-zone, after Donnas. The valley is narrow here, with viticulture only on the left bank of the Dora Baltea.

As with Donnas, the pergola training system is employed and Nebbiolo (pictured) is the grape of choice. Nebbiolo is known here as Picotendro.

These wines require 5 months of fining, and 12 months for Superiore versions. Unlike Donnas, there is no requirement for barrel ageing.

Chambave

At Châtillon & Saint-Vincent, the valley bends due west, with the vineyards now protected from inclement weather by the towering mountainsides.  Between here and Morgex/La Salle, the valley receives a significant quantity of intense sunlight during the growing season.

Chambave is the next named sub zone of the Valle d’Aosta DOC. These vineyards look more ‘classic’ in style, trained in rows. The slopes are steep and reach 750m above sea level – these are markers of quality wine making.  A range of grapes are grown at Chambave, but the most important is Muscat – Moscato Bianco – and these bottles carry the name Chambave Muscat, or Chambave Moscato. These wines are typical Moscato: fine, delicate and with intense fruit and floral aromas.

The Via Francigena pilgrim trail traverses this zone, and MTW’s self-guided hike, The Five Days of the Matterhorn follows it to pass through these vineyards. The possibility of a tasting, either with your MTW Local Manager on the trail, or at a winery, is offered as an option for you.

Nus

This sub-zone neighbours Chambave, and is the origin of the eponymous black grape, Vien de Nus.  However, it is a white grape, Malvasia, or Malvoisie, which takes pride of place, and which can be named on the bottle (i.e. as Valle d’Aosta DOC Nus Malvoisie or Nus Malvasia).

The territory is similar to that of Chambave, with vineyards on the steep north slopes (left bank of the Dora Baltea) reaching 850m, and planting also permitted on the south slopes (more sunshine reaches here) to 650m.

The origin of the grape, Malvasia, requires additional explanation – but it is a story which takes us to the fifteenth century and the Maritime Republic of Venice and so must be taken up elsewhere.

Vien de Nus, meanwhile, is believed to have been around since Roman times, and is part of the ‘Orious’ family of grapes.  You can read more about the Valle d’Aosta’s extraordinary Roman heritage here.  All MTW clients cannot do other but come into contact with the Romans on one of our trips.

MTW hikers follow the Via Francigena past 13th century Castello di Nus on The Five Days of the Matterhorn.

Torrette

This sub-zone occupies the wide amphiteatre around the town of Aymavilles, which is beyond the city of Aosta, if you are travelling in the direction of Monte Bianco. Unlike the others, it does not take the name of a town or village; nor does it follow the name of a grape. It is, rather, simply a name, perhaps reflecting the large number of medieval towers which dot the local scenery. 

Torrette wines must be red, and the rules demand that at least 70% of the grape Petit Rouge is in bottlings carrying the name of this sub-zone. These wines are deliciously fruity, but usually with a fairly high alcohol content (14% is far from unusual).

For a visitor, Aymavilles Castle (pictured) dominates the vista, but the neat rows of vines are the real stars.  One centrepiece is the perfect cone of glacial deposit, topped with a medieval tower, which is owned by Les Crêtes. Hikers on MTW’s Heart of the Italian Alps stay a night in this beautiful town, and enjoy a tasting at Les Crêtes’ magnificent rifugio del vino.

Enfer d’Arvier

The evocative name – Inferno of Arvier – takes its name from the geomorphology around the medieval town of Arvier.

Here, the central valley is a bottleneck of rock, split by the Dora Baltea.  On the river’s left bank, a cliff face towers 700m above. At its base, in a narrow strip between the river and the cliff, is a small area planted to Petit Rouge (pictured).  Fierce summer sunlight reverberates around the cauldron, reflecting off the rock and prompting the vines to develop intense colour pigmentation, aromatic compounds and sugars.

The resulting wines are dark in colour, high in alcohol and intensely flavoured.

MTW hikers doing Heart of the Italian Alps stop in Arvier for a night, and can enjoy the local wines at one of the region’s best restaurants, a stone’s throw from the hotel.  If time permits, there is also the chance to visit the local co-operative for a visit and tasting.  And as for that cliff face – the trail snakes up it. You’ll be cursing us for the ninety minutes you’re climbing it, but, at the top, the unique sight of five Alpine valleys converging, with the vines and the river below, is well worth it.

Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle

James wrote a longer article about this, Europe’s highest white wine growing area, here.  And in January 2026, he also conducted an interview with Ninive Pavese of Ermes Pavese & Figli, for the Italian Wine Podcast, which you can find on all of the usual platforms.

The star of the show – in fact, the only actor – is Prié Blanc, a grape which is a parent of many of the other grapes of the valley, but with no known parent of its own, and which is only found here.  These vines are all franco di piede, which means the roots haven’t been grafted. We are back to pergola training – although here we have a very specific type, called pergola bassa, low pergola.  The vines are trained close to the ground so as to gather as much retained heat in the short growing season as possible.  Pickers kneel under the plant and reach above their heads to access the fruit.

The mountainsides tower above, and Mont Blanc dominates the scene.  MTW hikers doing Heart of the Italian Alps stay two nights – rest day! – in a luxury relais amidst this scenery.  The day includes a visit and tasting with Ninive.

These wines are vivid and delicate, and the grape lends itself to making sparkling, still, barrel aged and sweet versions, and all of the above with considerable ageworthiness.

Other grapes, other versions

This quick survey touches the surface of winemaking in Valle d’Aosta.  There’ll be an additional article to come for wine geeks, with technical information and maps, but here’s a list of the grapes which can be named on a bottle of Valle d’Aosta DOC wine. The asterisked grapes are autochtonous to the region, while the circumflex designates the region’s two ‘traditional’ grapes.

Gamay, Pinot Noir/Pinot Nero, Mayolet*, Merlot, Fumin*, Syrah, Cornalin*, Nebbiolo, Petit Rouge*, Gamaret, Vuillermin*, Muller Thurgau, Petite Arvine^, Prëmetta*, Traminer aromatico/Gewürtztraminer, Moscato Bianco^, Prié Blanc*, Vien de Nus*.

These two sub-zones identify a particular grape in their name:

Nus Malvoisie/Malvasia, Chambave Muscat à Petit Grain/Moscato.

These permit superiore/supérieur versions:

Donnas, Arnad-Monjovet, Chambave, Nus, Torrette, Enfer d’Arvier.

Many of the above make late harvest or passito (sweet) versions, which are marked with the local word, Flétri.  For sparkling wines, Morgex et La Salle have particularly prestige.