A French-speaking canton encompassing the Matterhorn and some 12,000 acres of vineyards in the upper Rhône Valley, the Valais lies in southern Switzerland between Lake Geneva and Italy. Much of the region is sunnier and drier than other areas of Switzerland, as surrounding mountains shelter low-lying areas from precipitation and colder air. Skiing dominates winter in the Valais; when the snow melts, hiking, mountain biking and championship golf return. Though this wine-growing territory is Switzerland’s largest canton viticole — it earned AOC status in the 1990s and several wine trails crisscross the area’s vineyards — it plays only a modest role internationally (little of the wine is exported).