While reviewing two hotels in Crans-Montana, I took full advantage of the chance to explore the vineyards of the surrounding Valais. This French-speaking canton earned AOC status in the 1990s, and it ranks as Switzerland’s largest région viticole. This area encompasses about 12,000 acres of vines and cultivates more than 50 official grape varieties, but it plays only a modest role on the world stage. Very little of its wine is exported.

We did tours and tastings at several small estates, all led by owners or their family members. They introduced us to well-structured wines with concentrated flavors, coming from vineyards shaped by the Alpine environment and irrigated by glacial waters. Considering how rare these bottles are abroad, I wish I had bought twice as many.

Cave Caloz

The commendable Cave Caloz has been in the hands of the Caloz family since 1960. A member of the third generation of owners showed us around and poured wines for us to sample. The team crafts exceptional bottlings from local varieties, including the noble Petite Arvine, a lively white known for intense floral aromas and exotic fruit notes. Notoriously difficult to grow, this rare grape is the star of the show in the Valais. I love its vibrant flavors and elegant structure. Caloz produces a particularly refined Petite Arvine that’s one of the best in the region. This winery’s Cornalin and Gamay impressed me as well, and we left with several bottles of each.