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Discover our shop
- Accommodation
- Activities
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- Holiday packages
- Vouchers
- Arrival and mobility
- Boutique Valais
-
Our offers
- Go on holiday for freeBook a stay of three nights or more on wallis.ch at least three days before your arrival and you will receive a maximum of two complimentary second-class return tickets.
- Thermal baths entry, BrigerbadThe Brigerbad thermal and wellness oasis offers recreation and relaxation all year round on over 2,600 square metres.
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- Summer
- Winter
Show all
- Hiking
- Natural sites
- Family activities
- Road cycling
- Mountain bike
- Other summer activities
- Excursions
- Top Events
- Ski and Snowboard
- Other Winter activities
- Family activities
- Top Events
-
Seasonal special
- Valais-brand grands crus boxDiscover the Valais-brand wine box and taste two wines made from Valais grape varieties carefully selected by La Grappe every month.
- Rando'Miam Winter Edition - NendazEnjoy a walk or a snowshoe hike while savouring local gourmet specialities !
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Typically Valais
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- Valais brand label
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- Valais Enterprise Brand
-
Seasonal special
- Must-see sights in ValaisWhat are the top attractions and key sights on a trip to Valais? Among the countless mountains, lakes, valleys and vineyards, we have picked the places not to be missed.
- Video storiesAuthentic, charming, natural - that's how the Valais/Wallis Promotion video stories come across. They offer unique insights into Valaisan stories, professions, traditions and crafts.
Service
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Quick links
- Weather
- Snow report
- Webcams
- Contact
- Access
- Brochures
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- FAQ
-
Boutique and newsletter
- Our new boutiqueDiscover our articles in the colours of Valais in our new online boutique. Clothing, accessories, everyday items and more - get yourself a piece of Valais.
- Newsletter subscriptionTo make sure you don’t miss a thing, it is well worth subscribing to our newsletter, which will always keep you up to date.
All about Venthône
The Valais brand stands for quality, authenticity and sophistication. The Heida wine made by Madeleine and Jean-Yves Mabillard-Fuchs is one of several that have joined this prestigious label.
Already as a student, Madeleine Mabillard-Fuchs worked in the vineyards to earn pocket money. She has always wanted to be a winemaker: “It’s a state of mind, a way of being, and quite simply the best profession in the world,” she says. Together with her husband, Jean-Yves, Madeleine has been taking care of the wine estate that bears their name since 1993. Previously, she worked as an independent winemaker, having trained at the School of Viticulture and Enology in Changins.
Today, the couple cultivate 3.5 hectares of vineyards between Sierre and Venthône, following the principles of integrated production. They use only organic substances as fertiliser and allow grass to grow between the vines. They do not pull out the vegetation that grows naturally, but cut it when it reaches a certain height. “Valais enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year,” says Madeleine, “and rain is rare. So you have to make sure that the precious water is not used up too much by other plants to the detriment of the vines.”
The two winemakers have decided to have one of their wines, their Heida, certified by the Valais brand. “We are starting off initially with one plot to gain experience,” Madeleine says. The rules laid down by the Valais brand are particularly strict. The label aims to promote organic and sustainable methods of winemaking: it forbids the use of all herbicides, for example, and includes measures to promote biodiversity. It also focuses primarily on traditional local grape varieties.
Most vineyards in Valais are located on slopes, and many are supported by dry-stone walls. Maintaining these ancient structures is a painstaking and onerous task; however, they make an important contribution to biodiversity, so every effort is made to conserve them. The work on the vines themselves is also much more laborious on steep slopes: another factor that must be taken into consideration.
About 20 different winemakers with vineyards of all sizes have undertaken to meet the specifications laid down by the label and undergo regular checks. “Consumers place great importance on ethical, environmental and social standards,” say the people in charge of the Valais brand. “We have to show that in Switzerland’s leading winegrowing region, where about 50 different grape varieties flourish, these principles are taken seriously.”
Madeleine and Jean-Yves Mabillard-Fuchs also produce various other wines rated highly by connoisseurs. For their entry into the world of the Valais brand, however, they opted for their Heida: available since May 2020.
Photographer: Sedrik Nemeth
Published: April 2021
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