The wine from the highest vineyards in Europe
In the upper Aosta Valley, at the foot of Mont Blanc, between the villages of Morgex and La Salle, grow some of the highest vineyards in Europe, cultivated at altitudes between about 900 and 1,200 metres, in a landscape of meadows, woods and glaciers, where it seems impossible that vines could survive. Here a local white grape is grown, the Prié Blanc, one of the very few native varieties of the Alps, which has adapted over the centuries to this extreme climate, with harsh winters and short summers. A unique feature of these vineyards is that the vines grow "franco di piede", on their own roots, without being grafted onto American rootstock, because the cold climate and the sandy soil prevented the arrival of phylloxera, the insect that destroyed most of the vineyards of Europe in the nineteenth century: these are among the few original European vines still in existence.
The vines are trained on low pergolas, supported by stone or wooden pillars, about a metre from the ground, to protect the grapes from the cold and to exploit the heat reflected by the soil. From the Prié Blanc comes the Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle DOC, a fresh, light and mineral white wine, with a pale colour and notes of mountain herbs, apple and citrus, perfect as an aperitif and with fish from the lakes and cheeses. It is also produced as a sparkling wine and as an ice wine, from grapes harvested frozen in winter. In Morgex, the cooperative winery and small producers offer tastings, and in summer the vineyards can be explored on foot.
Tip: taste the Blanc de Morgex with a plate of local cheeses; walk among the low pergolas in late summer, before the harvest.
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