Tastes and scents of Gran Paradiso: from the bottom of the valley to Valgrisenche

How: by car (on foot to visit the mountain refuge).
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended season: all year round (summer to visit the mountain refuge).
Distance: about 11 km.

A route to appreciate the local wines and gastronomic specialities and to discover peasant traditions and rural architecture.

The journey starts at Arvier, where a famous red wine of the Gran Paradiso area is produced, the Enfer d’Arvier which was among the first to obtain the highly regarded ‘DOC’ marking (Denomination of Controlled Origin) in 1972.
The vineyards dominate the area, mainly on the left bank of the Dora river, in an area historically adapted to the grapevine; the natural structure of the valley is an amphitheatre which provides the best conditions for the vines to grow, in a position that is so sunny to be known as the ‘Inferno’.
The Coopérative de l'Enfer can be visited upon prior booking and tasting can be organised on request.

In June, visitors to the area must take a trip to Avise and attend the unmissable Fiocca Festival (whipped cream), the first edition of which took place in 1972. The festival is held in the village of Baulin, about 1800 m above sea level on the edge of the Valgrisenche valley.
The ‘fiocca’ is whipped by hand with vigorous force using ‘fouets’, i.e. willow whips, inside a cave where ice can be kept even in summer.
After the usual road race followed by a lunch of local products, the highlight of the festival is the free distribution of fiocca.

Again in Avise, in the hamlet of Runaz, the traditional Chestnut Festival takes place on the last Sunday of October. The chestnut played an important role in the diet and economy of the peasants from the Aosta Valley and is freely distributed with joy and kindness during the festival.

Continuing in the Valgrisenche area, it is also possible to visit the aging room of the Milk and Fontina Cooperative Producers, upon reservation. The aging room is located at a high altitude (1700 metres) and is housed in a former gunpowder room dug out in the rock near the fort of Valgrisenche, dating back to the end of the 13th Century. The perfect balance between the temperature which is around 8° C all year round, and the 98% humidity makes this place the ideal environment for maturing the Fontina PDO cheese.

Another traditional product of Valgrisenche is the drap, a rustic fabric made from sheep’s wool on ancient maple-wood looms. As far back as can be remembered, the inhabitants of the Valley have devoted themselves to weaving, especially the men, who were more suited to manoeuvring the rudimentary looms.
The drap tradition is still kept alive today thanks to the valuable work of the cooperative Les Tisserands, whose workshop can be visited. The exhibition on the history of the Drap has also been put on display by the groups and can be visited upon reservation.
For several years now, a wool festival held between late August and early September has celebrated this ancient tradition.

Enjoy an overnight stay in one of the accommodation facilities in Valgrisenche and savour a delicious dinner made from local products.
In the summer, trekking enthusiasts can take a 2 hours’ walk from Usellière to the Mario Bezzi refuge restaurant that is famous for the quality and care put into food; here you can also stay overnight. The mountain refuge is at 2284 metres above sea level.
Another awarded facility can be found in the small village of Gerbelle, five minute walk from the capital. The Maison Bovard is a typical house made from stone and wood which offers bed & breakfast with products from the Aosta Valley.

Returning to the main valley, the route continues towards Introd, home to the Lo Triolet winery. In addition to the winery, the Martin family also manages a small agritourism establishment housed in a historic building dating back to 1656 and offering two apartments.
Pinot Gris has proved particularly well suited to the altitude of 800 metres and the microclimate of the Introd wine-growing area, producing highly aromatic, full-bodied wines, excellent also when aged in oak barriques.

In the area between Villeneuve and Saint-Pierre there are also private wineries which can be visited upon reservation (find them on the map).

The wine growing vocation of the area is confirmed by the Fiha di Barmé, the festival of the wine cellars, which takes place in mid-August in Villeneuve. From early afternoon, the ‘barmé’, the characteristic wine cellars of the village, offer the opportunity to taste various wines and local products from the Aosta Valley. Each barmé is different from the other, they are all carved into the rock of the Becca, the mountain which overlooks Villeneuve, and are characterized by consistent temperature, around 10 degrees, ideal for storing wine and cheese. The festival continues until late at night, both in the wine cellars and in the pavilion which is set up for dinner and musical entertainment.

As well as the flourishing viticulture, the most cultivated fruit in the Aosta Valley is the apple. Large fruit orchards can be found in the Saint-Pierre, Sarre and Villeneuve areas where the Renetta apple, is grown with its fine, scented flesh and wrinkled rusty-yellow skin, as well as the Golden Delicious- a juicy, sweet, crunchy apple with blushed yellow skin.

Why not take the delicious tastes of the tour home? In Saint-Pierre you can buy most of the food produced in the Aosta Valley region at the shop Pain de Coucou. The shop offers particularly fine products which are mostly hand made by traditional artisans; among the products are the lardo di Arnad PDO, the Fontina PDO cheese, the goat cheeses, the various local types of honey, the wines, the grappa, the apples and their derivatives such as apple vinegar and apple juice, whole wheat and rye bread, grissini breadsticks, traditional desserts and many other delicacies. There are also various handicraft objects typical of the area.