Cornalin

Traditionally known as Rouge du Pays, this old variety from Valais (Switzerland) was renamed Cornalin in 1972, borrowing the name from a Valle d'Aosta variety. This was clearly a premonition, as DNA tests revealed it was in fact a natural cross between two varieties from Valle d'Aosta, Petit Rouge and Mayolet. Originally from Valle d'Aosta, it was probably introduced into the Valais region a very long time ago via the Great St Bernard Pass, while it has disappeared from its valley of origin. On the edge of extinction in Valais, it was saved by a handful of enthusiasts in the 1970s, so successfully that it has now become the symbolic red wine grape of the Valais region, where it is exclusively grown. Difficult in the vineyard with variable yields, Cornalin produces colourful, fruity and juicy wines, with silky tannins and a pleasant bitterness.