Cépages

Originating in the Rhone valley (F), and named after a village near Montelimar in the Drôme region, Marsanne was introduced to Sion in the Valais region around 1845, where it was preserved under the name of Ermitage or Hermitage, in reference to the famous vineyard at Drôme. DNA tests suggest that Marsanne is a parent or an offspring of Roussanne. Ripening in mid-season, Marsanne is highly productive, with large bunches, but it is susceptible to fungal disease. In Switzerland, it is practically only grown in Valais, where it gives dry or sweet wines, with an aroma of raspberry liqueur, that can be stored for a long time.

A native variety of the Valais region in Switzerland, Amigne was first recorded towards the end of the 17th century, between Sierre and Sion, before it became established at Vétroz, which has become its territory of choice (with 70 % of the Amigne variety grown in the world). Although it may be a grandchild of Savagnin Blanc (known as Heida or Païen in Valais) and Gouais Blanc, Amigne is an orphan variety. Its alleged Roman origins cannot be substantiated. Prone to coulure and millerandage, this chameleon variety can produce dry, mellow or sweet ("flértis") wines, whose sweetness is indicated in Vétroz with a label showing 1, 2 or 3 bees.

An artificial cross of Chasselas and Chardonnay created in 1965 at the Agroscope Research Centre in Pully (Switzerland), Doral was developed in order to obtain a variety that was more aromatic and sugary than Chasselas. A productive and early variety, prone to grey mould, Doral yields fresh wines with an exotic aroma, exclusively in Switzerland.