Flanthey is a wine appellation of western Switzerland, covering the hillside vineyards immediately above Sierre, in Valais. The soils here, as all along the Valais, are a medley of schistous, gravelly, glacial deposits – free draining and rich in minerals brought down from the peaks above. The vines are blessed with a south-easterly aspect, helping them to make the most of the intense alpine sunlight, and are kept relatively dry by the rain-shadow cast by the peaks above. This is a vital factor in the climate of Flanthey, which lies at 2500ft (760m) above sea level.
A typical Flanthey wine might be a varietal (although blends are by no means unusual) made from Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cornalin or Humagne Rouge for reds and Chasselas, Sylvaner, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris for whites.
The Swiss wine industry lacked a formalized appellation system until the late 1980s, but now a comprehensive structure is in place. In the nation's three official languages, the classification is variously entitled Appellation d'Origine Controlle (AOC), Geographische Ursprungbezeichnung (GUB) and Denominazione d'Origine Controllata (DOC).
