Fully is a wine appellation of western Switzerland, covering the commune of the same name in the central Valais. Fully wines are some of the most respected of the whole Valais. They are mostly varietal cuvees made from Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cornalin or Humagne Rouge for reds and Chasselas, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris for whites.
Fully village itself is located right on the banks of the upper Rhone river, its vineyards on the south-facing hill above. The vines here stretch all the way up to Chataignier and Branson (to the east and west respectively), and up the valley walls to a height of 2700ft (825m).
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). The different names and corresponding acronyms are evidence of Switzerland's multi-lingualism.
More than 650 appellations now cover the villages and vineyards of Switzerland, of which Fully is one. Most are named after a single commune, while others denote multiple communes or even smaller areas within those communes. A small number of Swiss appellations cover an entire region, focusing on a particular grape variety or representative wine style; Chasselas Vaudois is one example.
As Switzerland continues to pursue and develop export markets for its wines – for a long time sold only through domestic channels – Swiss wine from appellations such as Fully will become more readily available and more widely recognized.
