© Wikimedia/Zacharie Grossen
Sierre is a wine appellation at the heart of the Valais, western Switzerland. Its viticultural area is located around the township of Sierre, the administrative center of the Sierre District. The town occupies most of the valley floor here (even this sits at an altitude of 1800ft/550m) and leads right down to the banks of the Rhone, leaving only the higher slopes free for vineyards, of which there are nonetheless a substantial number.
The vineyards enjoy a south-easterly aspect as they climb steeply up the slopes behind the town. This elevated location helps the vines to make the most of the intense alpine sunlight here in the Valais. The vines are kept relatively dry by the rain-shadow cast by the peaks above, but are protected from drought by alpine meltwater. The soils are a medley of schistous, gravelly, glacial deposits – free draining and rich in minerals brought down from the peaks.
A typical Sierre 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).
