Visperterminen is a Swiss wine appellation of eastern Valais. It is centered on the village of the same name located in the transversal Mattertal valley, which runs between Visp and Zermatt in the heart of the high Swiss alps. Several villages take advantage of the valley's sunny exposure, including Embd, Zeneggen and Visperterminen itself.
Although the valley cuts deeply into the landscape here, the topography around these villages is slightly less vertiginous and jagged than in the surrounding area, which is the only reason viticulture is possible. The increased elevation on the transversal valley slopes means that the vineyards enjoy sunshine for much longer every day than those down by the Rhone. Space is at a premium when it comes to finding suitable vineyard sites and this is illustrated by the cramped terraces which cover the hillsides below the village. They are home to some of the highest vines in Europe.
The white varieties which might be found in a Visperterminen vineyard are Chasselas, Chardonnay, Sylvaner (known here as Johannisberg), Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Their red counterparts, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cornalin, Humagne Rouge and Syrah, are increasingly widespread, as is the case across Switzerland.
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). More than 650 appellations now cover the villages and vineyards of Switzerland, of which Visperterminen is one. As Switzerland continues to pursue and develop export markets for its wines, Swiss wine from appellations like Visperterminen will become more readily available and more widely recognized.
