Territory

Valle d’Aosta is a mountainous area. Italy’s smallest region, it is enclosed on three sides by the four highest peaks of Europe: Cervino, Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa and Monte Bianco. Monte Bianco or Mont Blanc, also known as Europe’s roof, with its many crests and needles of rock, is one of the world’s most impressive landscapes. Dora Baltea, the river that flows through the whole region and then into the Po, has its source on Mont Blanc. The valleys have been hollowed out by the glaciers that once covered the whole region, but only the central valley, through which the Dora Baltea river flows, enjoys milder weather and, thus, is suitable for winegrowing.
The winegrowing landscape extending along the mountain slopes is the visible sign of the man-nature relationship which distinguishes our ecosystem. Mountain winegrowing is also known as heroic winegrowing because of the difficult conditions in which vintners work. Mountain winegrowing, in addition to its economic and social consequences, plays a major role in the containment of the erosion of steep slopes and preserves the natural heritage of the areas where it is practiced. Some vineyards grow on terraced slopes supported by low dry-stone walls which require exclusively manual work.