ARVIER (AO) – SPECTACULAR AOSTA VALLEY AND SUPERB ENFER D' ARVIER DOC WINE
A magnificent day of tourism in the Aosta Valley is always a pleasure, this spectacular north-western region of the peninsula offers magnificent alpine landscapes, a wonderful historical, monumental and cultural heritage in every corner of the territory and also known for being an infinite forge of elite food and wines.
This visit I suggest will feature Arvier, a beautiful municipality with scattered hamlets located at a height of 776.0 meters on the valley floor of the Dora Baltea river in the heart of the attractive Lolair Nature Reserve just 14 kilometers from the regional capital, Aosta.
Arvier is famous to boast excellent wines among them the sublime Enfer D' Arvier, D.O.C. , a product of very high level able to conquer a multitude of refined palates for its excellent quality.
From Aosta to reach Arvier you have to take the State Road 26 which winds north of the Gran Paradiso National Park and south of the majestic Mont Blanc.
The first stop during your visit is a sort of little historic introduction looking at what remains of the Castle of Lamothe dating back to 1250, ancient property of the Savoyard nobleman Aymar de La Mothe, a stronghold that then moved on to other feudal families such as d'Avise, Sarriod de la Tour and Lostan.
The fortress, now a regional heritage site, has a massive quadrangular tower close to a structural ruin, a section of the city walls bordering another circular tower and inside the remains of a fireplace.
You will then head to the hamlet of Grand-Haury at the entrance to the Valgrisenche to admire on a hill overlooking the village the Castle of Arvier also called Montmayeur, a name taken from the Count who erected this manor in the thirteenth century which later became the home of the aristocrats Anselmo and Aimone d'Avise who developed the keep.
The building, now entirely in ruins, has some interesting surviving architectural elements such as an imposing circular dovetail crenellated tower, sections of the original wall, one of which corresponded to an arched entrance and a further one that represented the main entrance.
From there you can continue with the Church of St. Sulpice of medieval origin located on the valley floor, enlivened by a beautiful Romanesque bell tower and the beautiful Chapel of Rochefort.
In another hamlet called Planaval on a rugged promontory you can see the silhouette of the Stronghold of Planaval which was one of the residences of the Lords of Avise. The building has a plan measuring 15.50 x 10.0 meters, erected in 1330 on the remains of an earlier building of the tenth century developed on three floors with sloping roofs and classified as a monobloc fortification, considered among other things the tallest built in the region.
You can continue to visit a well-known Wine Cooperative established in 1978 with various producer members that manages the bottling and marketing of the famous Enfer d'Arvier, a highly prized red wine of the region boasting the title D.O.C. title achieved in 1972, the first at regional level to obtain the controlled designation of origin which confers protection of production, provenance and methods of production.
Some historical notes about the local grapes narrate that the Enfer d'Arvier was highly appreciated in nearby France, already known in 1312 when an inhabitant called Rodolphus de Avisio dedicated himself to viticulture in his land holdings of Arvier and Liverogne.
The grapes are grown in vineyards developed on the left bank of the Dora Baltea with terraces already obtained in ancient times from the steep hilly territory that climbs up to rugged rocky mountain slopes in a sunny valley that due to its geophysical structure is more than suitable for winemaking activities.
This magnificent natural amphitheater has been called "Inferno" (the hell) for the large number of sunny days it enjoys throughout the year and thanks to the support of high mountain bastions that act as a protective filter, mitigating the infiltration of cold or icy breezes coming from the North practically creating a perfect micro-climate.
The vineyards are cultivated at an altitude between 800,0 and 900 .0 meters, the subsoil is mainly sandy, of glacial origin, not too humid or arid, capable of storing during a day the heat of atmospheric temperatures on sunny days to cool and breezy ones at night, giving with the mineral components contained in it an optimal final result, suitable for creating a superlative product with a rich fruity flavor, complete and balanced.
The blend that makes up this sublime wine is 85% derived from the native Petit Rouge vine and the remaining 15% from Gamay, Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Neyret and Vien de Nus. The harvest still takes place today as per tradition, manually, the aging in the bottle is 6 months obligatory with a maximum duration of 5 years .
The Enfer d' Arvier is a wine with a very intense garnet red hue, the smell emanates a delicate, classic aroma with a typical bouquet, the flavor is elegantly velvety, palatable at first taste dry, harmonious with body leaving after a few seconds bitter sensations but absolutely devoid of acidity and for these characteristics it is considered a quiet and very versatile wine.
Its minimum alcohol content is between 11.5 / 12.5 degrees, a quality that is added to the previous ones, magnificently combined in the gastronomic field with hard and aged cheeses such as Fontina, excellent with stews, soups, meat in salmi, beef, pork, sheep and goat, game such as quails or partridges, boiled meats, cured meats, sausages and it is perfect if served at a temperature between 20.0 and 22.0 degrees.
It’s time to enjoy your lunch and tle local cuisine is absolutely delicious. You can start with q mixed appetizer of cold cuts including Dzambon, Mocetta, Toma and Croutons about first courses very suggested are Risotto alla Fontina, Mountain Cabbage and Lard or Green Pappardelle with Butter, Truffle, Sausage and Goat Cheese Flakes, options of second courses between Venison Fillet or the classic Cotoletta alla Valdostana both served with side dish and obviously a very good list of wines.
After your lunch you can enjoy the view of the spectacular Alps of Aosta Valley and a and for sure this corner of Italy with its natural beauties and superb wine will remain inside you with the desire one day to cone back.
Links : https://arvier.eu/ - https://www.lovevda.it/en/food-and-wine/wines/wineries/cooperativa-co-enfer
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