2015 edition

Over 1 400 sector operators and interested visitors for the first edition of “Vins Extrêmes, il meglio dei vini d’alta quota” (“Vins Extrêmes, the Best of High Altitude Wines”). 64 participating companies from Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Calabria, Abruzzo and Sicily and numerous companies from France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany and Spain.

Augusto Rollandin, President of the Council and President of Associazione Forte di Bard, was pleased with the spectacular “extreme” venue hosting the event: “This event, debuting at Forte di Bard, and intended primarily for wine professionals, was successful beyond our wildest expectations. My thanks go to the work of our teams from the Region, Forte di Bard, producers, Cervim, IAR, Chambre Valdôtaine, ExpoVda and important partners, like Ipra, Slow Food, ONAV, FISAR, AIS, Città del Vino and Movimento Turismo del Vino. Thanks to the quality and expertise of sector producers and operators, wine is a flagship product in Valle d’Aosta.”

“With this event, Valle d’Aosta strongly desired to be at the heart of heroic winegrowing, seeking to highlight all of the savoir-faire, culture and passion of the people who live and work in difficult but unique lands and who, only through a strong common effort, can share a strong message of the mountain with the world”, declared Renzo Testolin, Councillor for Agriculture and Natural Resources of the Valle d’Aosta Autonomous Region.

Stefano Celi, President of VIVAL – Associazione Viticoltori Valle d’Aosta (Valle d’Aosta Winemakers Association) is already looking to the future: “This first edition saw the participation of many sector professionals and curious and passionate visitors. Certainly, some aspects can be improved, and discussions with partners, producers and the public will help us improve and think about the second edition that, given the general satisfaction with this first edition, we are excited to get to work on.”

The two days saw the participation of numerous experts leading very popular round tables, tasting workshops and guided tasting, all of which were sold out. The workshop on saffron produced in Valle d’Aosta was a big hit, with the participation of producers Diego Bovard and Stefano Carletto, and led by show cooking of chef Davide Ghisio who explained how to use this precious ingredient.

One of the most popular guided tasting sessions was the one entitled “Armenia e Valle d’Aosta”, revealing synergies between the two areas. Armenian producer Zorik Gharibian from the Zorah company illustrated the unique characteristics of his land and his wines.

Students from IPRA – Istituto Professionale Regionale Alberghiero (Regional Hospitality Professional Institute), in Châtillon, made an important contribution, preparing traditional dishes for the tasting workshops with assistance from their teachers, tickling the taste buds of visitors and exhibitors alike.

The public appreciated two postmarks and four cards of stamps available at a temporary post office in Forte di Bard, created especially for the event by Poste Italiane to celebrate winegrowing in Valle d’Aosta.

Vins Extrêmes also held a well-attended awards ceremony for the 23rd edition of the Concorso Internazionale dei Vini di Montagna: many producers were present, including foreign ones, to personally receive their prizes. No fewer than 191 wines were recognised, with four grand gold medals, 62 gold medals and 125 silver medals. Thirteen special prizes were also awarded. 602 wines were entered, presented by 218 companies. Italy entered 259 wines, and was the best-represented country, followed by Spain that, with its 121 wines, was the foreign country with the greatest number of participating samples, then Germany with 103 and Switzerland with 58. Among Italian regions, Valle d’Aosta entered 76 wines, followed by the Autonomous Province of Trento (37), Sicily (25), Veneto (22), the province of Bolzano (21), as well as Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Sardinia, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania and Abruzzo.

Complete rankings are available on www.cervim.org.

Vins Extrêmes received the authorisation of the Valle d’Aosta Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, VIVAL – Associazione Viticoltori Valle d’Aosta (Valle d’Aosta Winemakers Association), Forte di Bard, CERVIM, IAR, Chambre Valdôtaine and ExpoVdA, with the collaboration of IPRA, the participation of Valle d’Aosta Department of Tourism and Sport, Slow Food Valle d’Aosta, ONAV, FISAR, AIS, Città del Vino and Movimento Turismo del Vino. Media partner: Gambero Rosso.