The Cornalin

At the end of the 19th century, like other native grape varieties, Cornalin was abandoned in favor of grape varieties that were easier to work with and gave more regular and higher yields such as Pinot Noir and Gamay . Thus the Rouge du Pays had practically disappeared by the middle of the 20th century. In the meantime, with a renewed interest in quality wines carrying the identity of their production region, 151 ha have been replanted. In 1972 it was officially named "Cornalin", a misnomer because a grape variety already bearing that name is grown in the Aosta Valley and which, in Valais, is known as Humagne Rouge.
The main handicap of Cornalin is its alternation: one year it has significant yields and the following year almost no grapes. In addition, it tends to suffer from magnesium deficiency and it is sensitive to coulure (if the weather conditions are bad during the flowering period, fruiting is impaired and the clusters bear few berries). On the other hand, when the climatic conditions suit it, this late grape variety produces magnificent, very distinctive wines characterized by aromas of black cherries, raspberries and violets. Dense, sometimes rustic on the palate when young, it becomes, with age, silky , very deep and with an elegant acidity marked by a slight final bitterness which gives it freshness and length. It is undoubtedly the most exciting Valais grape variety, along with Petite Arvine. Even the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was greatly impressed by the Rouge du Pays. He described it as a wine with Mediterranean generosity in which the breeze of the glaciers and the smell of the meadows of the Alps mingle.