Visperterminen, Switzerland
Visperterminen is a stunning village, perched some 1,400 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps.
The efficient Swiss offer a train service from Geneva to Visp. The train takes you through a gigantic tunnel from Sierre to Visp.
What is astonishing is the language transition through the tunnel. Sierre is a French-speaking village. But when you arrive in Visp, no-one speaks French, only German.
After the train, there is a bus that climbs the steep mountain sides to take you to Visperterminen.
It is frightening to experience a big bus navigating hairpin bends, with sharp cliffs below.
Visperterminen is a lovely village, with old and new buildings clinging to the mountain side. It is a ski resort in winter, and a hiking location in summer.
I met a couple, much fitter than me, who had walked up from the valley below. I just went for a walk around the village, and soaked up the mountainous beauty.
Visperterminen has the reputation of having the highest vineyards (in terms of altitude) in Europe with an elevation of 650 to 1150 meters above sea level.
The grape variety generally used is “Heida”. These grapes reportedly love the clay and sand soils, which contain a bit of lime, and also the strong sun rays and the elevation of the growing area.
In the dialect spoken in Upper Valais, Heida means “original” or “old”. It arose from mutations and accidental crossings and counts as one of the ancient varieties that are the ancestors of today’s noble grapes.
While the Heida grape is a typical Upper Valais variety, further down the valley the same grape is called Païen, while in the Jura region of France it is called Savagnin blanc, and in Germany it goes by the name Traminer.
The Heida grape variety is usually vinified as a dry wine, but it is also well suited to the production of sweet wines too. Heida goes very well with mature alpine cheeses, air-dried meats or meaty terrines.
I enjoyed a glass of Haida over dinner. It was pale yellow, the nose had spicy minerals and exotic scents of ripe fruit and acacia honey. On the palate it was rich and expressive with hints of quince, peach and mirabelle, just a hint of residual sweetness, some peppery spice and a subtle acidity.