The oldest vines in Switzerland grow in Valais
In the villages of Leuk and Steg, Valais is home to the oldest documented vines in Switzerland. Tree-ring dating has shown that the Cornalin vine in Leuk was planted around 1798, while the Humagne Blanche vine in Steg goes back to roughly 1750. In recent decades, several initiatives have been created to preserve and celebrate these remarkable living witnesses of viticultural history.
Switzerland’s oldest red vine
Standing in front of the Allet house in Leuk is a Cornalin vine planted between 1790 and 1810, which is considered the oldest red vine in Switzerland. Around this bicentenary plant, the Vitis Antiqua 1798 project brings together four Leuk wineries, a wine broker and the Graziosa Giger art gallery, owner of the trellis. In 2000, an 8,000-square-metre vineyard was planted with cuttings from the ancient vine. Since 2004, its harvest has been blended each year with the grapes from the historic trellis to produce the Vitis Antiqua 1798 cuvée. Two events showcase this heritage: the release of the new vintage and the Leuker KulTour Wein.
The oldest vine in Switzerland
In 2006, scientific dating of the Humagne Blanche trellis in front of the Borri house in Steg revealed that it is the oldest known vine in Switzerland and possibly in the entire Alpine region. To protect this exceptional legacy, the Älteste Rebe der Schweiz foundation was created in 2019. Cuttings from the old plant were rooted in the nearby village of Hohtenn to preserve its genetic lineage. The seventy members of the brotherhood founded in 2021 tend the parcel on a voluntary basis. Each year, the wine produced is gifted to them in gratitude and served at official ceremonies.