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Did you know?
People in Valais have always drunk their wine uncut Valais producers have a taste for competitions To fight mildew, the vines were sulphated with a broom Before 1850, the vineyard looked like a forest of vines Wine is drunk like water until the mid-20th century The brisolée is born with the harvest Men prune, women deleaf New mothers drank up to one litre of warm wine a day Pigs wandered among the vines in the Middle Ages The Grand St Bernard chanoines drank in secret In the 18th century, egg whites were used to clarify red wine Wine was a good way to poison your enemies Early travelers were fascinated by Valais wines Industry killed the vines in Monthey Before the 20th century, there were practically no vines in Savièse Saxon, always a balance between grapes and apricots Amigne and Humagne did not arrive with the Romans
Did you know ?

Saxon, always a balance between grapes and apricots

Riddes, Saxon, Charrat: on the left bank of the Rhone river, one chooses between vines and apricots, depending on the market and subsidies. Before 1850, agriculture was limited to the hillsides and dejection cones. The arrival of the train and major engineering works undertaken to correct the Rhone made it possible to extend the vineyards – until the revolution of 7 August 1953 when farmers rose up against imported fruits, burning train wagons at the Saxon train station in protest. They were given support and assurances from the Swiss Confederation about marketing apricots. At the same time, the introduction of vineyard zoning, in 1959, which limited the extension of vineyards to the best areas, discouraged grape-growing in the area around Charrat-Riddes. In just 10 years the vines disappeared almost entirely, between Saxon and Riddes, giving way to apricot orchards.

Two-thirds, one-third

The apricot did not remain king for long. Fluoride emissions from aluminum factories in Martigny affected the fruit and ruined the harvests. Starting in 1965 farmers turned once again to grapes, more resistant and profitable with the wine market in good shape – until the wine surplus crisis of 1982, which sent a chill through the winemaking world. Since then, the two crops have been grown, and live, side by side: two-thirds apricots, one-third wine grapes, with little change.

Sourced from
REYNARD Emmanuel, BESSERO Viviane, MARTIN Simon, « Choisir entre la vigne et l’abricot: la région de Charrat-Saxon-Riddes » in Histoire de la Vigne et du Vin en Valais : des origines à nos jours, Sierre-Salgesch, Musée valaisan de la Vigne et du Vin, Gollion, Infolio, 2009.

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