Valais wine tasting itinerary: 5 days from Grimentz

Grimentz is one of those rare places where the wine comes first and the mountains are the backdrop. Sitting at 1,570 metres in the Val d'Anniviers, this sun-bleached village of ancient larch granaries and cascading geraniums is home to one of Switzerland's most extraordinary wine traditions: vin du glacier, a white wine aged in larchwood barrels that are never fully emptied, meaning some drops in the cask date back over 125 years. That's the kind of experience you build an itinerary around.

This five-day plan leads with cellars and producers. The hiking connects them. Every trail, every ridge, every cable car ride is in service of getting you to the next authentic Valais wine experience.

Day 1: Arrive in Grimentz and meet the glacier wine

Settle in first. Drop your bags at your chalet, open the shutters to the peaks, and orient yourself. Grimentz is walkable and intimate, which makes it perfect for easing into the rhythm of the valley.

The first stop is the Maison Bourgeoise, a stone building dating to 1550 that sits at the heart of the village. This is where Grimentz's glacier wine has been produced and aged for generations. Switzerland Tourism describes it as the "sherry of Valais": oxidative, nutty, with a depth that comes from the solera-style ageing process. No other wine in Switzerland is made quite like it.

Book a guided cellar visit through Grimentz/St-Jean Tourisme (contact: grimentz@anniviers.ch). Sessions run one to two hours, accommodate groups from one to ten, and typically cost around 20 to 40 CHF per person. Pair your tasting with local rye bread and you'll understand immediately why this wine has its own mythology.

After the cellar, take the Chemin des Géraniums, a gentle one-hour loop through the village showcasing over 30 varieties of the flowers that Grimentz is famous for. It's an easy, scenic introduction to the area before dinner. The Magic Switzerland guide to Grimentz gives a useful overview of the village's heritage and walking options if you want to explore further.

In our experience at La Lisière 06, guests who start with the glacier wine cellar on day one arrive at dinner with a completely different energy. The wine gives them a story, a reference point. Every other tasting for the rest of the trip gets filtered through that first encounter.

What makes Valais glacier wine different from other Swiss wines?

Glacier wine is unique because of its production method. Here is what sets it apart:

The barrels are never emptied. New wine is added each year to barrels that already contain older wine, some dating back more than a century.
The wood is larch, sourced from the surrounding Alpine forests, which imparts a distinctive character you won't find in oak-aged wines.
The flavour profile is oxidative, closer to a dry sherry than a fresh white wine, with notes of dried fruit, walnut, and mountain herbs.
Production is tiny. Only a few thousand bottles are produced annually, making it genuinely rare.
It's tied to the village. Glacier wine from Grimentz is not a commercial product you'll find in supermarkets. You buy it at the source.

Switzerland Tourism's profile on glacier wine explains the full history, including its origins with nomadic Alpine farmers who carried the wine between high pastures and valley homes.

Day 2: Barrage de Moiry and a fromagerie in the mountains

Today the hike earns its place. Take the cable car from Grimentz up to Sorebois and begin the walk toward the Barrage de Moiry, a 148-metre dam built in 1958 that holds a strikingly turquoise glacial lake. The glacier behind it, draped in dark moraines, is one of the most dramatic sights in the Val d'Anniviers.

The route runs approximately 12 kilometres with around 600 metres of ascent and 800 metres of descent, taking four to five hours at a relaxed pace. This self-guided walking guide for the Val d'Anniviers covers the full trail network in detail and is worth downloading before you leave.

The food stop here is the point. Somewhere along the route, particularly near the high pastures approaching the dam, you'll find working mountain farms where raclette cheese is made the traditional way. If you can arrange access in advance through the local tourism office, a hands-on session with a fromagerie is one of those experiences that stays with you. Melt the cheese yourself, eat it with the potatoes and pickles, drink a glass of glacier wine you carried up from the village. That combination, at altitude, with that view, is what luxury alpine travel actually feels like.

Day 3: The Tour du Val d'Anniviers, stage 4 to Vercorin

This is the big hiking day. Stage 4 of the Tour du Val d'Anniviers runs from Grimentz to Vercorin: approximately 15 kilometres, six hours of walking, with 900 metres of ascent and 1,200 metres of descent. The official Valais hiking page has the full route description, elevation profile, and GPS download.

The trail climbs steeply through high Alpine meadows before opening into panoramic views across the valley. The descent into Vercorin is long but rewarding. For families or those who prefer a gentler version, gondola options at Bendolla and Sigeroulaz allow you to cut sections of the climb.

Vercorin is worth the effort. It's a quieter, artier village than Grimentz, with galleries and a relaxed pace that suits an evening of wine and conversation. This is also where you can access the Coteaux de Sierre wine region, producing cool-climate whites that contrast beautifully with the oxidative depth of glacier wine. Fresh, fruity, and mineral, they're the other side of Valais viticulture.

If your visit aligns with summer, check the dates for the Wine Gala in Grimentz, an annual event celebrating local producers with tastings and food pairings. It's exactly the kind of gathering that turns a good trip into a memorable one.

Stay in Vercorin overnight, in a boutique chalet or guesthouse, before looping back the next day.

Day 4: The Navizence river loop and a cellar visit back in Grimentz

The fourth day is deliberately slower. After the long stage to Vercorin, the route back follows the Navizence river from Zinal toward Grimentz, a walk of around six hours that passes through flower-filled Alpine meadows and small hamlets. It's scenic without being demanding.

Back in Grimentz by mid-afternoon, the timing is perfect for a second cellar visit, this time with more context. Having spent three days in the valley, tasted the Coteaux de Sierre wines in Vercorin, and walked the trails that connect the villages, the glacier wine tastes different. You understand where it comes from. You've walked past the larch forests. You've seen the farms.

A few practical notes for cellar visits:

Book at least two months in advance during peak summer season (June to September)
Minimum group sizes typically apply, often four people or more for private sessions
Sessions are usually conducted in French or German; confirm language options when booking
Prices range from 20 to 40 CHF per person for a guided tasting

The evening is for recovery. A post-hike massage at the chalet, a raclette dinner with the glacier wine you've been accumulating, and an early night before the final day.

Day 5: Grand Mountet and the wine to take home

The last day offers two options depending on energy levels.

For the ambitious: The hike to the Cabane du Grand Mountet is considered one of the finest mountain routes in the entire Valais. It's a serious undertaking, six to eight hours return, with glaciers on all sides and views that justify every step. The travel account from A Lion in Switzerland captures the atmosphere well. The Swiss Alpine Club hut at the top offers overnight accommodation for those who want to extend the experience.

For a gentler close: A morning walk through the village, a final coffee at a terrace café, and a proper visit to the cave to buy wine for home. Glacier wine travels well, and a bottle or two makes the best possible souvenir of a Valais wine tasting itinerary. Given that production is limited to a few thousand bottles annually, buying direct from Grimentz is the only reliable way to secure it.

Before you leave, spend a few minutes at the Val d'Anniviers tourism site to check for upcoming events. The valley has a genuinely active cultural calendar, and if you're planning a return trip, knowing what's on makes the decision easy.

How to plan your Valais wine and hiking trip: practical details

Getting the logistics right makes the difference between a good trip and a great one. Here's what to know:

Best time to visit:

July and August offer the best combination of open trails, warm evenings, and active producers
September is excellent for wine lovers specifically, as harvest season brings additional events and tastings
Early summer (June) can have residual snow on high passes; check conditions before committing to the full Tour du Val d'Anniviers stage

Budget guidance (per person, double occupancy, excluding transport):

Luxury chalet accommodation: 300 to 600 CHF per night
Cellar tastings and wine purchases: 50 to 100 CHF per session
Meals at local restaurants: 60 to 120 CHF per dinner
Total five-day budget: approximately 1,500 to 2,500 CHF per person

Navigation and trail apps:

MeteoSwiss for mountain weather, updated frequently and reliable for glacier-level forecasts
Switzerland Mobility for offline trail maps across the Val d'Anniviers network
The Swiss Alpine Club app for SAC hut bookings and high-altitude route conditions

Booking tips:

Reserve cellar visits two months ahead in summer
SAC huts fill quickly in July and August; book as soon as dates are confirmed
Luxury chalets in Grimentz have limited availability; early booking is essential

Ready to make Grimentz your base?

A Valais wine tasting itinerary built around glacier wine, local producers, and mountain trails deserves the right base. At La Lisière 06, we're positioned in the heart of Grimentz, minutes from the Maison Bourgeoise cellars and the trailheads that connect the valley's wine villages.

We've seen guests arrive as hikers and leave as devoted Valais wine enthusiasts. The combination of the two, done properly, is genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else in Switzerland.

Explore more itinerary ideas and local recommendations on the La Lisière 06 journal, or get in touch to start planning your five-day stay.