I’m sitting at my desk in New York but I am armchair traveling to a time, not in the too distant past, when I used to ski in the Valle d’Aosta. I am lucky enough to have dear friends with homes in some wonderful ski towns such as Gressoney in the Valle d’Aosta. Gressoney is really two towns, Saint-Jean and La Trinite’.

I spent some lovely weekends there and that was when I discovered Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle D.O.C. made from the Prie’ Blanc grape grown in the Aosta Valley. The vineyards where these grapes grow are some of the highest in Europe, at approximately 1200 meters. The grape is quite particular and goes through its entire life cycle very quickly. Most of the vines are not grafted and live on their own rootstocks. The are trained to grow using a trellising system called “pergola bassa” or low canopy. The grape can also be found in the Valais region of Switzerland.

The wine is straw yellow in color, with a relatively low gradation of alcohol and has a delicate and fruity bouquet. This is a great wine to drink as an aperitivo or with a light first course. I have many fond memories of those days but alas no digital photos. While the Valle d’Aosta is a long way away, the wine can be found locally which makes me smile.