It was not the Romains who planted the vines in Valais!
The year is 1987. Near Brigue, a stunning archaeological discovery was about to take us 2,700 years back in time. On the A9 motorway construction site, dwellings dating from the Iron Age (around 700 BC) had just been unearthed.
The archaeologists dispatched to the site could hardly believe their eyes when they unearthed charred grape seeds and fossilized vines. This discovery suggests that the people of Valais were cultivating vines long before the arrival of the Romains, who landed in our regions around 27 BC. However, it is unknown whether they vinified the grapes, as no winemaking equipment has been found.
But drinkers they certainly were, as numerous amphorae have been exhumed throughout the canton, some of which came from distant lands such as Sicily or Greece, with scientific dating tracing these objects back to a period prior to the Roman Empire. In northern Italy and in Tessin, potters made trottola vases (meaning spinning top in Italian) which were used to store and drink wine. Large numbers of these vessels have been unearthed all along the Rhône Valley.
But let us render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. The arrival of the Romains contributed to improving the daily lives of the people of Valais. Drawing on their bacchic experiences throughout the Empire, they undoubtedly carried in their bags some fine and beautiful bottles that gladdened the hearts of the Valaisans!
