Cheers Heida! Wine from the highest vineyard in Europe

Sometimes a fruity-sweet drop is enough to attract the guest’s attention. When we were served a Heida melody during our stay at the Hotel Nest- und Bietschhorn in the Lötschental in July, my interest was aroused. I couldn’t remember the exact name of the wine immediately after the trip, but I still remember its origin. Visperterminen. Reason enough to make a detour to the “Heidadorf” on the way to Saas Fee.

Heida – Wine terraces over 500 metres in altitude

If you have enough time, you can explore the highest vineyard in Europe, where Heida, Fendant, Johannisberg, Muscat, Resi, Gamay and Pinot Noir grape varieties ripen into wonderful wines from the valley floor to 1,150 m above sea level, on foot on the vineyard nature trail from Visp or on guided wine hikes.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have that much time that afternoon and so we examined all the splendor from the highest point of the vineyard, where the guild house is located. The grape harvest will start in the coming days. Due to the differences in altitude, the work will take several weeks. Most of the grapes are delivered to the St. Jodern winery in Unterstalden – also located in the municipality of Visperterminen – where they are processed into fine white and red wines. Of the 300,000 litres of wine produced annually, Heida accounts for around a third. With success! The Heida Barrique 2012 was awarded by the Decanter Award as the best white wine.

A stop at the winery is worthwhile. If you want to learn more about the wines, you can take part in a cellar tour followed by a wine tasting or try a sip of the dangerously good Heida Melodie in the winery shop.

An annual highlight is the Wiigrill Barrel, which takes place at the beginning of September and is usually completely sold out months in advance.

Ukingdoms Heidadorf

If you follow the winding road from Unterstalden up towards Visperterminen, you will pass the hamlets of Oberstalden, Bitzinen and Niederhäuser. Each one is a little splendor in its own right. My favorite is the cute milk and distillery house in Oberstalden. In Visperterminen, after a short tour through the quaint part of the village with its sun-tanned granaries, we treat ourselves to a plate with a Heida – how could it be otherwise. Afterwards we unfortunately have to continue in the direction of Saas Fee. How I would have liked to stay up here a little longer and visit the shorn black-nosed sheep, go on hikes along the bisses and have a chat with long-established Visperterminers on the crooked Herrenviertelplatz. We will be back, guaranteed.

Note: Our visit to Visperterminen was supported by Heidadorf Visperterminen Tourism. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.