Valle d’Aosta (Aosta Valley) is located in extreme northwestern Italy, bordering both France and Francophone Switzerland. Because of its proximity to France, Valle d’Aosta—or Vallée d’Aoste—often uses French terms in place of Italian ones. Its capital and largest town is Aosta. As Italy’s smallest and least populous region, most of it too mountainous for agriculture, Valle d’Aosta not surprisingly has by far the smallest wine production of any Italian region—less than 19,000 hl (208,000 cases) from a mere 450 ha (1,110 acres) of vineyards in 2022—although its wines can occasionally be found on export markets. Interestingly, its production is over 60% red. The region’s primary grape varieties are Petit Rouge (20%),Nebbiolo (12%), Pinot Nero (8%), Prié Blanc (8%), andFumin (7%). It has just one DOC (see map on this page), with no DOCGs or IGPs.
