Valle d'Aosta DOC
| Wine region | |
| Official name | Denominazione di origine controllata Valle d'Aosta / Vallée d'Aoste |
|---|---|
| Other names | Vallée d'Aoste DOC |
| Type | DOC |
| Year established | 8 February 1971 |
| Country | Italy |
| Part of | Aosta Valley |
| Sub-regions |
|
| Climate region | Alpine, cool continental |
| Heat units | Low |
| Precipitation (annual average) | High (mountain-influenced) |
| Soil conditions | |
| Size of planted vineyards | ~400 ha |
| Grapes produced | Nebbiolo (Picotendro), Petite Rouge, Fumin, Cornalin, Mayolet, Premetta, Prié Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Petite Arvine |
| Varietals produced | Red, white, rosé, sparkling, passito wines |
| Wine produced | Still red & white, sparkling, late-harvest |
The Valle d'Aosta DOC (French: Vallée d'Aoste DOC) is an Italian denominazione di origine controllata located in the Aosta Valley of north-west Italy. Surrounded by the Alps, the Valle d'Aosta is home to the highest elevated vineyards in all of Europe. The principal winemaking region of the Valle d'Aosta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea (French: Doire baltée) river with the city of Aosta serving as the central winemaking location.
The region is divided into three main vineyard areas; the upper valley, Valdigne, the central valley (locally Valle centrale in Italian, Vallée centrale in French) and the lower valley, (locally Bassa valle in Italian, Basse vallée in French).
To the south is the winemaking region of Piedmont. The Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest winemaking region both in terms of size and production with only about 330,000 cases produced annually in the region and only 36,000 cases produced under the DOC label. Seventy five percent of the area's production is red wine made mostly from the Pinot noir, Gamay and Petit Rouge varieties. A white wine is made from the indigenous Prié blanc grape by the cooperative of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle.