Elio Ottin is the rising star of Valle d'Aosta, the smallest of Italy's
regions located in The Alps bordering France and Switzerland. Elio, a passionate
farmer, was selling his fruit to the local cooperative (very common in these
parts due to the small land holdings) when he decided to vinify his own wines,
beginning in 2007.
The region, home to the highest vineyards
in Europe, is truly 'viticoltura di montagna'. Winters here are long and
freezing and the summers, although warm, are short. Working the land is
incredibly labour intensive: individual land holdings are small, traditionally
mixed use, and most vineyards are terraced on the steep hillsides. Elio's four
hectares are planted on the south facing hills of Aosta, Saint-Christophe and
Quart at about 600 metres.
