Vine Picking

From Alp Art Hotel in Monthey (Collombey), you’re less than an hour from some of the most famous wine villages in Valais: Fully, Saillon, Chamoson, Sion, Sierre. Every autumn, these hillsides explode with colour, and with activity. Local wine estates welcome guests to join the vendanges, the traditional grape harvest.

Mid-September to Mid-October

You’ll start the day in the rows, basket in hand, learning how to cut bunches without butchering the vine. Don’t worry: the team shows you what to do, and the pace is friendly, not industrial. Between two buckets you get stories about the terroir, the grape varieties (Fendant, Petite Arvine, Cornalin…) and how the wine ends up in your glass.

After the work comes the reward: a simple meal at the winery, tastings of new wines, sometimes even live music. It’s one of the best ways to meet locals and feel what Valais is really about: hard work, good food, and generous hospitality.

Book in advance: harvest days are limited and very weather-dependent.

Bring good shoes you’re not afraid to get dusty, and a light jacket, mornings can be fresh even when afternoons are warm.