HISTORY
History Johanneli Fi
The story of our wine cellar is based on an old Valais legend which found an unexpected end.
Z' Johanneli is said to have been the first woman innkeeper on the Brigerberg in the 17th century. After closing time she secretly poured water into the wine barrel to increase her profit. When one evening a guest caught Johanneli red-handed, she was driven from the village. After that, no one ever saw her again. At that time it was said that she had to remain eternally as a lost soul in the glacial waters to atone for her grievous sin.
But now that the glaciers are melting, z 'Johanneli is said to have been set free again. This is probably the reason why her wine is again available at the Treichweg at the foot of the Visperberg.
Winegrower portrait
About us
Our long-standing family tradition in viticulture and the exceptional location in the highest vineyard in Europe are our cornerstones for producing wines full of character.
We produce the traditional Valais wines by hand and combine them with the soul of old Valais legends. The Valais nature with its magnificent mountains, the overwhelming glaciers, the clear water and the eerie legends that are inherent in it serve as inspiration for us today.
All this and perhaps even more makes the wine of the Johanneli Fi wine cellar something very special.
Highest vineyard in Europe
Winegrowing in Visperterminen can look back on a long tradition.
Surrounded by the highest mountains in Switzerland, Visperterminen is home to wine growing up to 1150 m above sea level - higher than anywhere else in Europe.
Very little rainfall, maximum sunshine and great differences between day and night temperatures are the characteristics of the local climate and nature's guarantee for fabulous wines.
©Valais_Wallis Promotion - Christian Pfammatter
The wine cellar in Visp
A complete wine cellar carved into the rock - unique and fascinating.
Here there are constant temperatures and a constant air humidity. These are ideal conditions for the production of genuine Valais wines full of character. The wine is aged partly in barrique and partly in steel barrels.
A specially installed micro-oxygenation plant ensures a controlled oxygen supply to the wines. This binds colours to the tannins, invigorates the aromas and prevents sulphide aromas in white wines.
Winemakers with passion
Even as children we were used to helping out in the vineyards on our days off, although not always with pleasure. At the time, I would never have imagined that this would one day become a passion.
Only a course of studies in Wädenswil gave me the courage to take the vinification process into my own hands. Today we produce about 30,000 bottles a year to which belong also the noble and certified Johanneli Fi Heida Excellence "Brand Valais" with a limit of 1'000 bottles per year. 10 years ago we were the first to plant a promising Merlot in the highest vineyard of Europe.
Today we can proudly say that the Valais Merlot is in no way inferior to that from Ticino.
Nanztal alpine cheese
The cow Albina, which belongs to our son, is kept in the stable of the farmer Herold Zimmermann in Visperterminen.
She spends her summer days in the valley called "Nanztal". Here a wonderful alpine cheese is produced with a lot of love and passion.
The cheese matures in our mountain cellar for at least one year. This results in a very spicy planed cheese (Hobelkäse), which you can order here in our online shop or enjoy during a wine tasting.
©Valais_Wallis Promotion - Sedrik Nemeth
