Tasting of six wines: Heida Veritas – Vitis (Gewürztraminer) – Sylvaner – Terminion (Pinot Noir, Gamaret and Syrah) – Heida Barrique – Heida Visperterminen
Note: This article was written in cooperation with IMBACH Reisen. Would you like to do this hike as a guided hike? Then we recommend you the specialist for hiking vacations: Imbach Travel.
How to get to the St Jodern Kellerei
| Name | St. Jodern Kellerei |
| Location | Unterstalden, Visperterminen, Visp, Canton Valais, Switzerland |
| Address | St. Jodern Kellerei, Unterstalden 2, 3932 Visperterminen |
| Arrival by car: | Travel time from Zurich: about 3 h 10. Route here Travel time from Bern: approx. 2 h. Route here |
| Parking | Parking is available directly in front of the winery. Combine a visit to the winery with a hike: Parking garage train station in Visp. |
Arrival by public transport | Approximate travel time: From Zurich about 2 h 15 min. From Bern approx. 1 h 10 min From Geneva about 2 h 30 min |
| Bus stop | “Visperterminen, Kellerei” (directly in front of the St Jodern Kellerei) |
Matthias Hike Tip: Hike from Visp to Visperterminen (Rebenweg / Vineyard trail)
“Visperterminen is known for being the highest vineyard in Europe. Hike from Visp to Visperterminen and experience the work in the vineyard up close. Fantastic views of the vine terraces and the Valais Alps are guaranteed. Those who wish can make a stop at the St. Jodern Kellerei.”
Our visit to the St Jodern Kellerei
We visited the St Jodern Kellerei in Visperterminen on a hiking tour with Imbach. The winery is located in the canton of Valais, more precisely in Unterstalden, which in turn is part of Visperterminen. In this report, we take you on a wine tasting at the St Jodern Kellerei.
The St Jodern Kellerei in Unterstalden near Visperterminen
At the foot of the highest vineyard in Europe lies the St. Jodern Kellerei in Unterstalden.
The village, situated on a slope, is a little below 900 m.a.s.l. The winery is easily accessible by public transport or by car. But that’s not all: we had to earn the wine tasting with the Imbach hiking group first: We walked through the highest vineyard in Europe to Unterstalden to the St. Jodern Kellerei hiked
Arrival at the St Jodern winery in Visperterminen
After about 3 hours of walking through the vineyards, we arrived at the winery. We were greeted by an employee of the St Jodern Kellerei in the typical Valais dialect. Anyone who has ever experienced this knows how warm such a reception feels. In the modern entrance area, furnished with wood and stone accents, one can buy wines of all kinds. The wines “smiled” at us invitingly. This strengthened our desire to finally taste these noble drops – including the true, genuine, and unique Heida. What could be better on a vineyard hike than to taste the wine?
After depositing our hiking backpacks, the whole hiking group joined us at a raised wooden table. No sooner had we taken our seats on the bar stools than the first wine was poured for us. Yay, here we go!
The tasting at the St Jodern Kellerei: six wines
With the words “Exceptionally fine, delicate bouquet with aromas of citrus, exotic fruits, nuts, and apples”, we were presented with the first wine. That already sounded promising. We took a sip, closed our eyes, and tasted the Heida Veritas: Mmmhh! The brochure that everyone received said that he was awarded the Grand Medaille d’Or in 2022. We tasted a winner.
We also really enjoyed the 14.5 percent by volume Vitis. Gewürztraminer is not often found in Valais and is not usually pressed pure. Pressing means “squeezing the juice from grapes to make wine”. In simple terms, this wine was therefore not pressed alone, but together with other grape varieties. Angelika from the hiking group was glad that the many terms from the world of wine were explained to us.
We continued with the wine that is the second most grown in Valais: The Sylvaner, also called Johannisberg. We swirled the greenish-yellow wine and imitated a sommelier. Lifting the glass when it was almost to my lips, I looked at Matthias. We both had to laugh, because the movements were so synchronized as if we had rehearsed it. A hearty laugh flowed through the group.
The production site of the St Jodern Kellerei
The tasting was paused halfway through and Franziska took us to another part of the winery. Next, we took a look at the production. Matthias and I had never before considered how wines are actually labeled or bottled. Franziska from the St Jodern Kellerei showed us around. She explained the many steps of winemaking.
At the heart of the St Jodern Kellerei
We climbed the stairs in the annex to the basement and reached the heart of the winery: the barrique in the cellar. We wondered about the name, but were quickly enlightened: a barrique is an oak barrel. In this part of the St Jodern Kellerei, the oak barrels are stored. Franziska explained the many steps of winemaking.
We had already heard and read quite a bit about the wine cellar. We were surprised by how straightforward, modern, and innovative the barrique cellar presents itself. See for yourself right here with a virtual tour.
Tasting part 2: Three more fine wines from the St Jodern Kellerei
Back in the tasting room, Herold from our Imbach group was pleased that it was now the turn of the Heida Barrique. That was his favorite wine. Matthias and I were proud that we knew why the wine had that name without looking it up. We toasted each other and enjoyed the sip of Heida that ran gently down our throats. Oh how wonderful!
The fourth wine, Terminon, was also aged in oak barrels. It is a blend of three different grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Gamaret and Syrah. The wine was a bit fruitier than the others. Last but not least, we taste the Heida Visperterminen (Savagnin blanc). I took a sip and wanted to ask Matthias if this wasn’t the wine the winemakers at the vineyard had raved about, but Matthias was engrossed in an animated conversation with Anselmo and Marianne. They agreed that this wine was rightly the pride of the winemakers.
Tasting at the St Jodern Kellerei: enjoy and acquire knowledge
After a good two hours, we said goodbye to Franziska from the St Jodern Kellerei. We had actually tasted the wines from the very vines through which we had hiked that same day. Eva from the Imbach group was quite taken with the fact that she now knew much more about winemaking. She said that she would definitely come here again with her husband. Together we made our way back to Visp – with a taste of Heida on the palate.
Our conclusion of the wine tasting in the St Jodern Kellerei
Wine lovers will get their money’s worth. During these two hours, we saw, learned, laughed, and tasted a lot. In addition to the good wine, our curiosity was immediately satisfied. Franziska from St Jodern Kellerei shared her knowledge with us with great enthusiasm. We appreciated that very much. Now we are almost little Heida experts. We were especially pleased with the warm hospitality at the St Jodern Kellerei. We really noticed the enthusiasm with which wine is made here.
