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This tour will take you to Aosta Valley located in the northwestern part of Italy. Agriculture is not very easy here as this area is full of stony lands, big rocks, and rocky slopes. Farmers have been well aware of all the problems connected with farming in this valley since the times of the Romans, who built here a network of roads and terracings in order to produce the necessary food to feed the Roman legion in Aosta and the inhabitants of the valley.

There are only a few areas to farm the land and those are mostly located along the Baltea River. This itinerary will follow the river through one of the most interesting wine roads in the Alps. The tour starts from the village of Nus and will reach Aymavilles through Aosta.

The town of Aosta (pic n°2) is located at the crossroads of the Alpine passes of the Great and Little St. Bernard, in a beautiful alpine valley crowned by Mount Emilius (pic n°5). During the Roman Empire Aosta was named the 'Rome of the Alps' and it has inherited from its Roman origins the orthogonal urban plan that is still visible today in the historic center. The town still now holds impressive remains of its Roman past, like the Arch of August and the Roman theatre.

In Aosta, one of the most interesting visits is undoubtedly the one to the Institut Regional Agri, a veritable school of agriculture where students are trained to produce not only the wines of the area but also many other local products, especially cheese.

The area that is crossed by the wine road is famous for its fine wines. We mention among the white wines "Nus" with its Malvoise's version, "Petite Arvine", and "Blanc de Morgex".

Well-known red wines are "Vin du Prevot", "Donnas", "Gamay", "Fumin", "Cornalin", and the variant of "Syrah" called "Caveau du Tresor". These are the typical wines of this region.

"Genepi" is an intriguing local yellow liqueur made of herbs that have curative properties. "Grappa", a strong and very alcoholic liqueur made of wine, is another important local product.