On the east-facing schist slopes of Conthey, Is O faya Farm is a polycultural holding producing wine from Illona’s own micro-plots, alongside organic beef and lamb raised high in the Swiss pastures of Derborence . Illona is a proper grafter — un grand bosseur..Her wines have a cult following; you’ll find more of her bottles in New York, Paris, and Geneva than in the Valais itself, this is normal for natural wine its very Niche here and full of traditionalists.

I first met her in a freezing cold car park in Angers (Loire), where she appeared at a guerrilla-style pop-up organised by Jas Swan of Katla Wines — a side event running alongside La Dive.

Since leaving her former vineyards on the west-facing calcareous sites of Saxon and Riddes, Illona has returned to a deeply holistic way of farming. Where she once tended fruit trees, she now continues her polycultural approach with cows, chickens, and sheep grazing high in the alpine pastures of Derborence.

“It’s not just for Instagram,” she says with a smile.

Illona is a true Swiss naturalist and farmer — warm, authentic, and deeply rooted in her land. She raises cows for beef rather than milk, living as a largely self-sustaining smallholder, guided by practicality rather than trends.

We harvested 50–60-year-old Gamay vines from a tiny, wild 0.1-hectare plot where the rows run vertically rather than horizontally. This marks the final harvest of Gamay here, as the vines will soon be replaced with a white variety. As Illona explains, red grapes simply don’t thrive in this soil — the Valais terroir is too mineral-driven, leaving many reds tasting slightly out of place. Merlot can manage, as its richness masks the chalky edges, and Pinot has potential depending on the site.

The Valais still hides many treasures. The sheer steepness of the slopes creates micro-parcels, some only a few rows large, many left untouched for years. These vertical vineyards, first carved by the Romans 2,000 years ago, continue to adapt, developing their own lineage in a changing climate.

Illona now rents small plots around Conthey, gradually giving up her parcels in Riddes and Fully. The shift is practical — consolidating her vineyards makes life easier when working at such a micro scale. It also reflects her broader move away from red varieties toward whites, a transition better suited to this distinctive terroir.