High above the Rhône Valley, clinging to the vertiginous slopes of the Valais Alps, Domaine de Beudon is unlike any other winery in Switzerland—or the world. Often called “Les Vignes dans le Ciel” (Vines in the Sky), this remarkable estate sits at 900 meters above sea level, accessible only by foot or private cable car. But the breathtaking location is just the beginning of what makes this winery so extraordinary.

A Radical Beginning

Domaine de Beudon was founded in the early 1970s by Jacques “Jacky” Granges, a visionary who left behind a promising academic career in agronomy to pursue a more respectful, harmonious relationship with nature. Disillusioned by conventional farming methods and chemical inputs, Jacky and his wife Marion sought an alternative. What they created was one of Switzerland’s first—and most iconic—biodynamic wine estates.

By 1992, Beudon had earned Demeter certification, making it a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in Switzerland. The Granges family turned their extreme mountain property into a thriving polycultural farm, where vines, fruit trees, medicinal herbs, animals, and wild plants coexist in a carefully balanced ecosystem.

Working with Nature

Farming on such steep slopes—some as sharp as 50 degrees—is both a logistical and physical challenge. Everything is done by hand, from pruning to harvesting, and the team often works harnessed to prevent falls. Yet this difficulty has become a defining feature of Beudon’s identity: a deep-rooted respect for the land and an unshakable commitment to natural balance.

Their biodynamic practices include preparations, lunar cycle work, cover cropping, and fostering biodiversity. Far from being a trend, these methods are a way of life here, part of a broader philosophy that respects the rhythms of nature.

Minimal Intervention, Maximum Expression

In the cellar, Domaine de Beudon takes a similarly restrained approach. All wines are spontaneously fermented with native yeasts. Whites are pressed on the mountaintop and their juice is sent down to the valley for fermentation, while red grapes are lowered whole in tanks via cable car. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, and sulfur use is kept to an absolute minimum.

This process results in wines that are vibrant, precise, and unmistakably alpine—full of freshness, purity, and soul.

A Wide Range of Varietals

The estate grows a mix of local and international grape varieties, including:

• Chasselas (Fendant) – A quintessential Swiss white, here showing stony minerality and floral lift.

• Petite Arvine – A native Valais white grape with salty, citrusy energy.

• Gamay & Pinot Noir – Light, aromatic reds with mountain freshness.

• Riesling-Sylvaner, Merlot, and others – Adding diversity to their high-altitude lineup.