Switzerland · Valais

Cave Valentina Andrei

Saillon domaine by Valentina Andrei, working Gamay, Petite Arvine and Completer with hand work, strict sorting and limited cellar intervention.

The producer

Valentina Andrei runs a Valais domaine with hand work in the vineyard, strict grape sorting and limited cellar intervention. Its cellar is in Saillon. Gamay Vieilles Vignes comes from three Martigny areas, including Plan Cerisier, on granite soils. The white range includes Petite Arvine, Petite Arvine Granite and Completer, with Vin Oxydatif also present. The wines cover both red and white styles.

Known for

Martigny Gamay and Granite Petite Arvine

Notable facts

The story

From Botosani To Saillon

In 2003, at age 20, Valentina Andrei moved from Romania to Switzerland. She was born in Botosani, in northern Romania. Once in Switzerland, she chose to work independently. Since 2013, she has directed her own wine estate in Saillon. The personal move came first; the Saillon estate followed, with Andrei herself at its head. The move placed her in a new country before Saillon became the place of her own domaine. Her early path runs from Botosani to a Swiss estate under her direction.

From the atlas

Cave Valentina Andrei

Saillon domaine of Valentina Andrei, working Gamay, Petite Arvine and Completer through hand work in the vineyard, strict sorting and limited cellar intervention.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
RegionValais, Switzerland
CellarSaillon
Vineyard areaFour hectares in 2017
Main grapesGamay, Petite Arvine and Completer
RangeGamay Vieilles Vignes, Petite Arvine, Petite Arvine Granite, Completer and Vin Oxydatif
Defining practiceHand work in the vineyard, strict grape sorting and limited cellar intervention

The Producer

Valentina Andrei works in the vineyard by hand, sorts harvested grapes strictly and avoids unnecessary cellar intervention. Cave Valentina Andrei is a Valais domaine with its cellar in Saillon. Its bottles include red Gamay and white wines named Petite Arvine, Petite Arvine Granite, Completer and Vin Oxydatif.

Place

Saillon is where the cellar is located. The 2025 Petite Arvine pairs the grape name with granite terroirs at Fully Gryon, Carro and La Louye.

Story

In 2012, Valentina Andrei decided to establish her own domaine. Her first purchased parcel was Les Bans in Martigny. The independent domaine's range includes Gamay Vieilles Vignes from three areas in Martigny, including Plan Cerisier.

Vineyards And Cellar

Vineyard work is done by hand, and harvested grapes are sorted strictly. In the cellar, Andrei avoids unnecessary intervention. Gamay Vieilles Vignes follows a separate red wine method: the grapes are destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeast, kept in stainless steel for three weeks and then pneumatically pressed. Indigenous yeast means fermentation begins with yeasts already present on the grapes and in the cellar. A pneumatic press uses air pressure to separate the wine after fermentation. That Petite Arvine release is matured for nine months in barrels. Stainless steel is neutral and does not add oak flavour.

Wines

The range divides by grape and colour. Gamay Vieilles Vignes is the red wine. The white wines are Petite Arvine, Petite Arvine Granite and Completer, with Vin Oxydatif as another white bottle. Petite Arvine and Petite Arvine Granite keep the grape name in both titles, while Completer is a white made from one named grape. Most of the wines spend time in barrels, where slow oxygen exchange can add texture and spice.

In The Glass

That Petite Arvine has a very expressive nose, with fresh fruit, star fruit, kiwi, wisteria and lime. Its palate is dense and vinous, then carries freshness, length, salt and minerality into a long, rich finish.

Gamay Vieilles Vignes has a deep nose of peony, iris and cherry, with damp earth and underbrush behind the flowers. The palate is concentrated and silky, with the cherry returning.

Completer 2023 brings white flowers, meadow herbs, apple, pear, white melon and a hint of honey. On the palate it is highly complex, light on its feet and stimulating.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Petite Arvine Granite 2022. It is a varietal Petite Arvine, made from that grape alone, matured in barrels and vats. Honeysuckle and yuzu lead into passion fruit and chalk, with high, chiselled acidity driving a persistent finish. It comes first because it presents one grape and two cellar vessels before the range moves to a red Gamay and a separate Completer.

Anecdote

In 2003, at age 20, Valentina Andrei moved from Romania to Switzerland. She was born in Botosani, in northern Romania. Once in Switzerland, she chose to work independently. Since 2013, she has directed her own wine estate in Saillon. The personal move came first; the Saillon estate followed, with Andrei herself at its head. The move placed her in a new country before Saillon became the place of her own domaine. Her early path runs from Botosani to a Swiss estate under her direction.

Final Word

Cave Valentina Andrei's Completer 2024 is lively and fruity, with flavour that lingers on the palate.

Sources