Cornalin from the Valais

What does Cornalin taste like?

Expect a dark red colour with purple glints, then aromas of black cherry, violet, raspberry and spices such as clove. Swiss Wine Promotion, the body that promotes Swiss wine, describes dense, silky tannins and a pleasant touch of bitterness on the finish.

Tannins come from grape skins and seeds and leave a slightly drying feel in the mouth. In a young Cornalin they are firm; they soften with age, according to Swiss Wine Valais, the Valais wine trade body. Young, the wine is fruity and lively; with time it gains finesse.

Why is it also called «Rouge du Pays»?

Because that was its name. According to Swiss Wine Promotion, this old Valais grape was traditionally called Rouge du Pays, the country red, and was only renamed Cornalin in 1972, after a grape from the Aosta Valley. In German it is also known as Landroter, a name the federal statistics still use.

Its roots go deep. Cornalin is the first grape mentioned in a Valais document, the Anniviers register dated 20 January 1313. DNA tests show it is a natural cross of two Aosta Valley grapes, Petit Rouge and Mayolet. It probably reached the Valais over the Great St Bernard Pass, then vanished from its home valley.

It almost vanished from the Valais too. Temperamental, late-ripening and with irregular yields, it was nearly abandoned by the mid-20th century. A handful of growers revived it in the 1970s. Swiss Wine Valais now presents it as the oldest and most emblematic red of the canton.

Cornalin or Humagne Rouge: what is the difference?

They are two different grapes from the same family. Humagne Rouge arrived in the Valais in the late 19th century and was identified in 1999 as Cornalin d'Aoste. That Cornalin d'Aoste descends from the Valais Cornalin crossed with an unknown grape, according to Swiss Wine Promotion. So the Valais Cornalin is a parent of Humagne Rouge.

Hence the confusing names: Valais Cornalin is not Cornalin d'Aoste. In the glass, Humagne Rouge leans more towards forest floor, bark and violet, according to Swiss Wine Valais. It has its own page on Helvitic.

What to eat with Cornalin?

Serve it with grilled red meat or game such as wild boar, venison or roe deer: its tannic strength and its dark fruit and spice aromas stand up to these intense flavours, according to Swiss Wine Valais. Braised and slow-cooked dishes, such as boeuf bourguignon, suit it too.

Swiss Wine Promotion suggests simpler matches: lamb, grilled pork, roast chicken, pasta with tomato sauce, mildly spicy dishes, and even a cherry or chocolate dessert. For fondue chinoise (thin meat slices cooked in broth at the table), our French and German articles compare it with other Swiss reds.

How to serve and keep Cornalin?

Serve it at 16 to 18 °C, the range Swiss Wine Valais gives for full-bodied reds. It is served slightly warmer than a Pinot Noir because it has more structure.

Keeping time depends on the style. Cornalins aged in barrique, a small oak barrel, can keep ten years or more, according to Swiss Wine Valais, becoming rounder and deeper. Lighter versions made in steel tanks are best within five years, while the fruit is fresh.

The grape even has its own festival: Le Temps du Cornalin held its 20th edition in September 2026.