Over nearly 60 years and three generations, the Rouvinez Family has become the largest vineyard owner in Valais. In addition to the wines of Domaines Rouvinez, the family also offers wine lovers the wines of its houses Charles Bonvin, Les Fils de Charles Favre, Imesch and Caves Orsat. Today, the family cultivates more than 150 hectares of privately owned vineyards, including exceptional estates such as Château Lichten and the Clos du Château estate. All of the family’s vineyards are located in Valais, between Leuk and Martigny.

While the company has grown, the philosophy of the house has remained unchanged over the years: grounded, family oriented, quality driven and innovative. From the very beginning in 1947, Bernard and Hermine Rouvinez decided to focus on producing premium wines. They highlighted indigenous grape varieties such as Petite Arvine and Cornalin.

Their sons, Jean Bernard and Dominique, created the first modern blended wines in Valais in the early 1980s, including Tourmentin and Trémaille. They were also among the first to use oak barrels for ageing their wines. Continuing the pioneering spirit of their parents, they became leaders in integrated production, aimed at increasing biodiversity. They adapted vineyard techniques, abandoned herbicides and introduced drip irrigation systems for the vines.

Today, Jean Bernard’s children, Véronique, Frédéric and Philippe, continue the pursuit of oenological excellence through increasingly precise selections of the finest grapes from their best terroirs. They pass on their know how to the houses they manage and continue to pursue innovation and quality, with the utmost respect for people and the land. With more than 90 hectares cultivated according to organic viticulture standards, the Rouvinez Family is the largest producer of organic wines in Switzerland. The development of wine tourism is also one of the family’s priorities and, through Maison Charles Bonvin, the family has actively contributed to the development of the Celliers de Sion visitor centre.

In 2000, the Grains Nobles Confidenciel from Domaines Rouvinez received the highest score ever awarded to a wine by the jury of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, with 98 points out of 100. In 2013, the Cuvée 1858 2011 from Maison Bonvin was named the best Swiss wine of the year by Tasted Journal, with 95 points. That same year, the very first vintage of Coeur de Domaine rouge 2011 from Domaines Rouvinez was nominated at the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse and named the best Swiss wine by the international magazine Vinum.

In 2014, the year ended on a high note with two prestigious awards: the title of Swiss Winery of the Year awarded to Bonvin 1858, and the Family Business Award presented to the Rouvinez Family for all of its activities.

In 2015, once again at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, two wines from the Rouvinez Family, La Trémaille 2012 and Coeur de Domaine blanc 2012, each received a Grand Gold Medal, the competition’s highest distinction awarded to less than one percent of the wines presented.

More recently, in 2017, as a sign of its dynamism and constant search for innovation, the family diversified and launched L’Echappée, a beer brewed in Martigny in the purest Belgian style. From its launch, this unique beer was recognised at the World Beer Awards and received the title of Swiss Champion in the Belgian Pale Ale category. In addition to recognition for the quality of the product, L’Echappée also received the award for best Swiss design.

Finally, in 2019, Domaines Rouvinez launched Nez Noir, an organic red blend whose story is closely linked to the herd of Black Nose sheep from Upper Valais that graze every year in the family’s organic vineyards. Always committed to going one step further, the Rouvinez Family now owns several of these sheep itself.

From almost 60 years and three generations, the Rouvinez family has become the biggest vine owners in the Canton of Valais. Apart from Rouvinez wines, the family also offers wine connoisseurs vintages from Maison Bonvin 1858, Maison Imesch and Caves Orsat.

Although the company has developed considerably, corporate values have remained the same since day one: down to earth, family-like, qualitative and innovative.

From the outset in 1947, Bernard and Hermine Rouvinez decided to focus on premium quality wine production. They also created a place of honour for regional specialties like the Petite Arvine and the Cornalin.

Their sons Jean-Bernard and Dominique developed the first modern blended wines in the Canton of Valais such as the Tourmentin and the Trémaille in the early 1980s. They were also amongst the first to use casks to age their wines.

Corresponding to the pioneering spirit of their parents, they themselves are pioneers in integrated production, aiming to increase biodiversity. They have thus adapted their wine-growing techniques, abandoning herbicides and implementing a micro-irrigation system to water the vines.

Today, they continue their quest for oenological excellence with the help of Jean-Bernard’s children Véronique, Fréderic and Philippe, forever more meticulous in their selection of grapes from their best terroirs, passing on their knowledge to their estates. Their quest for innovation and quality, respecting both man and nature, persists.

This quest for innovation and quality, made possible by complete control at each and every stage from the vines to wine in the glass, has earned the Rouvinez family and their estates numerous awards in the past years.

In 2000, the Grains Nobles Confidenciel des Domaines Rouvinez was awarded the highest number of points ever given to a wine by the panel of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – 98 of 100. Maison Bonvin’s Cuvée 1858 vintage 2011 was voted best Swiss wine of the year by the ‘Tasted Journal’, achieving 95 points in 2013. The same year, Coeur de Domaine Rouge 2011 by Domaines Rouvinez was nominated for the ‘Swiss Wine Grand Prix’ for its first vintage and voted best Swiss wine by the international magazine ‘Vinum’.

The year 2014 ended on a high note by winning two prestigious prizes: The ‘Swiss Cellar of the Year’ award (Prix de la Cave Suisse de l’Année) given to Bonvin 1858 and the ‘Family Business Award’ given to the Rouvinez family for their business as a whole.

In 2015, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles awarded two Rouvinez family wines, the Trémaille 2012 and the Coeur de Domaine blanc 2012, a great gold medal each. This is the highest prize awarded by the Concours and is only given to less than 1 per cent of the presented wines.

More recently, in 2017, the Rouvinez family launched L’Echappée, a beer brewed in Martigny in pure Belgian style, as sign of its dynamism and constant search for innovation. Since its launch, this unique beer has won the title of Swiss Champion in the Belgian pale ale category of the World Beer Awards. Besides the recognition for its product quality, L’Echappée was also awarded with the prize for best Swiss design.