A sense of terroir

The striking silver D on the black label echoes across over 400 well-renowned Swiss tables. D for delta (an allusion to the terroir), D for Dionysos, but above all, D for Doctor. Patrick Regamey, a co-founder of Histoire d’Enfer and General Practitioner in Crans Montana, is never too far away. His motto? “Exceptional wine cannot be made without exceptional grapes”. This philosophy comes to life in Histoire d’Enfer through hand-picked grapes grown on small plots that yield no more than 400 grams per metre, organic practices (non-certified) and limited production factors.

Roots in calcium-rich and rocky soil
The estate was founded in 2008 by four friends who are passionate about fine wines and is one of 19 members of the High Plateau Wine Growers Association, who represent a small but highly diverse viticultural region. Spread over nearly 10 acres, it was originally named Histoire d’en Faire, but after a complicated start that involved several different œnologists and vinification processes, a new name was born: Histoire d’Enfer!

Today, they specialise in single-vineyard wines spread across 29.5 acres of calcium-rich, rocky soil in Corin, Miège, Sierre and Varen-Salquenen — distinct from Fully’s granitic soils that favour Petite Arvine. Here it’s Pinot Noir and Cornalin, along with Rèze and Humagne Blanc (some of Switzerland’s oldest varieties) that thrive.

International recognition
Surrounded by opulent vines and one timid olive tree, the wood and stone tasting room, which was built in 2022 in Loc (in the Commune of Crans Montana), immediately exudes a high-end feel. This soothing space is home to regular Histoire d’Enfer dinners in collaboration with renowned chefs, like a game proposition during hunting season with double starred Chef Gilles Varone.

“We’ve managed to build a beautiful word-of-mouth brand and establish ourselves on a national level in Switzerland with our vision of world-class great terroirs, similar to Burgundy or Piedmont — it’s something collectors really enjoy”, says Julien-François Nebel, the head of communication and marketing. Trained in the high-end watchmaking industry, he appreciates the precision that goes into the estate’s wines, two of which scored more than 95 points in Robert Parker’s 2025 guide and five stars from Falstaff. Julien-François also speaks highly of the collaborations between Histoire d’Enfer and Crans Montana: “The Six Senses luxury resort, which exclusively works with ultra-local producers, offers a large selection of our wines. Some bottles can also be found at the Japanese restaurant Kaizen”.

A passion for Pinot Noir
Two reds stand out: the elegant Pinot Noir, representing 25% of the estate’s production, and the native and robust Cornalin, which has excellent aging potential. The 2020 vintage — which is currently on the market — spent six months in stainless steel vats, was barrelled for 12 months in 600 litre batches, then bottle-aged to obtain its distinctly soft tannins. Patrick Regamey offers us a tasting of the 2024 vintages, “a complicated year for reds”, pulled directly from the barrel by Vineyard Manager Alexandre Roduit. The Passion  has a fresh mouthfeel and ends on a note of bitter orange. The Calcaire is immediately mineral with a hint of saffron, while the Calcaireabsolu, which is aged in new wood barrels, is more earthy with balsamic on the nose. A snowy day would be the perfect for enjoying the lemon aromas of the Enfer Blanc — Assemblage, a Pinot Gris and Riesling blend. And the Cornalin? After taking a sip, Patrick exclaims, “This is magical wine”

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