About us
My wines always reveal a story…
The Caprice du Temps winery adventure began in 1980 with my parents, Hugues and Romaine Clavien. In 1995, I joined the family estate after studying viticulture and oenology at the Changins Higher School.
Our estate is ideally located in the heart of Valais in Miège, in the hills of Sierre (with its 600 mm of annual rainfall, Sierre is the driest and sunniest town in Switzerland). The 4 hectares of the Caprice du Temps winery, which are protected by the AOC, are made up of an exceptional terroir composed of limestone and areas of lustrous schist, which contribute to the high quality of our wines.
What we seek above all is respect for the terroir without distorting it. The vineyard is respected and meticulously cared for through the practice of sustainable viticulture in order to limit the environmental impact by respecting biodiversity, favoring gentle techniques such as controlled use of phytosanitary products, use of natural products, pest control through sexual confusion, grassing of the plots, etc.
The destemming of excess grapes (green harvesting), as well as leaf stripping, is widespread throughout the estate. The harvest is carried out exclusively by hand and involves successive sorting on the vine.
These techniques allow the grapes to draw from the soil all the complexity, richness and finesse of the terroir, which we find in our wines, amplified by precise, meticulous and patient vinification during aging in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and barrels carried out according to the traditional method.
Over time and through the years, the Caprice du Temps cellar produces wines renowned for their style: finesse, freshness, fruitiness, balance and elegance.
Currently, we produce around fifteen different specialties that regularly win awards in national and international competitions.
Nothing is left to chance, and the result thus obtained comes from an approach and joint work carried out with my wife Rita, also passionate about oenology, in order to offer you the best!
And it is with great pleasure that we await you at the cellar to help you discover our wines!
Leonard Clavien
Winemaker and owner
