Valentina Andrei cultivates her vineyards with the utmost care and love for nature. She talks to each vine, listens to them and cares for them according to the principles of Chinese medicine. Instead of using chemicals, she relies on herbal teas and essential oils to treat her vines, strictly following the guidelines of biodynamic cultivation. Not surprisingly, she observes the lunar calendar when making wine and intervenes as little as possible in the cellar. Her wines are mostly matured in used barrels, occasionally also in clay amphorae, in order to preserve their natural character. With her passion, Valentina Andrei brings the best into the bottle.
Whether working the soil, pruning the vines or harvesting the grapes - she works mainly with her hands and does so with the utmost authenticity and precision. From the selection of the plants that thrive in her vineyards to the harvest, everything follows the rhythm of nature.
Valentina Andrei was born in the north of Romania, in Botosani. Her parents were farmers and she learnt to work in the vineyard at a young age. In 2003, at the age of 20, she moved to Switzerland to learn French in Soubey in the canton of Jura. During a walk in Valais, she discovered her love of wine and decided to put down roots there.
In Valais, Valentina completed courses at the Châteauneuf agricultural school and worked at Domaine Beudon, where she learnt about biodynamic cultivation. She deepened her knowledge of oenology at the Changins School of Engineering in the canton of Vaud. However, she gained her most formative experience with Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, who made her a cellar master at the Domaine de la Liaudisaz in Fully. In 2012, Valentina decided to set up her own winery, supported by people who recognised her potential. Today, Valentina Andrei stands for authentic, nature-loving viticulture rooted in tradition and passion.
