Table of contents

Cave de l’Hospice de Salquenen

With this new chapter in Valais wine culture, Diego is launching a new line of wines with his own unmistakable signature.
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Diego Mathier

5. June 2025 - 7 min reading time

Table of contents

Cave de l'Hospice de Salquenen - La Folie wine line and historical wine tradition in the Valais

The most important facts in brief

  • In 1325, the Knights of St. John settled in Salgesch and founded the Hospice de Salquenen, a hostel for pilgrims and travelers.

  • The Maltese cross in Salgesch’s coat of arms is still a reminder of this centuries-old wine tradition.

  • Wine was already a central part of monastic life in the Middle Ages – as a cultural asset, a luxury food and an expression of the connection to the terroir.

  • Adrian & Diego Mathier’s Cave de l’Hospice de Salquenen continues this historical tradition and produces wines full of character with a clear origin.

Where history meets character

Salgesch’s coat of arms still bears the Maltese cross today – a symbol of the village’s centuries-old wine tradition. The Hospice de Salquenen, a hostel for pilgrims and travelers, was founded by the Knights of St. John in 1325. Even then, wine was a central part of monastic life – as a cultural asset, a means of enjoyment and an expression of a deep connection with the terroir.

With the Cave de l’Hospice de Salquenen, the Adrian & Diego Mathier winery is building on this historical spirit – with wines that not only show origin, but also attitude. The new domain produces wines full of character that deliberately take a different path: more straightforward, more spirited, more grounded.

Instead of opulent elegance, the focus is on clarity, depth and the unadulterated expressiveness of old vines. The wines in this line reflect the terroir in its purest form – unadorned, uncompromising and with an independent signature.

With La Folie, the first of several planned lines is already available: including a powerful Pinot Noir and an expressive Syrah wine, both of which come from vines that are up to a hundred years old and are an instant hit. Each wine convinces with its own story, but all with the same claim: wines that are more than just enjoyment. Wines with an unmistakable and sincere Valais character.

Cave de l'Hospice de Salquenen - La Folie wine line and historical wine tradition in the Valais

La Folie

C’est de la folie! In French, this phrase is often used when something is absolutely amazing in a positive and inspiring sense. And the new La Folie wine line from the Cave de l’Hospice de Salquenen is presented in this spirit. Five wines of uncompromisingly high quality are made from the selection of individual plots in outstanding locations. The quintet of this new wine line is deliberately given plenty of time for perfect refinement.

The new pinnacle of Valais viticulture consists of a Pinot Noir, vinified from vines over 100 years old from Gravelone near Sion, a Cornalin from Salgesch, a Syrah from the Champs Marais, a Heida from Turtmann and an Ermitage from Sion.

La Folie wine line of the Cave de l'Hospice de Salquenen - powerful Pinot Noir and Syrah wines

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