Portrait of Gérard Dorsaz
i. Biography
Gérard Dorsaz works the family estate at Cave Gérard Dorsaz in Fully, where 5 hectares of terraced vineyard set the frame for his winemaking and winegrowing. The terrain asks for patience and precision; the wines answer with race, finesse, and elegance, built to register Fully’s crystalline terroir without excess. It is a style shaped as much by slope and stone as by cellar work.
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The Path
The practical side of the craft and the collective side of the appellation meet in Gérard Dorsaz’s current remit: president of the Fully Grand Cru Association, and winemaker and winegrower at Cave Gérard Dorsaz. The family estate is not treated as a static inheritance but as a working hillside system, where terracing, continuity, and careful row-by-row attention define the daily discipline of viticulture in Fully.
The Work Today
Gérard Dorsaz’s aside about goats — especially “a few black-collared goats from Valais” — sits comfortably alongside the measured cadence of vineyard work. It points to an attention to the living fabric of the countryside, the same setting that anchors the estate and its wines.
Signature
Ma Petite Arvine and Petite Arvine are the named signatures associated with Gérard Dorsaz. The emphasis is on definition rather than volume: wines presented as direct readings of place, with clarity, energy, and elegance as the intended register. That approach fits the estate’s stated style in Fully, where the aim is to let the crystalline terroir come through in a restrained form.
FAQ
Asked of Gérard
What is Gérard Dorsaz's current role?
As of 2026, Gérard Dorsaz is Winemaker and winegrower.
What is Gérard Dorsaz known for?
Wines from Fully's crystalline terroir, especially Petite Arvine and other local Valais varieties.
The Sunday email
Read about winemakers like Gérard Dorsaz in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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