Meet Mythopia
Domaine de Mythopia was started in 2004 when Hans-Peter and Romaine Schmidt bought conventional vineyards in the Valais and began converting them to organic farming. When they first started working the soils, they were completely depleted - a product of years of intensive farming. Hans-Peter immediately set out to bring them back to life - using only natural remedies to nurse the land back to health and encourage biodiversity in his vineyards. He drastically reduced the number of vines, introduced beehives and planted bushes, peach trees and herb gardens. In 2010 the land finally began to recover, and the steep Mythopia vineyards are now home to a uniquely diverse ecosystem.
We still remember the first time we visited the vineyards of Mythopia back in winter of 2017 - even then, at minus 5°C the atmosphere and energy of the place and the impact that nature has brought back to them was nothing short of impressive.
The vines are planted on diverse soils - largely consisting of Calcareous-schist. The steeper parcels are planted to Pinot Noir, which makes up 70% of production, with the lower parcels planted to local white varieties such as Fendant. These vineyards are planted at the highest possible altitude in the region - any higher and the temperatures would be too low and the gradient too steep for wine production. Hans-Peter says his wine is simply ‘grapes and air’ - with nothing being added or taken away.
Tasting wines from Mythopia is an intellectual journey - it is not just about the actual taste and sensoric pleasure but it is also about an energy that comes from within that you will rarely find around the globe. Wines that are not seeking technical perfection but result in emotional perfection beyond words.
