The “Donnas” area includes the municipalities of Pont-Saint-Martin, Perloz, Donnas and Bard. 

Coming from Piedmont and crossing the Valle d’Aosta border, the eye is immediately captured by the vineyards that climb the mountain. 

To remedy this steep slope of the land, which in some cases reaches 120%, terraces have been created supported by dry stone walls, the advantage of which is to obtain small arable areas, while preventing any form of mechanization. 

These artifacts can be up to five meters high and are connected to each other by numerous steep stone steps. 

In addition to characterizing the territory in an exclusive way, the terraces protect the slopes from erosion, reducing the risk of landslides, and play an important role in the vegetative cycle of the vines. In fact, the stones during the day capture the heat of the sun holding it for a long time, thus safeguarding the ground from the strong nocturnal temperature range. 

All this is combined with the cultivation of high pergola, “topia” in the local dialect, supported by wooden poles or by characteristic stone pillars that allows you to make the most of the limited space of the terraces. 

To closely observe the vineyards and their architecture, a panoramic “vineyard road” can be used, located on the mountainside between Donnas and Pont-Saint-Martin, while monorails have been built to facilitate the work of the winemakers. 

The characteristic grape of the area is the Picotendro, a local biotype of Nebbiolo; other vines authorized for Donnas wine are then cultivated such as Freisa, Neyret and Fumin; Pinot gris and Erbaluce are authorized for the production of white wines.