January in France: Part 1

written by Genevieve Daly, Santa Clara

In January I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to France and visit Burgundy, Champagne and Chablis. For those folks with a passion for wine, going to Burgundy is like making a pilgrimage. And, don’t let anyone discourage you from visiting France in January. The landscape in the dormancy of winter possesses a mystical beauty and the skeletal structure of the vineyards is revealed in a way that you can’t see in the growing season. The parceling of vineyards creates a patchwork quilt effect that blankets the whole region. It’s a quiet, contemplative season
and winemakers have time to talk to you.

My experience in Burgundy proved to be just as layered and complicated as a fine Burgundy wine can be. I came away with the feeling that Burgundy is always grounded, rooted to the earth; the vineyards, the grapes, the growers, and then the producers. The plethora of producers makes discovering new and unknown domaines an adventure and revisiting old and respected houses with hundreds of years behind them a source of never ending enchantment. Such was the case with the Louis Latour winery and its 3rd floor underground cellars dating from 1870, so encased in growing, living penicillin mold that it felt like I was walking through the belly of some giant creature. Wine truly is a living organism!

Agnes Vitteau, winemaker for Vitteau-Albertie

Part of my trip was dedicated to visiting six women who were either the winemakers or directors of their own domaines. As recently as twenty years ago Ann Gros, Agnes Vitteau, Francine Picard, Chantal Martin, Christine Fontaine Dubreil and Fabienne Bony would not have been allowed to work in the cellars making wine. As children they may have followed at their father’s footsteps throughout the cellars and vineyards, but it was never considered that they would someday take over the family winemaking business. Not only are these women now making wine and heading up their own domains, they are members of Femmes & Vins de Bourgogne (The Association of Women and Wines of Burgundy), a 39 member association started in 2000. The Association focuses on education, advice, mutual sharing and communication with other women winemakers in France. These women were all extremely generous with sharing their time, explaining their winemaking practices, and taking us on cellar and vineyard tours and barrel tastings. The sizes of their wineries ranged from small to large but they all were focused on organic and sometimes biodynamic vineyard practices, hand harvesting, low yields and the use of wild yeasts to produce wines of vitality, depth and character.

Barrel at Domaine Ann Gros

One of my unexpected and bright discoveries was the Cremant de Burgogne producer Vitteau- Albertie headed up by Agnes Vitteau. Upon our visit the disgorment and corking was in full force and being handled by two men who have been with the House for twenty-five years. It was amazing to see first hand those big fat corks before they go into the bottle. Over the last few years the AOC has raised standards for Cremant production and continues to do so, with longer requirements for barrel aging and the mandatory hand harvesting of grapes. Since Agnes has taken over, Vitteau-Albertie has been ahead of the AOC curve for quality standards which makes their cremants not only a great value but also challenges the quality of some Champagnes. Having just come from Champagne this was impressive and encouraging to see.

Join me in part two for some highlights of visiting Champagne and Chablis.