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  Claude, Etienne and Julien Courtois, a family of winemakers

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  164 Views

  In the natural wine movement, Claude Courtois is a historical figure; he occupies a space that is at once essential and marginal. Essential because he has not once strayed from his total and uncompromising commitment to preserving the life of his soils and vineyards’ biodiversity, from his first vines in Provence in the 1980s - abandoned because of recurring fires - to the creation in 1992 of his estate Les Cailloux du Paradis in the Loire Valley.

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  Mardi gras wines

  Posted in: News

  256 Views

  An old heritage of the Christian tradition, Lent is characterized by the injunction to eat "lean", i.e. to renounce meats. But it is preceded by the festive period of "jours gras" (literally 'fat days') which ends with the famous "mardi gras". While fish was consumed during the "lean" days, the "jours gras" gave free rein to all kinds of meats. Times have changed, of course, but as winter comes to an end, the joy of feasting is still alive and well, even more so when accompanied by a line-up...

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  The renaissance of local grape varieties: Savoie

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  830 Views

  In their immense diversity, vine plants – grape varieties - are distinguished from one another by their physical characteristics (i.e., the shape and size of leaves, bunches), by their particular aptitudes to adapt to a terroir and to its historical and cultural traditions, and finally by their singular ability to convey a particular place into wines of character.

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  Making sparkling wines

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  622 Views

  The ancestral or rural method, the Champagne or traditional method, pet nats: the art of effervescent or sparkling wine takes many shapes and forms.

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  Gamay

  Posted in: News

  479 Views

  Gamay became widely known in Burgundy throughout the 14th century until it was banished from the Côte d'Or in 1395 by Duke Philippe le Hardi. With its earlier ripening, higher yields, and juice with fine acidity and light tannins, it offers several advantages to winegrowers over Pinot Noir, but is rather less suited to Burgundy's limestone soils, preferring the granitic soils that characterise most of the Beaujolais, especially the region’s ten Crus.

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  Beaujolais, the home of Gamay

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  338 Views

  Beaujolais has long been the preferred terroir for gamay, ever since the grape variety was deemed unsuitable for the Pinot Noir terroirs of the Côte d'Or at the end of the 14th century. With its early ripening, fewer problems with cultivation and good yields, not to mention the crisp fruit and juiciness of its wines, Beaujolais Gamays quickly gained a reputation for being easy-drinking and ready to drink when young.

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  Natural wines: an introduction

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  946 Views

  The proliferation of synthetic chemicals and corrective techniques for vine cultivation and winemaking in the post-Second World War period paved the way for the industrialisation and standardisation of wines. In contrast to this development, which contradicts the notion of Appellations of Origin, many winegrowers have affirmed their commitment to the natural and authentic expression of their terroir, thus putting themselves on the fringes of an AOC system that generates labels that are too...

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  Living Wines

  Posted in: Learn about natural wine

  170 Views

  In harmony with our philosophy, the notion of "natural" wine is becoming increasingly important in the practices of winemakers and in the choices of consumers. For winemakers, the notion of "nature" is based on the idea that wine is not a simple "artefact": for man it is at once food and a source of pleasure.

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  Wines for sipping

  Posted in: News

  176 Views

  Traditional white, rosé and red wines, differentiated by the specificities of their terroir, grape variety, vintage and the winemaker's know-how are nothing new to us. Rarer, and often unknown, are the wines that defy definition, whether it is because of the winemaker's desire to faithfully follow an intangible tradition or because of the choice of a very personal inventiveness.

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  Auvergne

  Posted in: News

  285 Views

  Réparti autour de Clermont-Ferrand et partiellement sur les rives de l’Allier, le territoire des Côtes-d’Auvergne constitue l’extrémité méridionale des vignobles de la vallée de la Loire. Passé le temps de la prospérité puis, à la fin du XIXe siècle, celui des destructions du phylloxera, c'est un vignoble diminué et dévalorisé qui a survécu, avec notamment ses 5 petits “crus” historiques : du Nord au Sud, Madargue, Châteaugay, Chanturgue, Corent et Boudes.

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  Italian Island Wines

  Posted in: News

  168 Views

  Italy, the world's largest wine-producing country, has managed to preserve a large proportion of its indigenous grape varieties throughout its diverse vineyards. This is undoubtedly an essential parameter in the identity of Italian wines, with relation to the terroirs and practices specific to each region, provided of course that the soil, the vine and fruit are treated with respect.

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