A taste of the continent
I set off with a couple of friends on a tour of some of my favourite grape growing areas in France and Spain, to hear about the changes that are happening in their vineyards. Bill is a farmer producing hops (and beef) in the UK, and Julian is a sparkling wine expert. We were all interested in the progress of research into different varieties of grapes and pruning/training techniques to adapt to climate change.
Our first vineyard visit was to Pelerada, just inland in NE Spain, where Julian’s niece works in hospitality. The Pelerada group has been investing recently in the local wine business, and part of that investment has been to move from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties to more traditional grape varieties (Grenache, Carignon, Macabeo, Parellada) which are better suited to the different terroirs within the geography of their operations. To fit into the local landscape, architects have designed an astonishing underground winery, currently producing 3 million bottles per annum.
The growing conditions are heavily influenced by the Transmontana winds and the proximity to the sea. Eduardo the wine-maker laughed at our question about frost protection (they have no frost;) they have to chill their grapes before the fermentation starts (not a regular practice in the UK.) Their leading wines come from the Emporia region, where the Perelada wines are imbued with the landscape they are created in, rich with local aromas of thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, and pines.
Next up was a visit to Gérard Bertrand, just South of Narbonne on France’s Mediterranean coast. Gérard and I share a common passion for rugby, both former back-row players. Whereas I have just one acre of grapes in Welland with 1550 vines developed over the last 5 years, Gérard has built up a huge wine business over a total of 1000 hectares, using grapes from his own vines and from his neighbours vineyards spread across seven different growing areas in the Languedoc. Where he manages his own vineyards, he uses a biodynamic approach, which is a substantial achievement. He is the world leader in this field which uses natural preparations to enhance the soil's health and the wine's purity, relies on working with the lunar cycles, and controls weeds by using donkeys to tow a plough. Gerard also invests in the future by experimenting with new grape varieties which will help him cope with climate change. Together with the grapes from neighbouring farmers, he already produces 13 million bottles a year. The main varieties are Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, so the red wines are frequently described as rich, spicy, and full-bodied, often carrying the scent of garrigue - the local herb-scented scrubland (rosemary, thyme, sage).
We drove from Narbonne to Sablet in the Rhone Valley. As we arrived, we saw some of the new plantings in the Plan de Dieu area, which is historically part of the fertile flood plain for the Rhone Valley. No shortage of vines here. It was interesting to contrast this almost industrial scale of production with the more bucolic practices in other parts of the valley. In the smaller vineyards, growing broad beans in between the rows of the vines is quite common practice for the local small wineries.This fixes nitrogen into the soil to help the vines grow.
We had a lovely stay in Sablet with one of Julian’s cousin. After dinner, our hosts pulled out a 1914 Cognac and a 1922 Sauternes: wines grown more than 100 years ago. Both were extraordinary.
The next day, we went to the Piaugier vineyard in the Sablet AOC, where Maude is a third generation vigneron, and is having interesting discussions with both father and grandfather (he’s 92) about the future of the vineyards, scattered in the forests along the Eastern hills of the Rhone valley. They are experimenting with the orientation of the rows of vines. In England we grow our vines in rows North to South so we get as much photosynthesis as possible, and the majority of our vine training is double-guyot (a T shape), whereas they are looking to reduce the amounts of the intense sunshine on the grapes and so they grow their vines in rows East to West and use different training techniques, including the goblet (looks like an egg). Many of Maude’s current vines are mostly 70 years old and so she is gradually replacing the older ones with more traditional varieties such as Counoise, which has thicker stems and more acidity to balance the increased sugars due to climate change. Conveniently they can hand-pick the new grapes at the same time as the “oldies.” To protect the vines against mildews, on average Maude, uses organic products like copper and sulphur spraying 5 times a year. In England with our weather conditions, most people are having to protect their vines much more often.
Piaugier produce the heavenly white wine mix of Roussane, Marsanne, Claudette, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, producing lusciously full-bodied, complex and aromatic blends. The medium-to-full-bodied red wines of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache Noir offer a versatile, fruity, and often spicy profile, with just the notes of black cherries and spices you would wish for from a vineyard in the Cotes du Rhone.
Our last stop was at Ruinart, which Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, the massive luxury goods conglomerate known as LVMH, promotes as their premium brand for Champagnes. Ruinart have just invested massively in the hospitality part of the business, employing 40 people and building an amazing tourist centre for visitors. They grow 40 hectares of grapes in the Reims area, before bringing the grapes to the production and storage facility in town. The overall champagne business in France is going well; in 2021 320 million bottles of champagne were sold worldwide. Many of the champagne houses have wine stores in the chalk deposits underground. Ruinart’s are 40 metres below ground). In total there are 100 kilometres of underground corridors and storage areas in the Champagne area, which keep the wines at a constant 10-12 degrees, The capacity for chalk to absorb water is incredible -600 litres per square metre- so humidity is kept constant too.
What did we learn..? There are serious changes underway in grape growing in West Europe. Growers are going back to traditional grape varieties. Growing and pruning techniques are under scrutiny. Nevertheless, provided the quality of wine keeps at a high level, there is still a good market out there.