Pruning is a key work in vineyards cycle. Each gesture is important as it really engages the grow up and health of the vine, the quality of the harvest… Pruning is quite over, here’s time for binding just before buds burst.

Most of the time, cutted branches remain between the rows and then are grinded to fertilize soil.

Pneumatic tools are a great help for theses operations, requiring however, some physical strength and patience. Hundred and hundred hours are necessary, depending of course of the surfaces.

Traditional pruning and binding method in cognac vineyards is arch-trained or horizonally-tied « double Guyot  » and « Guillot-poussard ». A long branch with 8 at 10 buds is kept on each side of the trunk.

If it seems to be simple,gexperience is needed to be efficient. When you are in front of your first frapevine, pruning shear on hand, it’s not so easy to start,even if you have carrefully listened the explanations… At first time, I had the unpleasant feeling that the vine did not look like what I have learned !

At the end of the rows, vans and cars are used as rear base for material and mobile cafeteria : french saucisson, home made « pâtés », bread, cheese, hotdishes in a box and beverages, essential to get through the day. We are in France…

And to know more on the vine cycle

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At first sight

Wine cases and subtle lighting catch the eye at first entrance. It looks like an identity card of the place which belongs to Tenuta San Pietro Gavi, vineyards located in Tassarolo in Piemont, less than 100km south of Milan.

This contemporary design tells us in an urban environnement, in the heart of Milan, the quite interessant story of the vines. Owner of organic certification since 2013, the vineyards of the Tenuta San Pietro are cultivated with biodynamic biological methods with a deep respect for the earth and natural cycles. A philosophy of life we find in the Bistrot Kitchen of San Pietro Cafè, with healthy, seasonal and quality products.

The vineyards

The estate spreads out over 65 hectares but only 35 hectares  are devoted to vines. They produce Cortese di Gavi, Albarossa, Barbera, and  Chardonnay grapes. The remaining part of the property planted with oak, acacia woods, and covered by  fields, is the living place  and shelter of numerous wild animals.

The owner, milanese businessman Corrado Alota, wished from the very beginning (in 2002 when he bought it) to develop the vineyard’s ecosytem by  using new methods of organic-biodynamic principles, and to respect nature according to environmental protection and sustainable developpement. 15 years later, Tenuta San Pietro is a reference and an example.

To know more on it 

But come back to Milan

The Cafè is a quite elegant and alive place for dinner (lunch also !) and for the famous « aperitivo » time,  milanese institution of after work around 7 pm. A smart pleasant atmosphere wherein we feel quickly comfortable. Each part of decoration is at the right place and seem to be there forever.

The knowledge of the culinary secrets of the past, and the selected products such as salami and cheese  coming from Gavi area are the secret of this  successful  wine/food pairing : ligurian focaccia, « pasta »… are just at the top. White wines are mineral  due to limestone and clay soils , as I like them. And  what about the « brut rosé » sparkling wine, as good for aperitif as for risotto…

Dry, pleasantly balanced, light and elegant, the brut, chardonnay and cortese grape variety, is a interessant suggestion for aperitif.

From money vault to wines cellar

Andrea, is an enthousiastic and passionnate sommelier. Many Thanks to him to offer us the opportunity to visit the wines cellar of San Pietro Cafè : a magical place full of treasures, quite different at those sleeping there before… as  the place used to be a bank. The cellar takes place in the money vault !

As above, the design is very tasteful,  without  ostentation, even in the smallest detail. A place for reception on request and sessions of tasting.

The new concept store

Let us return to the groundfloor where the owner just created a concept store dedicated to  womenswear and menswear, with a selection of italian and foreign brands of contemporary taste, light years of the boring fast-fashion. We can easily cross from cafè to shop as its an open space. Wine casks and vines have found their place among the clothes… Hard to resist and obviously I did not try…

Definitively, a very nice and elegant place when you are in Milan. T

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The deserted caburote

Its small red roman tiles roof  appears right above the vineyard rows in summer time. We can see the caburotes here and there.

Most of them are more than hundred years old, built at the end of the XIX century. They were  like a second house for the winegrowers. First of all, they used their little house  for lunch time and to protect them from weather conditions, hot time in summer, rain or cold temperatures in winter. Furthermore, the caburotes also allowed to store small equipment needed for the vineyard works.

Daily life in the caburote

We can find some caburotes with black stones inside, or part of old fireplace. It just indicates the place of last fires. An horse feeder  directly digged into the wall remind us that men and horses shared this shelter. The horses, faithful companions of the winegrowers,  worked also in vineyards.

A small table, chair or bench were the only one elements of furniture. A rack carved into the limestone walls allowed to store day-to-day objects.

The caburote used also as a little workshop to store equipments  such  as stakes, wires… and to  prepare the « bouillie bordelaise ». It’s an old fungicidal composition, made of copper sulphate called « blue stone » (as it gives a blue color to leaves and walls),  and slaked lime.

Nowadays, the work shop is quite different…. 4 wheels motorized  on front row of vines! Tractors replaced horses. No wistfulness in this thought as work-conditions of winegrowers are fortunately easier than in the past time.

However, it would be a shame if theses little houses disappear one after the other. We’ll loose this nice heritage. Some winegrowers have restored their caburote which was used by their grand-fathers. It’s a good idea.

As the cognac region works to prepare a request of classification for the world heritage of UNESCO, the caburotes take pride of place in this context.

L’article Caburote, little house of winegrower est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

7′ in a season

A day who remains in the memory, May 27th 2017 : a short-term hail storm suddenly crossing the area, without any alert before, and 7′ later, 10 % of the vineyards have been injured for more of 80 %. I was in vineyards with a friend of mine who was planting new vines. It was really hot for the season, the sky was blue without any cloud. Suddenly an huge grey line appears coming from south-west very quickly and quite few minutes later, hailstone like golf balls felt on our heads. It was terrific of noise and fury.

Even if they know that nothing can be taken for granted , even in they are insured against a number of climate risks, the winegrowers deeply feel theses moments, and emotion takes a lot of time to disappear.  Many of them speak of their vines as a human being, or one of their children. « she has a cold »after a strong night-frost , « she smiles » when the  buds and leaves recover new energy, the alert far away…

« Hail and frost are in any case traumatic period » tells Nicolas.  » The work of a whole year is wiped before our eyes in a single instant without any possibility to protect or prevent ».

Then comes the time of findings and doubts :  what the vine will do ? how it feels ? and what’s about the next year ? which consequences ? And as an evidence, no harvest for this year : an happy moment which will not happen, and an other period difficult to live.

« We are enthusiasts, we do love our vineyards »  

By hearing Nicolas, it’s just like an obvious fact.  When the vine has been affected by hail, we must wait 4/5 days, without do anything even if it’s difficult, and  try to understand how « she » will react . Like a person, « she » is injured, she « curls up », thereafter,  small attempts of re-start appear, as if the vine  would say   » Shall I go or shall I stay ? » 

Damage visible one year later

As all his colleagues, Nicolas admits the discreet temper of the winegrowers.  » We don’t have the right words to speak of theses moments, but more than the financial consequence of hail, the more difficult to live for us, is to walk in the rows and see our injured vineyards. It’s often very emotional and even if we are tough guys, some of us can have tears on the eyes ». 

Spotters army

180 silver iodide diffusers  are  spread throughtout the cognac vineyards. 4 volunteers  are in charge on one diffuser. As soon as the alert is activited, the main referent, receives it on his smartphone, acknowledges the messsage and starts the diffuser. If he doesn’t answer, the alert switchs to the second person, and so on… To be efficient, the alert must be issued 6 hours before the arrival of the hail and all the  diffusers must be started at the same time. The diffuser located in an area is efficient for an area located about 10 kms farther.

A very simple system to set up : the ignition of the nozzle in the metallic pipe fired up to the sky particles of silver iodide which are be sucked in the clouds. The reaction allows to  decrease the size of the hailstones and so reduce consequently the damages.

Great thanks to Nicolas for his contribution  and disponibility on this specific subject.

L’article Hail, frost, the vine and the winegrower est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

After the distillation, the eau-de-vie, begins its long ageing period in oak casks, carefully stored in the darkness and humidity of the cellars. The natural porosity of the wood, allow exchanges between air and eau-de-vie. A natural process which gives progressively to cognac, its unique flavor, amber color and bouquet. The evaporation is called « la part des anges » the share of the angels. We used to say that angels are a bit greedy : they « drunk » the  equivalent of 20 millions of bottles per year. This evaporation feed a very small fungus called torula compnaciencis, covering walls and roofs of the cellars. So, the black walls protect a treasure slowly ageing out of sight.

The black truffle

The truffle, appreciated by the gourmets,  likes the chalky clay soil of cognac, close to Atlantic ocean, since several centuries. King of France François 1er, born in Cognac,  would be the one who instigated to the developpement of the culture here. After the phylloxera disaster at the end of 19 century, winegrowers who lost all their vineyards, planted trees devoted to truffles. Nowadays, 700 ha are hidden in cognac region. The tuber melanosporum is harvested between december and march. The business of gathering and selling the truffles is still surrounded by tradition and some mystery…

Man & dog searching for truffle – demo  organized by the Charente « syndicat des trufficulteurs »

At the season time, we will go to a particular place : the truffle market of Jarnac. The sales start at 9:30 am at the sound of the horn.

May be the poetic story of « la part des anges » could inspire  Pierre Soulages, one of the most renowned french contemporaty artist in the world. Master of the black and one of the leading figure of abstract art,  he is present in some 90 museums,  has created more than 1,500 works of art and held countless exhibitions around the globe.

L’article Black colour means wealthy in cognac est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

In the vineyards, the winegrowers work in the morning time, when the temperature is not too hot. Frederic explains us the trimming and weeding operations. What better than small videos to understand…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCl3x-ZJHY&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTPjaRzbhg8&feature=youtu.be

On Charente, cruise tourists,  anglo-saxon for most of them,  and fishermen, native of here, for most of them,  share peacefully the river.

A dinner with my aunt and uncle  in their summer house in  Oleron Island and a little stroll along the ocean on sunset before leave them.

Last business lunch, on the terrace of this nice restaurant in the cognac vineyards, called « L’Essille » in Bassac village. In the park car, I find a beautiful red car just beside mine.

In the vineyards, grapes are « closed » a new step.

Vineyards are beautiful at any time. Nevertheless, I believe I prefer on evening between magic light and long shadows of this period.

Holidays in an other vineyards place…

Then on the way to Tuscany, other vineyards, other amazing landscape. So much to see and to taste !

We succumbed to the spritz tradition.

Back to cognac.

No rain since end of june, vineyards are a bit thirsty.

In the meantime, the angels drink secretly in the darkness of the cellars. The natural evaporation of eau-de-vie during ageing process is called the part of the angels, la part des anges. They drink a lot in a year, quite the equivalent of 20 millions of bottles. Cheers !

L’article Back on a bright august in cognac… and Tuscany est apparu en premier sur Living In Cognac Land.

This landscape is that of cognac : we are in the cognac delimited region. Atlantic ocean is the natural border on west side, and Bordeaux vineyards on south side. The oceanic climate, the quality of soils mainly, clayer, chalky, and limestone, the sun exposition, are some of  the secrets of cognac.

Roman churchs,  high houses  with closed courtyards, vineyards, historical towns such as Angoulême, Jarnac, Cognac, Saintes, Rochefort on the river Charente, small villages sleeping in the heat of the sun, there’s so much to see.

You could imagine that this small area is like a  stunning painting, but  may be a bit boring all the year long.

On the contrary, cognac has  opened-eyes on the world since a long time. The dynasties of famous names of cognac, coming from abroad to create their trade  in XVIII century, and the charentais sons of families, went off in search of adventure, gave for ever, this sensibility of exchange, meeting other cultures.  For instance, La Fayette left France to sustain American War of Independance, on board of the Hermione, by Rochefort Harbour, and Henri Fauconnier in the beginning of XX century went off to Malaisia to create a succesfull rubberwood plantation.

No doubt that the famous notoriety and sucessfull story of cognac, can be explain by this spirit of curiosity.

It’s true, however, that many visitors coming here, discover that cognac is not only a beverage, but a small city and a region, and for some of them, that cognac comes from vines…

It would be my pleasure to take you on a stroll week after week, wherever you live in the world, and show you, secret places, skilled winegrowers, favourites, nice people leaving here and stunning views.

if you agree, let’s go…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaZ2K9mTZEg&feature=youtu.be

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