
There are two vines in this picture. Are they the same cepage, or are they different? (Answers on a postcard, please).
They belong to Patrick Maurel who took us round his vineyard just as the heavens opened, to show us his corner of paradise and how he keeps it that way. At the foot of the Pic St Loup just metres from the pathway that wends its way around the outcrop, and very many metres from the nearest road, his vines live tranquilly, undisturbed by much that's a pesky bug, their decades old roots foraging successfully for water way down beneath the surface, and kept company by a cloud of insect life of all colours as you tread carefully to avoid spiking your open toes on the odd vicious little thistle.

We went with the boys who were delighted to be sat in the boot of an old Citroen AX which had had its back seat removed as Patrick took us along stony, bumpy tracks deep into the 'bush' to be shown the magic of his cultivation.

The boys enjoyed racing about looking for dead insects, finding live ones on branches, and making them jump off, or fly off en masse as they ran through the grass.
Back at Patrick's house just outside St Martin de Londres (where, incidentally, I came to visit a second floor flat to rent in his grandparent's old house where he vinifies his wine on the ground floor, but didn't take it - small world!) he showed us the cool interior of the former bergerie which he is restoring. Vaulted stone ceilings, earth floors, and restricted light sources make it a pleasant place to work during the searing summer months.


As for the vines in the photo above, maybe you can identify them as easily as he can as being from different cepages. To me, they look the same. He laughed when we tried vainly to spot the differences. He was amazed that it wasn't as obvious to us as to him. Still, I would rather that he was able to tell the difference than me, as he is the vigneron, and I am not!
We rounded off our visit being taken to his potager. The man must have as green fingers as it's possible to have. His 200m² plot was burgeoning with vegetables - aubergines, beans, courgettes, lettuce - you name it, and fruit trees, red currants, black currants, white currants, gooseberries, 30 different varieties of tomato all ancient, and miniature peach trees that the King (one of the Louis' I expect) would have on his table so he was able to pick his peaches fresh off the tree.
We are invited back during the vendange to see him at work. and you can be sure it has been marked on the 'not to be missed' diary. Watch this space...
I'm trying to establish an affinity between empty cicada chrysalis shells and empty wine-bottles. I and my research team will need to empty more bottles before arriving at a cogent conclusion. Can you supply?
ReplyDeleteI can provide empty bottles... *hic*
ReplyDelete