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with the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

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A day in the vineyard at Domaine la Cabotte


We spent last Saturday in the Rhône Valley with Marie-Pierre and Eric Plumet, the owners and winemakers at Domaine la Cabotte.  It was the very first Wine Experience Day at the winery, and this long awaited moment went very well.  But with such passionate winemakers in such a splendid setting, it would be difficult not to have a good time!

Wine experience gift. Adopt a vine in France and participate in the pruning with the winemaker

The aim of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is to discover more, not only about wine, but also about the multi-faceted profession of being a winemaker.  During the Discovery Experience Day, we spend most of the time in the vineyard, learning about the work involved in nurturing the vines to produce the best grapes possible come harvest time.

Adopt-a-Vine gift in France. Follow the making of your own wine in the Cotes du Rhone.

So off we headed to the vineyard, to start the day in the plot where the adopted vines of our clients are located.  We took a few minutes to take some photos with the vines, and to whisper sweet nothings to them.  Some people even started naming them!

Original gift for wine lovers. Rent a vine and get involved in the pruning.

Eric spoke to us about the different grape varietals that are planted in the vineyard, and showed us the various pruning methods used.  We're approaching the end of the pruning period at the winery, but Eric and Marie-Pierre had set aside a few rows for us to prune.After a few demonstrations on how to prune, we spread out, a large pair of clippers in hand, to give it a go ourselves.  It's not easy at first, but once we each had a few vines under our belt, we gained in confidence.

Original wine experience gift in the vineyard. Pruning the vines.

We pruned two rows of vines.  We weren't necessarily as quick as the professionals, but it's nevertheless very satisfying.  We had well earned our wine tasting!

Wine tasting gift at the winery in France. Visit the vineyard and taste the wines in the Cotes du Rhone.

The wine tasting began with the two Côtes du Rhône white wines made at the winery, before tasting the red wines.  First up, the AOC Massif D'Uchaux Gabriel, followed by the Chateauneud-du-Pape.

Only local products were on the menu for lunch.  Marie-Pierre had prepared small pieces of toast with truffles found by her dog the day before and drizzled olive oil from the winery's olive trees!  We tasted the wine chosen for Gourmet Odyssey, the Massif d'Uchaux Garance 2011, with the main course, and after some local goat's cheese, we were treated to a lemon desert served with biscuits made using almonds gathered from the tree outside.  Some even left with the recipes!

Organic vineyard tour in France.

A digestive walk amongst the vines was most welcome afterwards.  Eric described the work throughout the different seasons, and showed us the difference in vines in the different plots.

Winery tour gift in the cotes du rhone, France. Visit the cellar.

Back at the winery, we finished the day in the cellar.  We saw the vats used to ferment and age the wines, something that will be covered in more detail during the Harvest and Vinification Experience Days..

Biodynamic wine gift. Discover how to make wine biodynamically.

The winery is biodynamically certified by Demeter, and so Eric explained the philosophy behind this environmentally friendly way of working.  We were even treated to smelling some of the fertilizer made using organic cow dung, which will help give more energy and strength to the vines!

Many thanks to our clients who participated in the day and to Marie-Pierre for sharing their passion for what they do with such authenticity and simplicity!

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The Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

Adopt a Vine in France and Follow the Making of Your Own Wine !

From € 169

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