The welcome coffee gave us a chance to get to know the winery and its owner, Marc Plouzeau. The Château de la Bonnelière is a family run winery and Marc took over the running of it from his father in 1998.
To get the day started, Marc introduced us to the Chinon appellation of wines, and to the location of his vineyards which are spread across the left bank of the Vienne river. He also told us how he works organically and bio-dynamically at the winery.
We then headed out into the Clos de la Bonnelière vineyard, the plot where the adopted vines are located!
The aim of the day was to learn about the different work that is carried out in the vineyard. Marc explained the work that he and his team have been doing since the last harvest, and notably the complex task of pruning.
Marc then showed us what we would be doing today; de-budding the vines. This important task serves to manage the growth of the vine. The vine is a creeper plant that needs to be kept in check to produce more concentrated grapes, and thus make a better quality vine.
We needed to remove each of the small branches that had grown, but which will not produce any grapes.
The job is quite difficult, because the vines are fairly old, and so each one needs a moment of reflection before getting stuck in. We didn't want to make any mistakes, but fortunately Marc was there to guide us!
After we had worked well, we made the most of the sun's arrival, to take a few pictures of our adopted vines.
The morning finished with an al fresco lunch, served outside in the shade of the hanger, overlooking the vineyard. A great place to eat! We tasted the wines produced by Marc, including those from his newly acquired winery, the Domaine de la Croix Marie, which he took the reins of for the 2014 harvest.
This relaxed moment allowed us to talk with Marc some more and to bombard him with questions! But our day wasn't yet over, and so we headed off to the chai.
Marc introduced us to the wine-making side of things, something that will covered in much more detail during one of the Vinification Experience Days. He showed us how he ferments and ages his wines, keeping the wine from each vine plot separate.
The day then drew to a close. Many thanks to Marc, and we look forward to coming back again soon!
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Comments
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Louise,
We weren't able to say goodbye before leaving on Saturday, Marc whisking us enthusiastically away with the group who went on to see his new vines.
Just a few words to say how much we appreciated the day. We also wanted to thank you for your availability and your hospitality throughout this great day.
Keep up the good work. -
Many thanks for this great day. It was fun and very informative. We can't wait to come back for the Harvest Experience Day! See you soon.
Envoyé le Vendredi 12 June 2015 by Dominique