We were at the winery to learn about the work of the winemaker in the vineyard to grow and nurture the best possible grapes come harvest time. And as we were to learn, there’s a lot of work involved between now and the harvest!
Eric and Marie-Pierre explained their philosophy of working the soil and the wines. Why do you need to prune? Why at this time of year? Having been shown how to prune, we each had a go for ourselves under the guidance of Eric & Marie-Pierre.
At the end of the morning, we visited the plot of Grenache where the Gourmet Odyssey adopted vines are located, and took some photos of the plants that will hopefully give us the fruit to make an excellent wine this year.
We then enjoyed a home-made lunch prepared by Marie-Pierre of endive salad, provençal stew, and raspberry tiramisu, paired with the Garance, Gabriel and Colline Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.
After lunch we returned to the vineyard to finish the pruning and to perfect our cutting. It’s not always easy to choose which branches to keep and which to cut!
In the chai, we talked about how biodynamics impacts the work and the environment at the winery. We learnt about how it helps to improve the biodiversity in the vineyard, and how prevalent it is in the Massif d’Uchaux appellation, respecting the soil and nature’s rhythm.
And so the day drew to a close, a day full of information and the clip clip of the secateurs. We’ll soon be able to see if our pruning bears any fruit as Eric and Marie-Pierre update us on how the buds develop. Many thanks to our hosts for welcoming us and for being as authentic as ever.
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