For lists of winemakers at Vinisud that I know very well, try 7 wines that tell a story or 8 Outsiders at Vinisud.

There has been a big response to the Vinisud guide so far but I can imagine that people would like a list that isn’t curated by me.  After all, I tend to pick my buddies and so you’ll see the same names crop up over time.

Well this list is actually just an email I got from a PR person who specializes in wine.  One day, they’re going to figure out that they can publish this stuff on their own blogs, and I’ll be out of an audience.  But since there’s been good feedback for all the vinisud guides, here’s a list curated by somebody other than me (although I couldn’t resist adding my own annotation in blue text):

VINISUD list from VINCONNEXION

Mes clients et moi serions heureux de vous recevoir sur leur stand à votre convenance :

Hall 7
Domaine de L’Hortus – stand 7 A 28 - Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup
great property in Pic Saint Loup. One of the big references

Domaine de Haut-Gléon – stand 7 A 69  - Corbières
Sortie du 1er millésime bio et présentation d’une nouvelle gamme aux noms évocateurs, notamment L’Elementerre en rouge et l’Essenciel en rosé.

Hall 10 
Terres de Mer – stand 10 A 33 - Les Maîtres Vignerons de la presqu’île de Saint Tropez et Le Moulin de la Roque à Bandol “Les Maitres Vignerons de la presqu’ile de Saint Tropez” is an awesome name for an indie band

Chez Les Maîtres Vignerons de la presqu’île de Saint-Tropez :  Grain de Glace 2011 & rosé de l’hiver.

Domaine Saint André de Figuière – VIGNOBLES & SIGNATURES – stand 10 B 20 – Côtes de Provence

Hall 11 
Château Les Amoureuses – ASSOCIATION 2 000 VINS D’ARDÈCHE – stand 11 A 24

Vignerons Ardéchois – UVICA – ASSOCIATION 2 000 VINS D’ARDÈCHE – stand 11 A 76

Ortas Cave de Rasteau – stand 11 B 16

Nouvelle gamme Ortas de Crus du Sud pour le circuit traditionnel : Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Tavel, Vacqueyras, et un IGP “Petit As”. I’ve never heard of IGP “Petit As”, but it instantly became my favorite denomination name after “La Clape” (for mostly the same reasons).

Domaine Alain Jaume & Fils – VIGNOBLES & SIGNATURES – stand 11 B 17
Châteauneuf du Pape, Lirac, Vacqueyras (nouveau membre du Club en 2012)

Domaine Brusset – stand 11 C 16
Cairanne, Gigondas…

Cave de Tain l’Hermitage – stand 11 C 76
Un engagement fort pour un développement durable (rapport disponible auprès de Murielle Chardin-Frouin)
Développement de l’oenotourisme, avec notamment le parcours “Sur les pas de Gambert” this walking trail has signposts with qr codes and stuff. cool idea.

Les Vignerons de Rasteau et de Tain l’Hermitage VRT – stand 11 C 76
Lancement en GMS d’une gamme Ortas dans les 3 couleurs : un Côtes du Rhône Villages, un Rasteau sec, un VDN. Des vins issus du sourcing de la Cave de Rasteau.

Mas Amiel – stand 11 D 16 Legendary vin doux producers in Maury.

Domaine Pierre Gaillard – VIGNOBLES & SIGNATURES – stand 11 D 87
Côte Rôtie, Faugères, Banuyls (nouveau membre du Club en 2012) My mom is doing an off event with them on Tuesday

Hall 12 
InterVins sud-est – stand 12 A 68
Dégustation en avant-première du TOP 50. Ces 50 vins sélectionnés parmi 14 IGP (jury du 30 janvier à Orange) sont la vitrine des vins IGP du sud-est ; ils sont issus d’une véritable mosaïque de terroirs viticoles. Des vins dans les 3 couleurs, vins de cépages et d’assemblage.

Château de la Selve – Association 2 000 vins d’Ardèche – stand 12 A 36

Château de Gaudou – stand 12 E 29 -Cahors

DEUX RENDEZ-VOUS PARTICULIERS :

“Un dimanche à la campagne” : dimanche 19 février de 13 à 19 h avec le Club Vignobles & Signatures
Le Domaine de l’Hortus (Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup, à Valflaunès), membre du Club Vignobles & Signatures, organise “un dimanche à la campagne”. La famille Orliac, propriétaire de ce domaine, fera visiter le vignoble ; les 17 propriétés formant le Club Vignobles & Signatures feront déguster leurs meilleurs millésimes et les nouveaux vins 2011 (invitation et plan d’accès joints).

Dégustation permanente à Vinisud du TOP 50 des IGP du sud-est : hall 12 stand A 68 InterVins sud-est
Dégustation en avant-première du TOP 50. Ces 50 vins sélectionnés parmi 14 IGP (jury du 30 janvier à Orange) sont la vitrine des vins IGP du sud-est ; ils sont issus d’une véritable mosaïque de terroirs viticoles. Des vins dans les 3 couleurs, vins de cépages et d’assemblage.

Like all the great music and art festivals, Vinisud draws a lot of talent to the area where it’s held (Montpellier).  So every day, after the fair ends, the party is just beginning for other people.

The French refer to afterhours parties and tastings as “OFF’ events.  This is a run down of all the OFF events I’ve heard about so far.  Feel free to add your own in the comments section or email me if I’m missing some.

If you find this list helpful, consider tweeting about it or sending a link to your friends by email.

Events that require a reservation or paid entry are marked as such.  Note that virtually all of these events are meant for wine buffs.  Especially the ones that are invitation only.  You should probably only attend if you’re in the trade or press, or if you can demonstrate a pretty professional enthusiasm for wine.  The dinner events are probably more open to amateur visitors.  Don’t get mad at me! You know I don’t make the rules.

Sunday OFF Events

Le Vin de Mes Amis – 14h-19h – Domaine de Verchant 34170 Castelnau le Lez
RSVP to charlotte.senat@gmail.com
Cost 10€
Vin de Mes Amis blog
PDF of invitation vdm 2012 pdf
A huge list of very good wines.  A lot of the usual suspects from Changer l’Aude en Vin, but tons more to boot.  See page 2 of the Vin de Mes Amis PDF for details.  I heard that this might be at Trinque Fougasse O’Nord but the invitation says Domaine de Verchant. Look into it if you’re interested!

Haut les Vins! – 10h-20h – Chateau de Flaugergues (in Montpellier)
official website
list of participants
A large group of winemakers from all around France, and a couple from Portugal, Spain and even Serbia.  This gang will be doing their tasting at a Domaine that is actually located within Montpellier’s city limits.  My buddy Benoit will be pouring his zero dosage Champagne and lots of other good winemakers are in attendance.  It’s open all Sunday so if you get to Montpellier early, this is a great way to ease into ViniSud.  But don’t party too hard as you have three days of salon ahead of you!

ViniFilles – 18h30 – Jam 100 rue Ferdinand de Lesseps 34000Montpellier
invitation required
contact presse@vinifilles.fr
This group of Languedoc Roussillon winemaking women are having a rock show and tasting at the Jam.  There’s a buffet and ample wine.  The bands playing are Les Gazelles de Bruxelles and La Mal Coiffée.  But there is a guestlist so you have to contact them if you want to get in.

Chateauneuf du Pape, Tavel & Rasteau – 19h - Chateau de la Banquiere Vauguieres le Haut 34130 Maugio
dinner & music
invitation only
contact: soiree.crus@hotmail.fr
The AOCs Chateauneuf du Pape, Tavel & Rasteau are organizing a nice dinner with music and winemakers from the three appellations presenting their wines around a buffet dinner.

Monday OFF Events

G-Night, Occupy Grenache – 19h-2h – location not yet announced (underground ;D)
PDF of invitation G-Night Invite Vinisud 2012
Facebook event page
A night devoted to Grenache.  Run by the same people who organized the Grenache Symposium at La Verriere.  Should be fun.  The location is still a surprise so I expect they’ve got something fun in store to reveal it closer to the date.

Le Vin de Mes Amis – 10h-19h – Domaine de Verchant 34170 Castelnau le Lez
RSVP to charlotte.senat@gmail.com
Cost 10€
Vin de Mes Amis blog
PDF of invitation vdm 2012 pdf
Les amis this time around are Jean Yves Bordier with butter and cheeses from Saint-Malo, Irene et Julienne Daniaux with glass art, and Antony Cointre a roving chef.  And a huge list of very good wines.  A lot of the usual suspects from Changer l’Aude en Vin, but tons more to boot.  See page 2 of the Vin de Mes Amis PDF for details.

Haut les Vins! - 10h-18h – Chateau de Flaugergues, Montpellier
official website
list of participants
If you’re not in town on Sunday, they’re doing it all over on Monday.

Contains Sulfites…Mais Pas Trop! – 18h – Le Ban des Gourmands, Place Carnot, Montpellier
Official blog
RSVP required on the official blog
This hilariously named group of reasoned winemakers are doing an event on Monday night at a restaurant. It might be a sit down dinner… the invitation just bills it as an Intergalactic journey.  Reservations should be made before the 10th so hurry up!

Mas de l’Ecriture – 18h-20h30 – Chez Boris (brasserie)
invitation only, for wine trade and press
contact: louisehurren@wanadoo.fr
A 12 year vertical of Mas de l’Ecriture. Pretty stunning opportunity, but very limited space in the venue.

Tuesday OFF Events

Mardi Gras des Gaillardises - 11h-20h – Aeroport Hotel Maugio/Montpellier
blog post about the event
facebook page
25 winemakers will present their wines at the Aeroport Hotel which is easy to get to by using the regular airport shuttles from the Parc des Expositions.  There are some really top notch producers from all over France.  And of particular interest to my blog readers, there are a couple of Internet superstars including my mom from O’Vineyards, Iris Rutz-Rudel from Domaine Lisson, Isabelle Perraud from Cotes de la Moliere, Amy Lillard from La Gramiere, and Lilian Bauchet from Les Bachelards.   So if you’ve been reading our blogs and wondering if the wine is as good as the words, here is your chance.  Full list of vignerons available in the link above; you’ll see there are some heavy hitters.

Mas de l’Ecriture - 18h-20h30 – Chez Boris (bistrot)
invitation only, for wine trade and press
contact: louisehurren@wanadoo.fr
A 12 year vertical of Mas de l’Ecriture.  Note the venue changes from the similarly named Chez Boris Brasserie to Chez Boris Bistrot.  But still limited space.

So OFF that they’re ON

There are a few events that are structured like OFFs or have the spirit of an OFF, but they’re actually going to take place within the walls of ViniSud.

The Outsiders will be teaching you new ways to communicate about wines.

on Monday afternoon at 16h @ the Pavilion 2.0
and
on Tuesday morning at 10h @ the Pavilion 2.0

The 2012 edition of Vinisud includes a space devoted to the web called Pavilion 2.0

I’ll be spending a lot of time there.  Additionally, I’ll be doing a presentation with some of my buddies from the Outsiders

on Monday afternoon at 16h
and
on Tuesday morning at 10h.

Each presentation will consist of a 10 minute talk about new opportunities in wine communication afforded by the Internet, followed by a tasting workshop where we’ll encourage people to talk about our wine with images instead of words.

Facebook event page

Invitation to the event

It should be a lot of fun.  It’s a focused, high-energy event.  Each producer is bringing just one wine to be tasted so it’s a small sampler platter of the Outsiders that will hopefully inspire you to visit the stand of your favorite producers.  And we might revolutionize the way you think about wine writing while we’re at it.

This year, I’ve written a couple posts that might help out the odd journalist or tradesperson who doesn’t have their whole trip planned out.

• A guide to Vinisud OFF events
• 7 wines from the south of France that know how to tell a story
• 8 Languedoc winemakers from the great beyond
• 7 women winemakers at ViniSud from the Vinifilles
• Finding O’Vineyards at ViniSud
• The Pavillon 2.0 – A space devoted to the web
• How to find a specific producer
• Another list of winemakers at ViniSud

Vinisud is a massive wine trade fair in Montpellier.  It’s easy to get lost in the sea of mediterranean winemakers, so I’ve compiled a list of southern French wines that I think are genuinely interesting.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, just take a deep breath, pick somebody from this list and visit them.  I’m sure they’ll treat you well.  I picked people who are pretty spread out across all the halls so wherever you have your wine-induced panic attack, you’ll be near one of these producers.

If you find this list helpful, consider tweeting about it or sending a link to your friends by email.

1. Chateau de Nages  - Michel & Tina Gassier – Hall 11
2. Chateau de Gaure – Pierre Fabre – Hall 7
3. Clos du Gravillas – John & Nicole Bojanowski – Hall 9
4. Chene Bleu Rosé – Nicole Sierra Rolet – Hall 11
5. l’Oustal Blanc Naick blanc – Claude & Isabel Fonquerle – Hall 6 (tuesday afternoon only)
6. Domaine des Homs – Jean Marc & Anne de Crozals – Hall 10
7. O’Vineyards – That’s me. – Hall 1

 Chateau de Nages Vielles Vignes 2011
Tina & Michel Gassier – Costieres de Nimes
Hall 11 Aisle A Stand 99

This wine is one of the strongest arguments I’ve ever tasted for exploration of organic and biodynamic practices at my own vineyard.  That’s a pretty hefty statement, so let me explain myself.  I am  not convinced that organic wine is inherently better from a moral or ecological perspective.  I am therefore only interested in it to the extent that it can make my wine taste better.  Gassier makes my style of wine, big, dense, rich, etc. while preserving a certain level of freshness and acidity that keeps the wine from becoming overbearing.  He also has a relatively huge property.  Something like 6 times as big as O’Vineyards.  So if he can do it, I can.  And he swears that his wines have benefited from it.  So I’m intrigued.  More at the Gassier blog or Nages website.

Chateau de Gaure Campagne Chardonnay 2010
Pierre Fabre – Limoux
Hall 7 Aisle A Stand 74

Pierre Fabre started making wines a bit south of my vineyard at almost the exact same time.  On top of making fantastic wines, he’s a great artist and every vintage gets a different painting of his.  He’s recently released a new white wine where the label is painted by his five year old son!  It’s a great wine with some real value and the painting hilariously looks like his style at first glance.  He’s got a huge smile and loves to share his wines with strangers. more at gaure website or blog

Clos du Gravillas Lo Vièlh Carignan
Nicole & John Bojanowski – St Jean de Minervois
Hall 9 Aisle B Stand 46

St Jean de Minervois is famous for its muscat, but I’m sending you to the crazies up on the hill that make a pure Carignan.  They famously defended the grape to Jancis Robinson and other journalists who sometimes looked down on the variety.  You can taste a 100% Carignan done right and decide if it’s worth all the fuss.
Chêne Bleu / Domaine de La Verrière Rosé
Nicole Sierra-Rolet - Southern Rhône
Hall 11 Stand C64

This year, you can taste a rosé made for red wine drinkers.  It’s direct press and serious business.  If you go to their stand and say “Go ahead, make my day,” they’ll pour you their Clint Eastwood styled rosé.  :)

To their merit, Chêne Bleu was one of the few wineries that sent me an email so good I just wanted to publish their words:

Chêne Bleu takes the Clint Eastwood approach to winemaking – it’s not an adventure if someone’s done the same thing already – so when we set out to make a rosé, we wanted it to be different from the norm and to stand proudly alongside our critically acclaimed reds and whites. This rosé is not for knocking back by the pool. It’s one of the few direct press rosés made; and we call it our ‘anti-rosé rosé’ because we believe that even those who aren’t usually rosé fans will love its ‘chewy’ texture, long finish and ability to stand up to lovely rich Mediterranean food and spicy Eastern dishes. Through the years it’s won accolades all over the world including designation as a ‘Vin Mythique’ in La Revue du Vin de France. Come by the stand and, if you use the password ‘Go ahead, make my day’, you can see if you agree with us, and the critics, in a taste test alongside some spicy food.

L’Oustal Blanc Naick Blanc
Isabel & Claude Fonquerle – la Liviniere
Hall 6 Aisle A Stand 13 (Tuesday afternoon only)

A brother from another mother, the high end reds at l’Oustal Blanc remind me of a more mediterranean version of my own wines.  But what’s really intriguing is their 100% Grenache Gris.  A white wine for red wine drinkers.  This is one of the whites that pushed dad and me over the edge and made us decide to harvest our white grapes and make a white wine in 2012.  Claude will only be at ViniSud Tuesday afternoon.  You can also catch this wine at an OFF event we’re doing together on Tuesday at the Aeroport Hotel.

Domaine des Homs Paul 2011
Anne & Jean Marc de Crozals – Minervois
Hall 10 Aisle A Stand 8

I met these winemakers because we both make Cabardes wines, but I think their true specialty is their organic Minervois estate.  In a blind tasting I once confused this wine with a 60 € bottle from a more notorious estate, and the Cuvée Paul is thankfully much more affordable.  It’s a minervois that manages to capture ripe fruit without getting overbearing.  And they were some of our first neighbors to have us over for a drink when we got to the region.  So cheers.

O’Vineyards Stranger, Stranger 2007
Joe, Ryan and Liz O’Connell – Cabardes
Hall 1 Aisle B Stand 21

I’d be remiss if I didn’t invite you to come visit my family’s stand.  My parents, Joe and Liz O’Connell, don’t usually get a chance to talk because I am always blabbing for them online.  But at Vinisud, you can meet the silent majority of O’Vineyards!  And they’re coming with a special treat.  Ask about the “Stranger, Stranger” and they’ll give you a taste of a 100% Merlot they only made in 2007, in commemoration of all the strangers who helped us when we first moved to the Languedoc.  This wine always cheers us up, and it was the first bottle my dad reached for when the New Orleans Saints got knocked out of the NFL playoffs this month.

If you’re in Montpellier on February 20-22, there are many ways to interact with O’Vineyards while we attend Vinisud.

O’Vineyards official stand

Cité de Carcassonne – Hall 1, Allée B, Stand 21

We have a space in the Cité de Carcassonne space in Hall 1, Allée B, Stand 21. When you come into the conference through the main entrance, go straight forward and Hall 1 is the first building you’ll pass through. We’re one of the first stands you’ll see and we encourage you to start or end your day with my parents who will be at the stand. If you want to taste the wines with me (Ryan) then you should email me or tweet me ahead of time so that I can make sure I’m at the stand to meet you. But my parents are really awesome and you’ll enjoy meeting them too!

Mardi Gras OFF event

Aeroport Hotel  (google maps link)
34130 Maugio, Montpellier
Tuesday Feb 21
from 11:00 to 20:00.
Hors d’oeuvres offered.
contact anytime for more info: 33(0)6 30 18 99 10

We’re also participating in an intriguing off event in a private conference room in the aeroport hotel.  This is really really close to the airport so it’s very convenient for those of you coming from far away.  And there are regular shuttles from Vinisud to the airport, so it’s easy to get to from Vinisud.  It’s a laidback group that offers a more relaxed atmosphere than Vinisud (which can be very business oriented and sort of rushed with all the appointments you have to make).  Come by for some excellent wines from all over France and a bite to eat.  The uniting principle of this group is that most of the members have worked closely with Pierre Gaillard at some point in their careers, although a few of us (like O’Vineyards) are more friends of friends.  Anyway, it goes until 8PM so you can come by after the salon and meet some great winemakers who understand the value of a soft sell.  This is a room full of unique and interesting wines that will charm you without an onslaught of export figures and volume commitments.

The Web Pavillion

Pavilion 2.0

This year, Vinisud has an area devoted to the web.  Presumably, it will have wifi access.  And there will be several presentations devoted to the Internet’s effect on the wine business and the mediterranean.  They’ve invited several bloggers and online wine communicators so it should be a fun area.  It’s also relatively anglophone so brace yourself for that.

I will be here for a large portion of the fair since they picked me to represent France this year.  I also have a couple of my short talks scheduled in this space over the length of the fair.

Outsiders: A left field tasting

Monday February 20th, 16h
and Tuesday February 21st, 10h

We’re doing this presentation twice.  The first ten minutes (when I talk) will likely be similar.  I want to introduce the notion that the Internet allows us to communicate about wine in a variety of ways that conventional print media does not permit.  And then we’ll encourage you to taste several wines made by the outsiders and try to pair them with photos, sound, video and so on instead of boring old tasting notes.

Wine communication on a tiny budget

Date to be determined

A joint presentation with Charles Perez from Mas Becha, me, and maybe some others.  Still ironing this out.  We’ll basically show examples of massively successful communication efforts realized on miniscule budgets.  A must see for bootstrappers everywhere.

Anyway, these serious questions aside, I decided to have some fun with the archetypal winemaker statements.  Since most winemakers generally make the exact same claims about their vineyards, I thought I’d summarize the rules for making a generic, forgettable winemaker bio.

How to write a generic, forgettable winemaker biography

Here are a few rules to follow if you want to sound like every other winemaker who has ever described his or her vineyard/winery.

Rule #1 – Use the word “passion” repeatedly

This is simple.  You have to use the word passion or passionate at least once. Talking about your passion ensures the reader that you are in fact passionate because, after all, you said so.

example:  Pierre’s wines reflect his passion about the land.

If you fail to talk about passion, everybody will assume you do not care about your job.  Conversely, if you use the word more than once or include synonymous concepts like authenticity, this will promote the notion that you are a highly engaged and loving winemaker.

example: Pierre is passionate that his wines should be an accurate and authentic reflection of the land.

Rule #2 - Your terroir is unique

Defend the uniqueness and rarity of your vineyard’s geographical position.

example: Pierre’s vineyard is unique in the world.

Using government denominations is very popular, especially if they are obscure and unpronouncable.

example: Pierre’s vineyard is in the AOP Coteaux de Malbaraient, the tiniest and most unique appellation in the world.

Rejecting government denomitaions shows that you are really cool because your land is good enough to use the appellation but you deem that the system is beneath you in some way.

example: Pierre’s vineyard is in the AOP Coteaux de Malbaraient, the tiniest and most unique appellation in the world, but he labels his wine as a simple Vin de Pays because he doesn’t care for the pretense and archaic bureaucracy of his denomination.

edit: contribution by Michael Cox from Wines of Chile – You may want to show people that you were the only person who dared to plant vines where you are.  This can be done simply enough by making generalizations about the locals.

example: When Pierre first planted his vines in this area, the locals all said he was mad.

If you’ve picked a place that is truly unique and rare, it is likely obscure.  You may want to inform people as to where your vineyard actually is.

example: Pierre’s vineyard is in the AOP Coteaux de Malbaraient, a small sliver of land in the south of France.

Using rich language can conjure up a specific image in the reader’s mind despite the fact that they have no idea where your vineyard is located geographically.  Again, don’t underestimate the impressiveness or appeal of unpronouncable proper nouns.

example: Pierre toils in his century-old Grenache vines perched atop the rocky, south-facing slope of the sun-drenched Plateau du Saux-Manues.

Often, a winemaker will choose to describe the location of the vineyard by placing it between two other objects (eg mountain ranges, sea fronts, climatic influences, etc.)

example: Pierre’s century-old Grenache benefits from its unique location on a high south-facing ridge between the foothills of the Pyrenees to the southwest and the sun-drenched Mediterranean coastline to the  northeast.  This unique dual influence brings balance and equilibrium to his wines.

Rule # 3 – People care how long you’ve been making wine

If your family has been making wine for at least two generations, you should find the most impressive way possible to convey the span of time your family has been making wine.  This is true even if you’re just a nobleman who inherited a vineyard and you’ve barely met the people who tend your vines and make your wine.  It might be especially true in that case.

example:  Pierre’s family have been making wine for fourteen generations, showing a steadfast passion for the land.

If you haven’t been making wine for very long, emphasize your belief in a balance between old world wisdom and new technology.   Characterize yourself as a fresh perspective in an old profession.  This can be an excellent place to reuse the word passion.

example:  Peter developed a passion for wine while watching the movie Sideways after which he left his job as a stock broker and bought a vineyard.  He deeply respects the customs and traditions of the previous owner of his vines, and tries to use new techniques and a cutting edge winery to make the most authentic wines possible.

This might also be the time to name drop a famous oenologist or winemaker who you work with at the winery.

example: Peter fell in love with this vineyard shortly after watching Sideways.  When consulting oenologist Marcel Dutramplon first saw the property, he said “There is no reason we cannot make great wine on this old and proven terroir.”

If this particular vineyard or project is new, but you have a pedigree in the wine business, you can actually use all of the previous techniques.

example:   After 7 years of indentured servitude, Pierre has earned his freedom.  His passion has driven him to strike out on his own in a daring new project where he will finally have the freedom to make his own wines with the help of renowned consulting oenologist Marcel Dutramplon.

Rule #4- Do You Parlez Franglais?

Turn off spell check!  A few well-chosen errors make it seem like you’ve written about your vineyard in French and translated it to English.  This allows the reader to imagine that a French wine expert has written about you and that the English language is just insufficient to fully describe your quality.  Awkward word choices and mistranslated cognates remind the reader that you are an authentic French winemaker.  Opaque translations of idiomatic phrases are your friend, and don’t be afraid to occasionally make up words.

exemple: The reencounter of these dual influences results in the harmonious equilibrium between the minerality and the research of power, an authentic character that Pierre looks for with a great passion to make the first wines in this old region.

Rule #5 – It’s never called dirt

If you choose to talk about the land, use technical geological terms that most people won’t understand.  When speaking about dirt, never refer to it as dirt.

example: The land around the vines is composed of very stony, calcareous topsoil on top of deep marl beds.

Similarly, all climatic influences should be made more important-sounding.  Use of foreign words, proper noun naming, and highly technical language can help in this field.

example: While the Vent Serraphin creates a uniquely stressed pluviometry, the vines extend their root systems deep underground to tap into the soil’s winter reserves.

Rule #6 – Other helpful words

Most of the following words and phrases should also appear throughout the wine producer info:

• complexity
• authenticity
• terroir
• quality
• philosophy
• balance
• equilibrium
• distinction
• south-facing slopes (if applicable)
• respect for nature
• harmonious
• elegance
• freshness
• refinement
• minerality (n.b. this word is trending today, but may soon be replaced with “tension”)
• signature
• savoir faire
• award-winning
• gold medal

Edit inspired/contributed by Ron from nocookiecutterwines.com :

Rule #7 – Mention the exact size of your vineyard

If you are big, brag about the epic scope of your endeavor.

example: Etienne de Tarantantan took over his grandfather’s small parcel of vines in the 1970s and his passion for wine has led him to expand his holdings to own six properties throughout the region, producing over 3,000,000 bottles of quality wines each year.

If you sell to supermarkets, describe your ambitions with words like value, approachable, friendly, and unpretentious while alluding to a prestige cuvée even if you only make a couple hundred bottles of it.

example: The wines crafted by the de Tarantantan estates range from highly approachable, unpretentious wines all the way to elegant garage wines, all with a focus on value and delivering high quality to the consumer.

If you’re not big, emphasize how small you are by citing a specific number of cases produced per year.  This will help consumers understand the scale of operations and creates a unique marketing position.  Since you are the only small winemaker on earth.

example: Pierre toils on his two hectares of low-yield grenache all year to make just 94 cases of wine.

on loan from J. Heritier

The land and vines that we refer to as O’Vineyards have been around for a very long time and they’ve had many names and many farmers. I’m always picking up little bits about the vineyard’s history, and a friend just loaned a book to me that might help shed some light on the vineyard’s origins.

Cartulaire et Archives de l’Ancien Diocese de Carcassonne par M. Mahul.

Editeur: Philippe Schrauben
Mémoire de la Société des Etudes Scientifiques de l’Aude

One passage on Villemoustaussou’s agricultural history notes that in 1777:

“Lorsque Monsieur, comte de Provence, qui depuis a régné si glorieusement sous le nom de Louis XVIII, passa à Carcassonne, on servit à ce Prince des vins de Limoux et de Villemoustaussou; il eût la bonté d’en faire l’éloge à M. de Bezons. Le vin de Villemoustaussou provenait d’une vigne qui appartenait depuis longtemps à la famille Don” (Journal de la Société d’Agriculture de Carcassonne vol IV p. 137)

Basically Villemoustaussou’s wines were served to somebody pretty important and they impressed him. What’s particularly interesting is that the vines were owned by a M. Don, and we bought our vineyard from a M. Dons. That’s likely a coincidence as locals have told me there were several owners between 1777 and Dons. But still a fun discovery! Wouldn’t that be interesting to find that Dons’ family owned the property long before him and made remarkable wines back in the 18th century!?

Learning more about the vineyard is a complicated process because we’re located on the edge of three different villages. Each of the villages may have records of the property and all under different names. And each of those names can change and evolve over time. Often, the area we call O’Vineyards is locally referred to as “Le Thou” or “Lieu dit Le Thou”. I see some records of places called Le Grand Tou (could easily be Le Thou since the H is silent) as well as Dittou (could easily be a name derived from lieu DIT THOU) but I’ll need to do some more reading to see if these are different areas.  I can probably also mention that Thou is a common word in old english texts so that makes searching a bit complicated too.  While searching for the uniquely named Villemoustaussou is a bit easier, it should be noted that there are lots of alternate spellings and older names (latin texts refer to it as Villamostansio, Villamonstantion, and Villamonstantione).

Some of the local vines still carry their older names, notably Barrau, Brau, Rivalz and La Mijeane. Unfortunately, I don’t see much about a winemaking estate named Thou or Tou. One passage describes a property called TISSOT that is on the high ground separating Villegailhenc from Villemoustaussou (this is a very accurate description of our vineyard, especially the Syrah parcel), and there is a Chemin Tissot near the vineyard.  But I can’t be sure without further research on the name TISSOT to see if it is not referencing some other vineyard.  A preliminary search shows we might be very very close to a property called “les hauts de TISSOT”  and we can imagine that the Thou might have been part of a larger TISSOT estate.  More to come.

Also, by extraordinary coincidence, there is an area in Villegailhenc that was called Podium like one of our wines. Podium Giberti, its full name in 1380, is now called Pechibert.

One of the coolest things about the Université de la Vigne et du Vin was a series of videos they presented throughout the day called “Volem dire al pais”. The occitan title is a nice nod to the fact that this conference is about local farmers. Occitan dominated these vines for a long time, much longer than French or Anglicized slang, a constant theme for the conference.

Sometimes, conferences like this get a little high brow and far-removed from the winemakers. These videos served as a healthy dose of local wisdom injected into the conference between every set of speakers. A really clever way to help give a well-paced message from lots of locals in between the more academic presentations.

And there are a few good laughs too.

Picnic with a winemaker

Map of villages with picnic locations

View PIQUE-NIQUE CHEZ LE VIGNERON INDEPENDANT® in a larger map

List of winemakers and villages