Solving The Mysteries Of The Terroir...

... That is exactly what fellow Sabletain and "Terroirist" Olivier Hickman does.  

This way ...

Read carefully .... because Olivier has spent many years making himself familiar with the terrain, learning the patterns of work, analyzing the components of each fermenting vat, and critically evaluating the results of many, many ..... acres of vineyards … and Wine Harvests!

Olivier guides a tasting at Domaine la Fourmone

Although not all wine experts agree about the exact definition of the somewhat mysterious concept of the  "Terroir," it is of supreme importance in the French wine  industry, (and is becoming increasingly important in many other wine growing areas). The basic element of the concept: a belief that the land on which the grapes are grown, imparts a unique quality which is specific to that particular area - be it a region, a vineyard or even a specific area within the same vineyard.  It also includes the micro-climate and the surrounding vegetation and airborne natural yeasts.   Coupled with the Appellation Controlee system, there's a lot to learn about.

Sablet is surrounded by vineyards

The Vendange in the vineyards around Gigondas - thanks to Dave Condeff for the picture

Olivier points out that, “The winemaker is king in the New World wine industry (Australia, Americas, etc). Styles of New World wines are driven, predominantly by wine making skills in the cellar.

In France, the emphasis is to “grow” a wine where the wine style is a product of the growers’ unique terroir and their grape-cultivation skills. The winemaker behaves more like a midwife: they are not the mother of the wine, there merely bring forth what was born in the vineyard.”

Out in the vineyards, a group of guests experiences the terroir

From enthusiastic amateur to the connoisseur, well versed in Southern Cote du Rhone wines, Olivier - the Proprietor of Wine Uncovered in Sablet, offers  customized wine tours.  His aim is to help his tour guests come away, having enjoyed the tour, and learned in as much depth as they would like to, of all that goes into the making of these fine wines, and the "Appellation Controlee" system. "Enjoyable, stress-free and informative tours" is the motto at Wine Uncovered. 

Olivier's tours visit selected Wineries.  Guests can choose between a half day tour of two wineries, a three quarter day tour of three wineries or a whole day covering four wineries, touring the cellars and taking outings into the vineyards, with a discussion of the philosophy of those wineries, the growing areas and methods, the types of grapes and their wine making techniques. Tastings are guided by your host and allow the opportunity to ask lots of questions and gain a much broader understanding of one of France's most versatile wine regions

Olivier, a graduate of Cambridge University, began his career as a Financial Controller.  After this  he opened a Wine Importing business in London, and then he began wine making in the Languedoc.  He and his wife and two children moved to Sablet in 2005, and began Wine Uncovered Tours, which has received many wonderful reviews and will soon be featured on the PBS Series "The Winemakers". Having grown up visiting his French grandmother in nearby Orange, he naturally felt quite at home amongst the vineyards of the southern Cote du Rhone.

If a Provencal vacation in your future and you would like to know more about the tours that solve the mysteries of the terroir, you can check out all the details at:  www.wine-uncovered.com  

Maybe we'll see you there!

One of Life's True Pleasures ......

One of our life's true pleasures....... is meeting and even for a short time, sharing 
"les Pelerins" with an incredible group of people who are our guests. I am constantly amazed by that group - their kindness and consideration, their observations and insights, which make the experience of  "the Provencal Dream" a much richer one.
Our blog below is written by Paul Baxter, who with his lovely and talented wife Diane recently visited "les Pelerins" and Sablet once more, with their family.  Paul is an Archeologist, at the State Museum of Anthropology, of the University of Oregon in the USA. It was so enjoyable to read his observations of our village, which he has kindly allowed me to share.  A big thanks to Paul and Diane.

"It is one of life’s true pleasures to go to a place that is the essence of its surroundings and become enveloped in that gestalt.  Whether that place is a bustling street in Mombasa, a fishing village in Alaska, a coal mining town in England, a train stop in Kenya, or a wine producing village in Provence, becoming for a moment a citizen of that place, reveals our universal heritage and common humanity.  And there is no better place for that to happen than at a table in the little café in Sablet.   

Patrons of the Cafe des Sports in Sablet, enjoying "un verre"* and a game of cards.

Pleasure can be defined as doing exactly the right thing at exactly the right time, and having a cold beer or glass of wine served with gusto by the smiling proprietor, who no doubt represents generations of smiling proprietors at this very spot, certainly qualifies.

Bruno, the owner of the Cafe des Sports in Sablet - always welcoming and friendly.

The interesting, and telling thing about this exercise, is that it is virtually unchanging, like Sablet itself. Except for the faces of a few participant observers such as us,  the cast and the experience takes place daily, as it clearly has since the 11th century.  And further, exchange the cassis and the Affligem beer, and the old men gathered at the table near the door of the bar could be in Kansas or Cairo. But they are not.  These old men have spent their lives producing the best wine in the world – there is no arguing about it – and now they are relaxing with very old friends, to laugh at the world and all in it, particularly themselves and by gracious extension, us.

The trail to Seguret lies along the cleared edge of fields, their grape vines heavy with fruit.  Somehow the greens of the trees are different, the soil is uncommon, the air is unusual, the little lizard, not quite the gecko of other trips. Travel, done well, changes one’s perspective on the world, on oneself.  Thoughtful introspection has space to occur,  a more difficult task at home.  This time, this place, for you, will not happen again. The phrase carpe diem, no doubt spoken in this place by some well-travelled Roman, floats in one’s mind.  The Britisher, he seemed British as we sidled by, seated in the midst of the trail sketching studiously, if not well, an overhanging tree, will be part of this diem for the rest of my life.  I did not sketch it, but because of him, I will remember it, and I thank him for that, although I would not have bothered him with my appreciation.

And then you return to the little apartment, with its views of the vineyards, underlined by the tiled roofs of this old, old village.  Eleventh century roof beams, wholly preserved, partner perfectly with the rough quarried limestone to create and continue this little town.  What can this mean in a world of international travel, instant texting, and scattered, scattered, families?  It is at the very least, a symbol of stability.  Those old men, the wine makers, are the sons of wine makers, the grandsons of wine makers, the great grandsons and so on,  for 50 generations, for 1000 years.   The depth of human-time is palpable. If one listens to these beams, to these stones, one can see the people down through time, in the streets, in the fields, growing the grapes, making the wine, sitting at the little café, telling the stories, and laughing."

Please Note:  The pictures were taken by another of our very talented guests!   Loran List - a Professional Photographer from Monterey California.
I have shown pictures  of Loren's pictures, as the originals are 24" x 18" and too big for my scanner.
The Originals are far superior in photo quality, but the composition is so wonderful
that I wanted to share them on this blog. 

* un verre - literally - a glass - or as common usage - "a drink".