By the late 19th Century new rail connections to the South of France were opened which made inexpensive wines from the Languedoc cheap to transport to Paris.  After WWII estate bottling become widespread further diminishing the importance and the port.  Bercy was finally closed in the late 1970′s.  These photos are part of the incredible collection of the City of Paris and illustrates the work that was done at the market during its prime.

All photos © Parisienne de Photographie 2007.

Unloading barrels at Porte de Bercy in 1926

Eau de vie merchant Octave Maury

Cider merchant in late 19th century on rue Léopold

Workers repairing barrels

bottle washing in 1926

Bercy in 1979 before demolition

Bordeaux and Champagne Tasting

Crushing Grapes the old fashioned way

Mélac

Bistro à vins

42 rue Leon Frot

75011 Paris

T. 0143705927

Athénäis de Beru took over winemaking in 2004 after studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune.  She runs the estate along with her mother.  Grapes are hand harvested and yields are restricted.  The vineyards are certified organic and Athénäis is looking to move to a biodynamic certification in the near future.   Chateau Béru has one of two remaining moon-dials in Europe.  Given biodynamic belief in timing treatments and cellar work to the lunar cycles the moon-dail may again become part of daily life at the chateau.

The Premier Cru Vaucoupin is aged in 1/3 new oak while the Clos Béru Monopole and village Chablis wines remain in stainless steel tanks.  I found each of the wines to have the classic freshness and steely acidity that you expect from Chablis while maintaining a good intensity of citrus flavors.

The restored moondial at Chateau Beru

Athenais de Béru in the clos vineyards

renovation work is continuing at the chateau

Grand Cru Vineyards of Chablis France

In some parts of the world chablis is the brand name given to white wines made from almost any white grape. Chablis is also the name of the wine region at the northern boundery of Burgundy where white wines are exclusively made from chardonnay. Within the region there is also the small town of Chablis. So next time someone claims “I don’t like Chablis but love chardonnay” you can ask which one they are referring to, the wine region, the town or the “brand” and then mention Chablis from France is always made from chardonnay.

I recently spent a day there visiting a few of the producers that practice organic viticulture. Because Chablis is the close northern most limit of viable viticulture most growers want to have a full arsenal of products at their disposal to treat crops. The handful of producers who are certified organic must do a lot more work in the vineyards in order to have healthy grapes.

This work was going at full speed due to the warm and dry conditions. Vines are already two weeks ahead of recent vintages in the growth cycle and the all important flowering stage is getting ready to begin. Growers are worried about the lack of rain which combined with the warm conditions could produce another vintage like 2003. Wines from that year for the most part lacked the charm and restraint that makes Chablis great.

I love the style of chardonnay that’s dry, bright, has lively acidity, full-bodied but not heavy and has a lingering finish. Most producers in Chablis go for an similar understated style and are very restrained in their use of oak. They let the wines natural character shine through rather than the trying to marrying with vanilla and oak flavors.

Chardonnay planted in limestone and clay soils

We arranged for a visit with Vincent Laval of Champagnes Georges Laval, also located in Cumieres.  Since 1971 they have produced champagne made exclusively from organically grown grapes.   In the cool and sometimes rainy northern France, it’s easy to determine which growers are relying on chemical pesticides and fertilizers and which are doing the labor intensive work that’s required to grow vines organically.  The treated vineyards are a moonscape of exposed rock and earth while the untreated vineyards are green with grass growing between the vines.  In the arid south its too dry for much greenery so it’s more difficult to determine by sight which growers are carpet bombing their crops with round-up and and pesticides.

Vines produce better quality grapes when they are stressed and are forced to descend into the lower subsoils for nutrients. Over-fertilized vines have roots which remain close to the surface since they receive all the nutrients they need in the topsoils.   Since they are not stressed, yields are higher but the quality and character of the grapes and much less interesting.  The two vines that Vincent Laval removed intact from vineyards that were being replanted illustrate this point perfectly in the photo below.

So while you can pay a lot of money for champagne form the the big brands with their stylish packaging for my money the best value are from small producers like George Laval.  And his wines don’t come cheap. His non-vintage sells for 40€ a bottle.  Thanks again to Vincent Laval who was very generous with his time and even let us barrel taste his 2010 wines.

Le Caveau, 44 rue de la Cooperative, 51480 Cumieres, Tel: 03 26 54 83 23, http://www.lecaveau-cumieres.com/

Which is the better vine?

Greg

Maybe it’s a holdover from the ubiquitous and insipid blush wines that were so popular in the 1970s and 1980s, a mistaken association between pink(ish) wine and wine coolers, or simple wine snobbery.  Whatever the reason, it’s really a shame because a good dry rosé is a crisp, refreshing and incredibly versatile wine.  Rosés are a summer staple in our house when temperatures rise and a red can feel too heavy.  They pair particularly well with seafood, spicy flavors and foods cooked with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.

Château Moyau Rosé is a lovely dry rosé, made from a blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 30% Cinsault and 20% Syrah.  It is fruity (ripe berries, a hint of plum) with floral notes of rose, which are balanced by a lively acidity and complimented by a subtle minerality.  Great to quaff on its own, Château Moyau is also a natural for picnics, backyard cookouts and BBQs.

A vacation to the South of France may not be in the cards this year, but at $15 a bottle Château Moyau Rosé is an affordable way to recapture (or capture) the mood, especially when paired with this month’s recipe, a classic Salade Niçoise.

Classic Salade Niçoise *

The theme was Bordeaux and they had representatives from the chateaux pouring mostly recent vintages.  Although Domaine de Jaugarat in Saint Julien had a 1989 vintage, which was an exceptional year in Bordeaux.  I found it to be still developing and gaining complexity and nuance.

I also had a nice conversation with Paul Barre owner of Chateau La Grave in Fronsac.  They have been practicing bio-dynamic viticulture since 1990. I asked him about the vinification of his wines.  ”We harvest everything by hand, no filtration, no fining and no oenologue.  We do laboratory analysis of the wines but we don’t have an oenlogist telling us how to make our wines.”   I also asked him if he learned about winemaking from his father.  ”My father was actually a wine broker in Bordeaux so I learned the more from trial an error.”  I enjoyed both of his 2005′s and found La Fleur Cailleau de Fronsac to have a great spicy nose, gripping tannins and lots for black cheery flavors.  His efforts have been recognized in the important French wine guides, Le Guide Hachette, Gault Millau.

Sidwalk Bordeaux Tasting at Caves Augé in Paris

Crus du Soleil translated means classified growths from the sun.  Of course, unlike Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace and even Provence where either vineyards or chateaux are classified, in the Languedoc-Roussillon no such system exists.  Even with the recognition that pioneering producers like Domaine du Dumas Gassac have given the region, up until 10 years ago, the very idea of a classification would have been laughed at.

Les Gros Rouge qui tache

This expression refers to the staining qualities of the rustic and tannic reds wines produced in the past. Destined for the masses, they were sometimes illegally blended with Algerian grapes to give better color to wines made from over-productive low quality varietals.  Grape growers of the era were more concerned with quantity in order to meet the then unlimited demand.  Times change.  The French are drinking less and the export market for these low quality indifferently made wines isn’t what it used to be.

Today, the Languedoc remains the world’s single biggest wine region but some producers who’s fathers and grandfathers once sold their grapes to the local cooperative are now making their own wines.  They have seized upon the untaped potential of very specific areas of the Languedoc-Rousillon where unique soils structures and hillside vineyards combine with favorable microclimates.  Here it’s possible to make wines that rival any in the world.

A cru system of sorts is also emerging.  Several smaller appellations like La Clape, Minervois, La Laviniere and Pic Saint Loup are being recognized for the high over-all quality of their producers.

Les Crus du Soleil, 146 Rue du Chateau Paris 75014,  Tél. : 01 45 39 78 99

Les Crus du Soleil