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The Wine Therapist - A humbling lesson from Champagne |
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Today I’d like to tell you the story of my trip to France, more precisely to Champagne, a couple of years ago. I am giving it a different angle, passing to you the lesson which I treasure the most.
I was invited to visit Henri Giraud, the prestigious Champagne house founded in 1625 located in Ay, near Epernay. Claude and his wife Antoniette (who had invited me and other guests) are wonderful people and the most generous individuals I’ve ever met. We were a group of international buyers and wine lovers who experienced three days of in-depth study on Champagne, its origins and history. One of the highest points was to visit the Argonne Forest, the location where Claude picks the wood for his barrels. In this enchanted spot, we enjoyed a delicious lunch with generous servings of Champagne poured not from bottles but vintage magnums!
That same night, we dined with some of the most important winemakers from France. Each one brought several 3 liter bottle of their extraordinary wines which, together with a unique conviviality, made for a special paired dinner between a new group of friends. Although we all came from different countries, our shared love of great wine and food made this moment very intimate and special. Joining Claude was his winemaker Sebastien Le Golvet, Mr. Perrine of Chateau-Du-Beaucastel and Stephane Ogier from Rhone, a superstar of Cote-Rotie. Surprisingly, Sebastien reneged the skills needed to make great Champagne. Stephane, who is adored by Wine Spectator and a worldwide crowd and Perrine simply concurred. And I asked, “What? You guys are so famous. You’re the superstars of wine … “ to which Sebastien responded: “No! No! It’s the terroir and the soil, not us. The vineyard makes good Champagne.”
Considering that I’ve sold a few bottles for north of $500 each (and I’ve hidden a few as well), it was an astonishing revelation! It seems today that so many winemakers expect to be treated like superstars. I almost hope I could be listened by these new rich retirees that are buying a wine farm to say that they are ‘green”, they all make the same wine and then they resell their land for what is "green" for them. For me, this trip was a humbling lesson. Since 1625, this wonderful winemaking family has had an unwavering respect to their land and heritage and not to themselves.
Cheers and let’s raise our glass to them! #TheWineTherapist @WinebytheBay
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