Traditional methods: a new update

For almost a decade now, winemakers have wanted to return to more traditional methods to produce better wines and promote biodynamics. From harvesting to bottling, there are now many revived processes that had disappeared for a very long time.

Returning to the earth

Due to certain studies concerning pesticides that are far too present in our wines, many winemakers prefer to switch to sustainable or organic farming. From manual harvesting to select only the best grapes to fermenting wine in amphorae, it is now essential for some to avoid so-called technological wines and favor the true nectar from the earth.

To avoid the use of pesticides and for better vine growth, some winemakers do not hesitate to use wild animals: sheep or cows to graze weeds and allow the plant to develop better.

Return to ancestral methods

Like Georgians, new generations of winemakers are investing in terracotta jars or amphorae to vinify their wine. The aim is to rediscover the true taste of wine by replacing the famous oak barrels with these ancient tools dating back to our ancestors. It is important to know that oak provides a set of woody aromas that some winemakers no longer want to find in their wine. Moreover, amphorae or jars are tools dating from antiquity that have proven their worth for thousands of years. What is a cellar full of terracotta jars? A return to ancestral methods!

The horse is back at a gallop

You are surely familiar with horse plowing, aren't you? The use of the animal rather than the machine offers great precision in work. Indeed, each vine stock is individualized, and the soil is much less damaged by the horse's load compared to the weight of the machine. The vibrations of the machine are very bad for the soil (they de-structure it), and the horse allows for complete weeding even between the vine stocks. If you observe the vineyard at work, isn't it more authentic to see a horse crossing the field aided by the winemaker? Moreover, it is much quieter!

It is interesting to observe the evolution of wine and vine production thanks to older but equally effective tools for making great wines!

Guenaelle de Beauregard for Les Grappes

Pourquoi nous faire confiance ?

Depuis 2014, chez Les Grappes, nous partons à la rencontre de vignerons passionnés partout en France pour dénicher des vins authentiques, vivants et pleins d'histoire. En travaillant directement avec plus de 500 vignerons, nous sélectionnons des cuvées que nous aimons vraiment et que nous avons envie de vous faire découvrir.

Ce blog est le prolongement de cette aventure. On y partage nos découvertes, nos conseils, nos coups de cœur, nos meilleurs accords mets-vins, des idées de dégustation et tout ce qui nous anime au quotidien autour du vin.

L'objectif est simple : vous aider à choisir des bouteilles qui vous ressemblent et à prendre encore plus de plaisir à les déguster.