"I Advocate for Rare and Forgotten Grape Varieties"

Updated on December 14, 2022

Personal Journal #2: I was the epitome of the overbooked city girl. I left the TV studio to become a winemaker: a life-changing decision.

I don't regret taking the plunge!

Marc and Laetitia

Enthusiasm, sure, but also a good dose of stress, a touch of fatigue, a hint of burnout… In short, the archetype of the overbooked city girl. That’s what you would have thought if you’d run into me a few years ago!

The enthusiasm is still there. As for the rest, my life changed last year when I decided to take over the family winery in the Southern Alps. I might as well tell you right away: I don’t regret taking the plunge!

This estate comprises eleven hectares of vineyards and has one unique feature: growing on our hillsides is a rare and forgotten grape variety from the Alpine Arc: the Mollard (literally “little hill” or “little mountain”). My father fought for 15 years, with the help of the French Vine Institute, to revive it.

Mollard is the iconic red grape variety of the Hautes-Alpes

Mollard is the iconic red grape variety of the Hautes-Alpes. It is an integral part of the history of viticulture in our valleys. It is well-suited to high altitudes and mountainous terroir. The wines produced from it are light and fruity reds with an alcohol content not exceeding 12%. Their color is a deep ruby. Their aroma, spicy and slightly peppery, is characteristic of the variety.

However, in the 1980s, many winemakers decided to uproot it and replace it with international grape varieties such as Cabernet or Syrah in order to appeal to a wider range of consumers.

Some plots of Mollard still remain in the Hautes-Alpes, but due to a lack of replanting, their health is deteriorating and the variety is now at risk of disappearing

In the early 1990s, recognizing the potential of this grape variety and committed to preserving biodiversity, my father, Marc, embarked on an experiment to save the Mollard. He was a pioneer at the time, and few winemakers believed he would succeed!

He patiently selects the healthiest and most vigorous vines from the high-altitude vineyard. After 10 years of research, two of these vines are finally chosen to be preserved and propagated in order to revive the production of Mollard. In the early 2000s, a “mother vine” is planted and tended by the Allemand estate.

It's a long and costly process

It was a long and costly journey, but Marc’s efforts eventually paid off. In 2005, Le Mollard was officially added to the French catalog of grape varieties. A well-deserved reward for the winemaker and the institutions that supported him!

This preservation work has made me realize just how incredibly rich our terroirs are… All across France, winemakers are fighting to preserve the diversity of aromas and flavors in the face of standardization and the homogenization of tastes!

Find my wines on Les Grappes

Laetitia Allemand, winemaker at Domaine Allemand