Portrait of Jean-Yves Bardin, Photographer of winemakers

The books Anjou Untamed and Grappes de Haikus , both by photographer Jean-Yves Bardin, have been nominated for the upcoming Gourmands Awards. Anjou Untamed won the award for Best French Book in the Best Special Awards Wine category. Grappes de Haikus won the award for Best French Book in the Best Digital – Institutions Brochures category.

These two books dedicated to photography will represent France for the "Best in the World" awards in Yantai, China in May 2017.

This is an opportunity for us to discover the work of this photographer of winemakers who received the "Best in the World" award in 2015 for the book "Vignerons d'Anjou". Jean-Yves Bardin brings wine culture to international attention and thus piques our interest.

The man of the land and wines

Jean-Yves Bardin lives in Angers: his creations seem to stem from there. A professional photographer since 2011, he has since focused on the work of Anjou's winemakers. His work attempts to capture the "animal" of the region that inspires him through three themes that form a trilogy: earth, man, and sky. This trilogy represents the faces of the winemakers, the fantastical bestiary of the vines, and the spirit of the wine. The vineyard appears as a whole world, and Jean-Yves Bardin captures its authenticity through photography. In this way, he invites us into the heart of the vineyards and the world of winemaking.

The photographer of the winemakers

The first part of Jean-Yves Bardin's photographic work is the book " Vignerons d'Anjou - Gueules de vignerons" (Winegrowers of Anjou - Faces of Winegrowers ), published by Anovi in ​​2014. It is a series of portraits celebrating the work of men and women dedicated to wine, striving to create a quality product. The central idea is that Anjou wine is authentic because it is the fruit of the labor and passion of its winemakers. This book was a resounding success, winning the award for best French wine book in the world at the 20th edition of the "Gourmand Awards" international festival in Yantai, China, in 2015. The distinctive feature of these photographs is that they capture the winemakers in action, at work, which lends them a striking authenticity. Jean-Yves Bardin invites us into the world of winemaking, revealing the roots and terroir of Anjou.

This same profoundly human concern is found in "Anjou Untamed" (Wild Anjou, Untamed Anjou), published in 2016. Here, the photographer focuses on winemakers working biodynamically , producing organic or natural wine. The portraits capture the work and passion of these winemakers who champion their values ​​within their terroirs. Indeed, "Anjou Untamed" comprises 48 portraits of winemakers from Anjou and Saumur, all dedicated to sustainable viticulture. The work's originality lies in the fact that the photographs are accompanied by an illustrated map of Maine-et-Loire, indicating the location of each winemaker, as well as a selection of their "favorite wines." The experience is thus made more tangible, allowing the reader to truly enter this world through the artwork.

Jean-Yves Bardin took his creative work a step further in 2016 with "Grappes de Haïkus" (Grapes of Haiku). This is the first trilingual (French, English, Japanese) haiku collection dedicated to the world of wine. The haiku of Annick Dandeville, Vice-President of Haïkouest and President of La Taverne aux Poètes (The Poets' Tavern), and those of Patrick Gillet, author of Miroir de Loire (Mirror of the Loire, 2014) and Haïku et spiritualité (Haiku and Spirituality , 2016), are illustrated by the photographer of winemakers. He departs from portraiture to offer striking landscapes that perfectly complement the haiku. The celebration of this wine-growing world is always conveyed through photographs. This time, Jean-Yves Bardin takes us on a journey through the vineyards.

The photographic journey

Jean-Yves Bardin's work focuses primarily on photographing the world of wine. His career can be traced through the various photographic exhibitions in which he has participated:

He began his career in 2013 with the Terroirs d'images International Exhibition in Carcassonne. He then participated in increasingly prestigious exhibitions: for example, in 2015 he exhibited at the Crédit Municipal gallery in Paris with "Du vin et des hommes" (Wine and Men) before participating in and winning first prize at the Gourmand Awards International in Yantai in 2015. Since then, he has exhibited in prestigious venues such as the cellars of the Louvre in Paris in 2016.

The prizes received

Jean-Yves Bardin is recognized for his work as a photographer of wine, about wine.

Indeed, he was celebrated in 2012 by receiving the Coup de cœur Award from the Bourse du talent in the portrait category.

Then in 2013 he won the professional category at the International Biennial of Vine and Wine Photography.

His crowning achievement came in June 2015 when he received the Best in the World award for his book "Vignerons d'Anjou" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Yantai, China. He won in the category of best French wine book!

The Gourmand World Cookbook Award is a prestigious festival that annually awards prizes to the best books in the world on the themes of gastronomy and drinks.

This year he is also nominated for the Gourmand Awards with the works Anjou Untamed and Grappes de Haïku.

Marie Lecrosnier-Wittkowsky for Les Grappes