Page 183 - A Life - my Live - my path

My wine tours

We were often received by the vineyard manager, the
cellar master, the oenologist and sometimes the director. A
visit could last between 1h30 and 2 hours, sometimes 3
hours. We always had lots of questions, and as the trips
progressed, our group (around 10 people) became more
competent, and the questions became more pertinent and
precise.
Of course, all the producers made wine, but their techniques,
both for the vines (organic or not...) and for winemaking, could

be different, even sometimes contradictory (green harvesting,
reverse osmosis, quantity per hectare, types of treatment...).

Vines are always planted on poor, arid soils, with small or
large stones called "gravel".
The stones are heated by the sun during the day and release
heat to the vines at night. Depending on the type of soil, the
most suitable grape varieties need to be chosen.
• Clay-limestone soils: freshness and draining.
• Clay and gravel soils: merlot and cabernet franc.
• Limestone and marl soils: ideal for pinots noirs and
chardonnay.
• Chalk soils: wines with great finesse.
• Granite soils: expressive and mineral wines.

A vine's roots can reach a depth of 10 to 15 m to fetch the
water and trace elements essential for its growth.

European vines suffered severe damage in 1850. Oidium,

mildew and phylloxera virtually wiped them out. While the
first two could be fought with sulfur and copper sulphate,
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