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VINS DE FRANCE
– INNOVATION –
DOMAINE DE L’ERMITAGE:
MENETOU-SALON GEMS
Laurence de la Farge has a major connection with the
Menetou-Salon appellation. Her father, Bernard Clément,
was one of the founders of the Appellation d’Origine
Contrôlée in 1959. In 2003, with Géraud de la Farge, she
created Domaine de l’Ermitage. She was joined on this
9-hectare vineyard, 7 of them planted to Sauvignon and
2 to Pinot Noir, by her son Antoine. “The reason I am
winegrower today is because of my grandfather who has
always shared his passion for growing wine with me”,
recounts Antoine. “We produce pleasurable, gratifying
wines that illustrate the terroir of each appellation and
show distinctive finesse and freshness. In a niche wine
region with rare wines offering good value for money,
the key is quality and food pairing possibilities that
run the gamut. Here, Vins de France have found their
audience”. Exports generate 25% of revenue and are
growing on the back of new markets.
Madeleine, vineyard supervisor at Domaine de l’Ermitage
PAQUET-MONTAGNAC:
BEAUTIFULLY EXPRESSIVE
Mathieu Paquet has complete control over his wines and
likes to convey the history of a region and vineyard sites
but also of encounters with others and shared pleasures.
His trading company, Paquet Montagnac, distributes a
wide range of Burgundy, Beaujolais, Rhone Valley and
Provence wines, as well as Vins de France. “These are
expressive, accessible and ready to drink wines with nice
freshness”, stresses Paquet. “Our objective is to promote
the Burgundy grape varieties, Pinot and Chardonnay, by
offering affordable prices as well as sizeable volumes for
foreign markets”. The strategy has been highly successful,
and with 98% of sales in export markets, the brand has
now secured global recognition
REVOLUTIONISING CONVENTIONAL CUES
It took a long time to overcome the image of entry-level
table wine, particularly in France, but that page has now
been turned. Admittedly, some consumers seek out the
authenticity of estate-grown wines when buying French,
and often an appellation is a bonus. But swelling ranks
of consumers are convinced that they can find real gems
elsewhere and for them, the Vin de France category is no
longer viewed as a basic category but as a complementary
Antoine de la Farge in his vineyards at Domaine de
l’Ermitage
WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 43