Abbye de Valmagne: Languedoc's Homage To Wine by Philip S. Kampe

        
                                 

                                      Abbaye de Valmange: Languedoc’s Homage To Wine

Visiting Languedoc, in south central France, has always been an adventure that I dream about year round. One of the reasons that I love the region is that Languedoc's wine history is important to all of France. 

In a small village near Villeveyrac, Herault lies a former Benedictine monastery that has influenced the wine world for many centuries. Built in 1138, the monastery, now known as the ‘Abbaye de Valmagne’,  converted from a religious order into a wine cave.  Maturing wine in large barrels or vats was the only way of saving the order from destruction. 

On the large property is a vineyard that was originally established by the Cistercian monks in the 12^th century. Vines have been growing on the property ever since. Today, the vineyard covers 190 acres (75 hectares) , of which 75 acres (30 hectares) are classified AOC.

The property is an architectural treasure and easy to reach, as it lies in-between Beziers and Montpellier, only seven miles from the Mediterranean sea.

The property was close to destruction and was ingeniously saved from destruction by becoming a winery,  The large abbey was a perfect place to store the huge casks that store wine. Cool conditions exist, hence the storage and aging of wine was safe from external conditions.

As a guest at the Abbaye, I had the opportunity to meet the present owner, Philllippe d’Allaines and his lovely wife.  He explained to me that the abbey has been in his family since 1838 and wine growing, which saved the monastery, has been going on for eight centuries, with little interruption.

The families grape of choice is mouvedre, also known as monastrell, a grape known for its explosion of dark fruit, full-bodied, big and bold. Mr. d’Allaines explained that the grape is used primarily as a blending grape in his cuvees.

All of the abbeys wines were served at a gala event that I attended thanks to a trip with a group of journalists sponsored by Terroirs & Millesimes.

There were many wines to sample at the event, but, the wines from the Abbye de Valmagne were the ones that I focused on. It was hard to imagine that this huge abbey, 300 feet long and 100 feet wide was not a church. No seating, just a sandstone soil floor and massive vats of wine. It was a different kind of religious experience, at least for me. I closed my eyes and imagined centuries before-how, a brilliant idea of using the abbey as a wine storage facility saved the church from serving as a stone quarry, which is what happened to deserted churches hundreds of years ago.

This trip to the Abbye de Valmagne has altered my life in many ways. Since wine has been my life for many years, finding salvation in a church for refuge and the human spirit has always meant a lot to me-but, realizing that wine storage saved a church from destruction is the larger story for all of mankind.

Languedoc is a wonderful area to visit. It is France’s wine country.
The Abbye de Valmagne is a wonderful place to start your journey.
Once at the Abbye, you should realize how important and sacred wine is to the residents of Languedoc and the rest of the world.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com 


                                                          Abbye se Valmagne


                                     

                                                    Mr. & Mrs. Phillippe d'Allaines

      

Forget Everything-Your Favorite Wine For Seafood Should Be Picpoul de Pinet from Southern France by Philip S. Kampe and Maria Reveley

                                 Applellation President Guy Bascou Shares His Views


Picpoul de Pinet. A curious name for a grape and a wine and one that we should all know.

Once you know the Picpoul grape the south of France and near the seaside, you will understand why this appellation that stretches between Pezenas and Sete is so important to the wine world.

To the wine aficionado, Picpoul is the Muscadet of the south. Similar in the sense that the grape is floral, lemony fresh, acidic and full of minerality.

Originally, Picpoul was used in blends, but, wine drinkers and winemakers have discovered its bright acidity, saline characteristics, crisp minerality and appeal to pair with seafood as a perfect reason to bottle this unique grape on its own.

Southern France is home to oysters and mussels, a perfect match for Picpoul, as you can see from the photos. After talking to locals about Picpoul, I realized that they recite what Picpoul de Pinet is to the locals. They call it, ‘Son terroir, c’est la mer’, translated means,’Its terroir is the sea.’

The Picpoul grape is grown in southern France and in Rhone for Chateauneuf de Pape, where the grape is permitted in the blend.

The Picpoul guru is Guy Bascou, president of the appellation who was our tour guide during our visit. He said that the closeness to the ocean keeps the moisture high enough to guide the grape through its vinification process. He emphasized that the maturity of the grape is here because the heir apparent has chosen to follow in their parents footsteps. Bascou mentioned that the grape ripens late and is perfect for the probable climate change in the future. He said that Picpoul retains acid and will be the grape for global change, if that happens sooner than later.

It is also the grape that pairs perfectly with oysters. Many of the vineyards overlook the Etang de Thau, an oyster bed where close to 90% of France’s oysters are harvested.

At the Picpoul winemakers event that I attended (see photos), I’m sure that I had ten dozen oysters paired with a dozen local wines-all Picpol de Pinet. The combination plus the versatility of the hosts made this an event that one will remember for their lifetime. Add wild mussels and homemade sausage to the menu with Picpoul de Pinet and you will quickly realize that there is nothing better for the palate. The local winemakers for AOP Picpoul de Pinet, our hosts, called the dish, Mouclade, a name I will never forget.

This once in a lifetime experience was made possible by Terroirs & Millesimes, organized by CIVL, the Inter-professional Committee for Languedoc and Sud de France.

I am part French, grew up in New Orleans and have deep seafood roots- I must admit that this Picpoul and oyster/mussel experience out shadowed any other seafood/wine experiences that I have had in my life.

There are many producers who export Picpoul de Pinet. The UK seems to buy a third of their exports, but, there is a lot of room for the U.S. to jump aboard. Ask your wine merchant for Picpoul de Pinet. It is a wine that should be on your radar-especially if you enjoy seafood the way I do.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com