Gently brushing the emerging leaves on the vines, Daniel Mondon explains: “You see, it’s mixed, there’s Gamay, and there’s something forbidden. At least fifteen varieties including seven kinds of hybrids”. We are on a plot of this winegrower at a place called Les Ourties, commune of Boisset-Saint-Priest. Here, no intensive viticulture, rather passionate viticulture. “Before, almost all the houses made wine in Boisset” recalls the latter. And in particular wine from grape varieties that no one, except the insiders of course, knows: Seibel, Rayon d’Or, Jacquez, Noah, Couderc.
“No chemical treatment”
But why cultivate these forgotten, even forbidden grape varieties, these “peasant wines” as they say. “They deserve our attention,” says Daniel Mondon. “Certainly there are very good things and others not so good, I recognize that, but there are great discoveries to be made. And then, some are resistant to diseases, climatic hazards and do not require any chemical treatment”.
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In recent years, many young winegrowers have even taken a very close interest in them and want to rehabilitate them, particularly in the Cévennes where they grow Clinton, Herbemont, Othello, some of which had been accused of “driving you crazy”. . But also in the Forez.
On the slopes of Boisset-Saint-Priest, the “rebellious” spirit and the desire to rehabilitate these banned wines are not lacking in followers to the point of launching a “European first”, a rebellious wine fair. Scheduled for 2020, and canceled due to the Covid, the show will take place this year. “It’s the start of something” does not hesitate to say Mayor André Gay. Winegrowers from all over France, but also Belgians and Italians are expected in Boisset.
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Objective stated by the organizers: “to celebrate these wines, and rehabilitate their taste qualities, and welcome winegrowers who, despite threats of fines, have chosen to resist the legislation by continuing to plant these prohibited grape varieties”. For three days, the general public (the organizers expect five thousand people) has a great opportunity to discover an unknown side of viticulture and to taste these forgotten wines.
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Why prohibited?
The arrival of certain grape varieties has its origins in the phylloxera crisis, an insect that almost completely destroyed French vineyards between 1865 and 1885. The vineyard then survived thanks to crosses between European and American vines, which were more resistant. Thus were born the first hybrids. From 1935, the French legislation will harden.
Various reasons are put forward: overproduction, wines loaded with too much methanol which is bad for your health, “piquette”. The freedom to plant them disappeared in the 1950s; categories are created: prohibited, tolerated, authorized, recommended.
If the overproduction was real, the lobbying of the major appellation regions, defined as having to be the prestige of viticulture, which saw this competition with a dim view, but also the advent of phytosanitary products after the war, weighed heavily . Six hybrid grape varieties are still prohibited in professional viticulture, some are tolerated.
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Landmarks
The program
The event takes place under tents at Le Gachet stadium.
> Friday 6 May: “Food/wine” pairing meal (upon reservation),
> Saturday 7 May: from 9 a.m. a wine competition (by invitation only)
10 a.m.: opening of the wine fair (5 euros entry, one glass offered) and a farmers’ market.
A 10 heures and 15 heures: projection of the film “Wine Prohibited”.
There will also be theater on Saturdays at 3 p.m. with “Les Matru’Grols faire notre show” (theater for children and in the evening at 9 p.m. with “Bienvenue chez les Keufs” by the troupe Les Grol’ries des Ayasses and meal tartifourme ham from 7 p.m.).
> Sunday 8 May: cabbage soup, continuation of the wine fair and farmers’ market.
Practical information and reservations: Loire-Forez tourist office 04.77.96.08.69. or 04.77.24.00.15. or [email protected]
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