The Vines at Domaine du Fontenay

1st difference: my way

The great thing about being a wine producer is that you can really do your own thing. Most growers simply follow the traditional standard practices, but for those who find that this lacks appeal, there is enormous freedom to go your own way.

The basic rules for wine making in France are strictly laid down in the Appellation Contrôlée system. However, within that framework it is possible to be quite creative and produce a totally different quality of wine from the neighbour.

The following pages describe the way we work and show that attention to detail at all levels is fundamental to producing the best possible wine at the end of a year's work. That will also explain why we joined Terra Vitis.

A word on quality

« The very nature of wine producing in France makes it inevitable that for every gem there is a converse horror, whatever "appellation" it may boast. It must never be forgotten that the single most important factor in determining the quality of a wine is the ability of the wine maker. His fastidiousness in the vineyard and the winery, his understanding of the terroir and yields are ultimately more important than grape variety and origin. »

— Many thanks to Nigel at the Caves du Cochonnet, a U.K. wine merchant, for this gem.