Eugenia Keegan

I have often been asked what I love about France and I have tried to put my finger on it all these years (this love affair started when I was around thirteen or fourteen and my mother introduced me to Colette).  I usually say something about tradition, love of the good life or maybe a more relaxed life (with food, wine, home, and hearth being the heart of this) but this trip I have come closer to understanding a part of French life that is most endearing.  There is a human element that is foremost in this culture. Each and every encounter must include some kind of physical gesture, a moment of personal intimacy if you will.  The most ritualized of course is the kiss(es) to the cheek. Regardless of socio-economic level there must be some kind of physical acknowledgment.  When Baptiste arrives at the vineyard to check on the pick for the day he greets each and every member of the crew (and this can be 20-25) with a handshake or the traditional cheek peck depending on how well he knows them.  The ladies of course all receive the trois bises of local custom.

I loved the early arrival each morning á la cave.  The feel was often early Autumn, sometimes late summer.  I started the work day with a round of bises that required one to seek out their work mates and in my case each of the “boys” in the cellar/vineyard, Baptiste, his father Alain, my co-worker Michel, Ahmed, etc. etc.   Three kisses is the tradition of southern Rhône, two in some areas and I found out that it is FOUR kisses for the Parisians……Michel is a Parisian!  The affectionate greeting sets a tone for the working relationship throughout the day.  I would love to try something like this in the states, but you can already see the mystified expression on everyone’s face!  Alors, one of the cultural idioms that must remain here at home in France.

Baptiste

Alain

Michel

Ahmed

Christian

Wow, what a week!  Although I have been away from my blog I have not been absent from work.  In fact I have been working like a petit chien (or dogette as I like to say).  On Tuesday morning I asked “my boss” for the morning off to visit my new friends Kristi and Jean Marc Espinasse of Domaine Rouge-Bleu (www.rouge-bleu.com).  Jean Marc comes from a well known winemaking family in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and four years ago was fortunate enough to buy a home and vineyard in Cairanne.  He had completed his harvest with the exception of his oldest grenache vineyard closest to the “river” (more of an old dried up river bed) with the greatest concentration of galet (the famous stones of the region).  He has given this site the sobriquet of “Lunatic”.  I managed to arrive finally….a bit late as I actually got lost leaving the town of Courtézon which should be impossible as there are only three streets.  But if anyone can get lost…….

JM was already picking along with Jeff Mitchell (who was kind enough to take the vineyard photos as I left my camera in the car) from Minneapolis.  Jeff fell in love with Rhône wines many years ago and for a 40^th birthday gift his wife gave him a trip to the area (hint, hint for those of you with wine loving spouses/partners).  One trip led to another and finally to the door of Domaine Rouge-Bleu.  JM and Kristi invite people from all over the world to help with the harvest and each year they host a motley crew of wine lovers who thrill at the experience.  Kristi, a talented writer, keeps everyone in fabulous food and good cheer (which you can read about and much much more on her blog , “French Word-A-Day, www.french-word-a-day.typepad.com).  After my short couple of hours of picking on a cool breezy (if the Mistral can be called “breezy”!?) morning we hiked back to the house for a lovely repast accompanied by the 2010 rosé.

Picking OVG at Domaine Rouge-Bleu

With Jean Marc Espinasse

Ready, Aim....

Shoot!

Our Hosts, Final Day of Harvest

Nothing is more French than the traditional Sunday family gathering.  At one time I am sure that the day started at church but like many cultures that custom is fading….but thankfully not the multi-course, slow, luxurious repast.  I was hugely flattered when Myriam, Dominique and Baptiste’s mother invited me to their weekly get-together.   We worked that morning, as after all it is harvest, but the afternoon was for leisure.   We started with the customary aperitif in the living room (with Formula 1 Racing on the Télé and Pastis for the boys).

The Aperitif Tray

An hour later we retired to the dining room for an absolutely fabulous meal.  A salad of frisée was lightly tossed with a delicate vinaigrette. Mme Grangeon made a perfect rabbit paté that was light and full of flavor.  Then onto Vitello Tonnato.  Her family is originally from Italy and there is clearly an affection for Italian food (OK, so who doesn’t have an affection for Italian food??????).  There was some vegetable dish that I am/was starting to forget….hmmm, I image that the wine was kicking in about then.  M Grangeon pulled out a selection of about twelve wines, Italian and French, that I was greedily allowed to choose from.

Then came the cheese course and more lovely wine.  Dessert and coffee followed.  I did not scrimp on the dessert, lovely cakes purchased by Dominique’s grand-mère (the elegant Grande Dame second from the right). I did wave off the coffee.  For me “leisure” translated to a very long nap.  I weaved my way home around 5:00 PM and found a very snuggy quilt waiting to wrap itself around me and fell into a much needed slumber. About 2 1/2 hours later I raised myself up, headed downstairs (Oh La La, wait until I do the post on Dominique’s house, it is incredible) for a glass of wine, a sentimental French movie and more “leisure”.  I must admit that I was SO full that I did not eat/need another bite the rest of that evening.

Monday morning seemed a lot easier after a day like this!

Après Dîner

First, I must laugh.  I mentioned in the last post about how quickly the first four days at work had flown by…..it happens that W/T/F makes three days!  Fast indeed!

Saturday arrived with the usual cellar tasks.  There are no weekends during harvest, just grapes, tending to fermentations, and clean up, clean up, clean up.  A great deal of the work during harvest is cleaning.  Everyday the equipment needs to be cleaned even if just one movement of grapes or wine goes through the system.  In my family I am known as “tiddy Iddy”…..I can’t imagine who Iddy was but she apparently liked to clean!  Others might call it anal.  In any case, it makes me a welcome addition to the cellar as I cannot leave a single berry floating around the cellar floor. We had a full Saturday with grapes to process, rackings, pump overs, etc.  Baptiste and I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon visiting the vineyards checking on maturity deciding what to pick this upcoming week.

One of Two Original Cristia Vineyards, 100 Year Old Vines

Limestone Rocks at Another Cristia Vineyard

TERROIR!

We closed down the cellar around 7:00 and as it was Saturday night certainly there is some entertainment available.  BUT, you will NEVER guess what we did.  First the photos, then the answer:

The Entrance to the Theatre Antique d'Orange

The Band Plays Under the Watchful Eye of JC

The Finale of the French Pink Floyd

We Left Under an Almost Full Moon, Tres Romantique!

YES, you read that correctly!  There is a French Pink Floyd.  This band does exclusively PF covers.  It was an incredible evening.  Nothing can top the absolutely incredible Théâtre Antique d’Orange.  Imagine that hundreds of years ago Romans were watching games in that same arena and sitting on those very seats.  Absolutely magical!  But this evening was VERY chilly as the temperature dropped to 12.5 degrees (around 54 degrees F) and the Mistral…..oh did she blow, and blow, and blow.  In fact, the band had to bring down their big speakers as they were swaying dangerously above the stage (the speakers, not the band!).  We rocked as if we were kids of the 70’s once again.  Quite the evening.  And once again, to bed after midnight!

Greetings….finally,  from Chateauneuf-du-pape!!  I did not think that it would take me this long to get set up here but the days have flown by.

The flights were completely ordinary (the way I like to fly) except for the one French man who seemed to have a disagreement with the flight attendant.  I know that we were all crossing our fingers that the flight did not get turned around OR even worse the FA decided to quit her job and jump out the escape hatch with a couple of beers.  Finally after he yelled, “leave me alone, go do your job”, everything seemed to settle down.  We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport about ten minutes late, which did not seem to be an issue….but, every trip needs a story or two.  The line for customs was wrapped around the airport almost a full circle and that chore took almost twenty minutes…OK, still no big deal.  Please remember I did have a train to catch, but I had one hour and twenty five minutes to make the train and the station is in the airport, not ten minutes away.  So, why did I miss my train??  My baggage did not arrive until 8:18….OVER ONE HOUR after landing.  I arrived at the train station at 8:26 missing the train by exactly five minutes.  And what really frosts me is that the train did not wait for me…..no consideration anymore.

I picked up the 11:43, which again was no real issue as I did not have too much of a schedule on the other end, but it was a tad expensive.  Naturally, I had bought my ticket online and got a pretty good deal…but, no refund, no change.  Grabbed a car at the Avignon TGV, and after two and half hours of parking and walking I charged my French phone in Avignon and then drove straight to Courthezon, the village where I am staying.  I was happily greeted by my host Dominique Grangeon, a member of the family who owns Domaine de Cristia.  It was late enough that getting settled and dinner were about the extent of the evening (that lasted past midnight).

Work started the next day at 8:00 sharp including a meeting with Baptiste, Dominique’s younger brother who is the winemaker AND the boss, and Gérald Lafont their consultant.  He works with the renowned Philippe Cambie who is the most noted consultant in Chateauneuf and now elsewhere in France.

It has been a few years since I was dragging hoses in the cellar.  Fortunately most of it came back quickly.  We are a small threesome for crush, the third being Michel.  Michel is a friend of Alain, father to Dominique and Baptiste (and third child Florent who I have yet to meet).  Michael reminds me so much of my dear dear friend Michael Hall (no longer with us).  Both are retired engineers who found a love of wine.  This is Michel’s first year working in the cellar and I can see that there will be some serious home winemaking in his future.  Michael Hall also fell in love with winemaking.  He and his wife Birgit had an incredible vineyard in Napa Valley next to the Shafer Hillside vineyard.  The grapes were sold to many noted Napa wineries but Michael would hold out a ton for his own use.  Frankly, a couple of his vintages rivaled anything selling for $50-100 from our friends in Napa.  Both men are quiet, thoughtful, wise, and have a fabulous shock of silver hair.  Although Baptiste is a youngster, I believe that he has the oldest cellar crew in the Southern Rhone (Michel is 72 and I am 57….a real change from the young beefcakes that often work crush).

I cannot believe that four days of cellar life have transpired.  I have been assigned delestage (rack and return) and remontage (pump overs), a minor blend or two and of course crushing vintage 2010.  We pulled in Vin de Pays, Vin de Pays Vieille Vignes, and Rasteau.  Next week Vacqueyras, Gigondas, and the prime vineyards from Chateauneuf.  Here is a brief pictorial of my first days:

Baptiste and Gerald busy at work

My Delightful Coworker Michel

The Crew Picking Vin de Pays

Ahmed, Vineyard Foreman for the Past Thirty Years

Ahmed & Eugenia Get Acquainted

The Vineyard at Rasteau

Well, that’s about it for now.  I need to get back to the party.  Dominique has invited friends in for Friday night and the First International Grenache Day.  The bubbles have been opened and a blind tasting of several grenache bottlings await us….along with a very tasty dinner (Dominique insists she cannot cook….but of course like most French women, she is a superb cuisinière!

My Lovely Host, Dominique with Our Repast