Vincent Grall: vintage in Sancerre’s streets

(8 October 2008)

Boxes of pomace: the leftovers from the press –

can be used to make marc or grappa

Early Wednesday morning we stopped by Sancerre’s true garagiste – Vincent Grall, who really does make wine in his garage or where the family car would be kept if the space wasn’t full of wine-making equipment. Vincent and his small team were processing Sauvignon Blanc picked very early that morning in his Le Manoir vineyard. Vincent said that he was happy with the vintage, although the fruit from Le Manoir showed a little more signs of rot than I had previously seen. Perhaps the clay soil means that there is more moisture around, so more prone to rot. “The grapes have 14% potential with 4.91 gms of acidity but the yields is only 25 hl/ha.”

Vincent sorting his grapes in his garage

Vincent has a report and pictures of his 2008 harvest on his website: www.grall-vigneron-sancerre.com In the English version you’ll find it ‘from the vine…to the wine’ section; in the French version – de la vigne ….au vin.

Picking boxes on the pavement