Bourgueil: promotions including a series of open days

Jacques Puisais and the 1996 Bourgueil@Livre et du Vin

As Bourgueil has now broken away from Interloire they need to find new ways of promoting their appellation and their wines. At the beginning of April they appointed Guillaume Lapaque as the director of Vins de Bourgueil. They also negotiated an association with last weekend's Livre et Vin but unfortunately the deal was brokered too late to have a significant presence there on the day. Philippe Bouchard says the Bourgueil producers will be there in greater force next year. 

They did at lunch, however, provide the fine 1996 Domaine de la Noiraie with its attractive mature fruit showing well now and likely to last a while longer but unlikely to improve further. Jacques Puisais was pressed into action to provide a commentary on this Bourgueil, made in the same year as the first edition of Livre et Vin. Unfortunately it was a far from easy task to capture the attention of more than 200 people busy chatting and enjoying the oysters, asparagus etc.  

Abel Osorio of Nau Frères

Many of the Bourgueil producers have organised a rota of open days, so that for much of the year there is at least one estate opening its cellar over a weekend. This coming weekend there is  a wide choice. Open days at: (Friday 6th May – Monday 9th May Nau Frères at 52 Rue de Touraine, Ingrandes de Touraine. Also in Ingrandes Domaine Régis Mureau at 16 Rue d'Anjou is open Friday through to Sunday and Domaine des Ouches (Thomas and Denis Gambier) on Saturday and Sunday.

In Bourgueil itself Domaine des Geslets are also open Friday-Sunday. Then in Benais Domaine les Pins (Pitault Landry et Fils) on Friday and Saturday, while in Restigné Domaine de la Closerie (Jean-François Mabileau) will be open on Saturday.

Telephone Vins de Bourgueil (02.47.97.92.20) for details of open days on other weekends or download the booklet here.