Jim's Loire

Concentrating mainly but not exclusively on the Loire's vineyards, its vignerons and their wines along with places to eat and stay. Also covers some recently published wine books – not just from Loire. Regional Chair for Loire @Decanter's World Wine Awards since its inception. Winner of the 2009 Wine Blog Trophy (journalist category) Salon des Vins de Loire. I have a large and expanding library of photos, particularly from the Loire – places, producers, vineyards etc. European.

Thursday, 11 April 2013

The importance of terroir in Champagne . . . .

From a vineyard near Epernay

8 comments:

Angela Reddin said...: Jim, not that I would ever doubt your photos, but please are they still dumping raw rubbish? I thought that had stopped years ago or is this stuff resurfacing after ploughing or something?; 11 April 2013 at 22:34
Angela Reddin said...: Jim. not that I would ever doubt your photos but ... are they still dumping raw city rubbish in the vineyards? I thought that had been outlawed, or at least stopped years ago?; 11 April 2013 at 22:36
Jim's Loire said...: Angela. I'm really not sure. We stayed overnight in Dizy and I had time to wander out into a nearby vineyard and there was the plastic. I understand it has long been banned, so perhaps you can see the long term effects of the bags.; 11 April 2013 at 22:46
Anonymous said...: mmm... biodiversity.; 12 April 2013 at 05:54
Jennifer Fluteau said...: Hello Jim - Although it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, it would appear that you are more or less insinuating that ALL of champagne is one big dumping ground...this seems to me a very unfortunate generalization. I have been living and working with my husband's 75 year old family champagne winery in the Aube, and in the 25 years since I have been here, I have never once seen anyone use the infamous Paris rubbish which was sold as some kind of fertilizer (from what I've been told) AND if you came to our vineyards (9 hectares) you would not see one single bit of garbage, even if you dug a meter deep !
PS. As vice president of the Champagne Independant Winegrowers conventio, I thank you for participating in our conference, although unfortunately I was absent on Friday and thus missed your talk.; 13 April 2013 at 17:27
Jim's Loire said...: Jennifer. Thank for your message and sorry not to have met you. I'm not insinuating that all Champagne is like this. However, I had just time to step out from my hotel in Dizy and photographed what I saw.; 13 April 2013 at 20:00
Jennifer Fluteau said...: Did you not see anything else? When I drove up from the Aube on Wednesday the 10th, I saw a myriad of little white trucks in the vineyards, winegrowers stooped over their vines, finishing up the pruning, bending and tying the canes....backbreaking work to say the least. How sad to have only focused on what's negative !; 14 April 2013 at 11:07
Jim's Loire said...: Thanks Jennifer. I report on what I find whether it is good or bad news – positive or negative. There are plenty of people employed to provide good news stories for Champagne.

As I explained I had a brief time to walk out into the vineyard by my hotel late last Wednesday afternoon. I wasn't looking for the blue pieces of plastic but they were there so I took a photograph of them along with a few other views that grey afternoon before it started raining and I headed back in.; 15 April 2013 at 11:43

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Unless otherwise stated all photos on this site are copyrighted – Jim Budd. They should not be used without authorisation and due credit. Please contact me on budmac@btinternet.com for all use. There will usually be a charge for use in commercial publications – papers, magazines, websites etc. and for other commercial uses. Photos that are used for commercial use without permission will be charged double – the fee for the use of photo and for breach of copyright. Commercial organisations asking to use photos for no payment may not always receive a polite response.

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