Salon des Vins de Loire 2012: pics from Bergerie, Ogereau, Pierre-Bise tasting

 Chilly, snowy scenes at Domaine de la Bergerie: 4.2.12  (above and below)

Old vine Chenin Blanc@La Bergerie: over 100 years old (above and below)

Old vine Chenin: an example of provinage

 Vincent Ogereau (above and below)

Claude Papin (Château Pierre-Bise)

Yves Guégniard  (Domaine de la Bergerie) 

 Joëlle Papin@La Table de la Bergerie

Marie-Yannick Guégniard@la Table de la Bergerie

Crémant de Loire rosé: Domaine de la Bergerie

 Langoustine with pied de la porc: brilliant dish from David Guitton@La Table de la Bergerie 

La Bergerie – la table

We dropped into Domaine de la Bergerie in Champs-sur-Layon this morning to pick up wine from Yves and Marie-Annick Guégniard for the Trois Vedettes du Layon tasting in London next week. This gave us a chance to have a quick look at la table – the new winery restaurant that opened on 11th February, although sadly we weren't able to stay onto the evening to have a meal there.

Fine dining at a winery is now commonplace in many parts of the wine world like Australia, California, New Zealand and South Africa. It is, however, rare in France and particularly rare in the Loire.  

I guess it is not surprising that France is apparently behind a number of other countries is the world as far as a more complete wine tourism package is concerned. This is partly I guess because of the  dead hand of the Loi Evin and the promotion of wine, partly due to differing traditions of how to welcome visitors to wine regions but also due to the number of restaurants in wine areas. Understandably wine producers don't want to be in competition with local restaurants by opening their own establishments, especially if they also sell their to these restaurants 

 David Guitton (left) and his maître d'@la table

There is, however, little chance that La Bergerie - la table is going to upset any local restaurants as they are few places to eat in this part of the Layon and even fewer that have the same ambitions. The chef-owner is David Guitton, the husband of Anne, the daughter of Yves and Marie-Annick. David has a considerably pedigree having worked for Alain Ducasse in London and Monaco as well as for Joël  Robuchon. Anne has returned to begin to take over the running of the domaine from her parents.

There is a short menu, which changes every month. Three courses cost 28€, while adding cheese makes it 33€ or you can go for 'cinq plats en dégustation mets et vins for 60€. Naturally the wine list centres on wines from Domaine de la Bergerie both by the glass and by the bottle. They will shortly be featuring the Grand Beaupréau Savennières from all three producers involved in the project – Claude Papin and Vincent Ogereau as well as Yves. In addition there are couple of wines from Thierry Michon (Domaine St Nicolas, Fief Vendéen), Champalou's Le Portail (Vouvray), a Collioure from La Tour Vieille and a Cairanne from Domaine Richaud.

Until mid-September the restaurant is only open in the evening but from the middle of this month it will be open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday and open for Sunday lunch.

La Bergerie 

49380 Champ-sur-Layon
Tel: 02.41.78.30.62

Domaine de la Bergerie