Farewell Aimé Guibert (Mas de Daumas Gassac) – a giant of the new Languedoc

Very sad news that Aimé Guibert founder of Mas de Daumas Gassac died last night aged 91. 

Aimé was one of the giants of the new Languedoc. It was the Mas de Daumas Gassac reds in the 1980s that caught the attention of writers like Hugh Johnson and Michael Broadbent MW bringing the changes underway in the Midi to the media's attention.

I saw Sylvain Fadat of Domaine d'Aupilhac at RAW this morning, who gave me the news. Sylvain stressed what a huge contribution Aimé had made to shaping the Languedoc that we now know.

My thoughts and condolences to Aimé's family and friends. 

Ken Payton: Les Terroiristes du Languedoc – world première

Ready to start the screening

Ken Payton's second film is two hours and 20 minutes long and features 12 'pioneer' producers from Languedoc. It had its world première at the Diagonal cinema in Montpellier last evening.

Les douze vignerons qui figurent dans ce film documentaire sont :

John & Nicole Bojanowski (Le Clos du Gravillas, à St-Jean-de-Minervois)
John & Liz Bowen (Domaine Sainte Croix, à Fraïssé-Corbières)
Emmanuel Pageot & Karen Turner (Domaine Turner Pageot, à Gabian)
Virgile Joly (Domaine Virgile Joly, à Saint-Saturnin)
Cyril Bourgne (Domaine La Madura, à Saint-Chinian)
Brigitte Chevalier (Domaine de Cébène, à Caussiniojouls)
André Leenhardt (Château de Cazeneuve, à Lauret)
François Delhon (Domaine Bassac, à Puissalicon)
Eric & Vianney Fabre (Château d'Anglès, à St-Pierre-laMer)
Frédéric & Marie Chauffray (La Réserve d'O, à Arboras)
Jean-Pierre Vanel (Lacroix-Vanel, à Caux)

Each in turn has their 10 minutes of fame in front of Ken's lens talking about their philosophy of wine, why they chose the Languedoc, why they have chosen organic viticulture or in a few cases why they haven't. This part of the film was shot in the spring of 2012. In the film's last section, filmed during the vintage, each of the 12 vignerons give a short summary of how the 2012 harvest has been for them. Fortunately for both the producers and Ken's film 2012 in the Languedoc was a less difficult vintage than it was in many other parts of France. 

In the grand tradition of southern France the première started at 8.15 and not 7.45 as advertised.    

 

Ken Payton before the screening – just a slight whiff of anxiety? 

 

Part of the audience including Virgile Joly

 Jacques Gravegeal, long time president of the Pays d’Oc  

The loneliness of the long distance photographer!

Ken keen to get a last shot for the film ...!

Ken Payton: Les Terroiristes du Languedoc – global preview in Montpellier

Ken Payton

The preview will be on the evening of 27th January in Montpellier. Millésimé Bio, the organic wine fair, opens the next day. I'm looking forward to going back as last year's edition was very good.

Press release with details of the film and the preview:

'After making his first feature-length film in 2010, American film-maker Ken Payton has turned his attention to the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon.

In 2012 he made a documentary – Les Terroiristes du Languedoc - about this dynamic region, the enormous diversity and potential of its terroirs, and 12 of its pioneering producers.

The film will be premiered in Montpellier (Languedoc's capital city), at 7.45pm on Sunday January 27, 2013, at the Diagonal cinema (5, rue de Verdun, 34000 Montpellier), followed by a tasting with the 12 winegrower-stars.

After visiting Languedoc in 2011 and early 2012, Ken selected twelve winemakers and their vineyards to feature in his film. They are from a broad range of areas across the region and they farm their grapes on multiple terroirs, using a variety of methods and practices. He filmed them in May, during budbreak, and in September, during the harvest.

The focus of the documentary is the region's diverse terroirs; its viticultural methods (including organic, biodynamic, and sustainable); winemaking innovations; the economic realities of wine growing; and the highly-committed producers who have chosen to make wine here.

André Lennhardt, Château de Cazeneuve, Pic St Loup

The twelve winegrowers featured in the film are:
John & Nicole Bojanowski (Le Clos du Gravillas, in St Jean de Minervois)

John & Liz Bowen (Domaine Sainte Croix, in Fraïssé-Corbières)

Emmanuel Pageot & Karen Turner (Domaine Turner Pageot, in Gabian)

Virgile Joly (Domaine Virgile Joly, in Saint Saturnin)

Cyril Bourgne (Domaine La Madura, in Saint Chinian)

Brigitte Chevalier (Domaine de Cébène, in Caussiniojouls)

André Leenhardt (Château de Cazeneuve, in Lauret)

François Delhon (Domaine Bassac, in Puissalicon)

Eric & Vianney Fabre (Château d'Anglès, in St Pierre la Mer)

Frédéric & Marie Chauffray (La Réserve d'O, in Arboras)

Jean-Pierre Vanel (Lacroix-Vanel, in Caux)

Thierry Rodriquez (Prieuré de St Sever/Mas Gabinèle, in Causse et Veyran)

Says Ken Payton: “The over-arching objective of my film Les Terroiristes du Languedoc is to entertain, educate and inform an international audience of wine lovers, educators and influencers about the new reality of Languedoc-Roussillon: this is a region of innovation, creativity and wines of exceptionally high quality, born out of an unrivalled diversity of terroirs and wine growing methods, enhanced by strong environmental stewardship.”

Les Terroiristes du Languedoc will be available on DVD and online in 2013. A Facebook page facebook.com/LesTerroiristesDuLanguedoc shows some of the behind-the-scenes shots taken during filming. 

For further information, contact:
Louise Hurren
06 17 66 02 53
louisehurren@wanadoo.fr

Ken in Vienna October 2010@EWBC

The making of "Les Terroiristes du Languedoc" was assisted by the Conseil Régional du Languedoc-Roussillon (Sud de France), the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL), the Interprofession des vins Pays d'Oc IGP (Inter Oc), the Conseil Général de l'Hérault, and the Conseil Général de l'Aude. Ken Payton is most grateful to his sponsors. 

About Ken Payton

Ken Payton is a wine writer and filmmaker based in Northern California. After working for more than 10 years in the California film industry, and spending five years in a winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, he turned his attention to wine writing in 2005 with a special focus on cultural and scientific matters. His blog www.reignofterroir.com gives an insight into his work over the last few years.

Ken shot his first feature-length (100 minutes) documentary, Mother Vine, in Portugal in 2010. A second documentary followed: Azores, From Lava To Wine.

Both films dealt with the changing wine culture in mainland Portugal and the Azores. Generational succession, endangered grape varieties and vineyards, and international marketing were examined. 

Mother Vine has been shown at a number of events wine and film festivals in 2011 (Santa Rosa International Film Festival, New York Wine Salon, Wines of Portugal tasting in Washington D.C., Travessia Winery, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Festival Amadis du Film (Fest'AFilm), Montpellier, and in 2012 it won two prizes* at the Oenovidéo International Grape and Wine Film Festival.'

Pierre Clavel: the listening vigneron – truly natural! Bouche à l'oreille...!

Pierre Clavel demonstrating @Millésime Bio 12 how essential it is for a winemaker to listen closely to what his wine is telling him

It is obvious that any producer intent on making truly natural or authentic wine must listen closely to what their wine tells them as Pierre Clavel of Domaine Clavel in Languedoc shows here today on the last day of Millesimé Bio 2012.

For this a standard ISO glass is perfectly shaped to fit most people's ears – certainly far better suited than a large Riedel glass that won't trap the delicate frequencies that wine, particularly natural wines, use to communicate when they want the winemaker to intervene or not.

Close up of Pierre listening with due attention to his wine