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Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:47 am
by Tim York
This is breaking news in the French press and Wine Doctor already has a brief report on it http://www.thewinedoctor.com/blog/2013/ ... ve-damage/ .

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:53 am
by Dale Williams
Pretty terrible, especially in light of tiny 2012 harvest/.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:45 pm
by Rahsaan
Brutal. 100% crop loss for Pinon. Brutal.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:11 pm
by Fredrik L
And in an area where most do not have any economical margins to speak of...

As Rahsaan said, brutal.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:25 pm
by Tim York
Update from Jim Budd http://jimsloire.blogspot.be/2013/06/vo ... l?spref=fb .

Chinon also badly hit :( .

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:00 pm
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Terrible Tim. Pretty sad way to start my day with this news. Buy what is on the shelves and show support for the vignerons.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:26 pm
by David M. Bueker
Terrible. The photo on the Decanter web site is amazing ( in a terrible way).

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:52 pm
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Just purchased an `11 from Famille Bougrier for $17 Cdn to show support for the growers.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 3:59 am
by Tim York
Fredrik L wrote:And in an area where most do not have any economical margins to speak of...

As Rahsaan said, brutal.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L


The French Minister of Agriculture's communiqué includes the following chilling statement for vignerons -

Les pertes de récolte en viticulture et en grandes culture résultant de la grêle sont assurables et, de ce fait, ne relèvent pas du régime des calamités agricoles.

I have rarely met a vigneron who admits to having anti-hail insurance (too expensive), so they don't even have state largesse to fall back on.

BTW the present Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, is one of the few French ministers in recent times who admits publicly to liking wine.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:33 am
by Sam Platt
My wife is going to pick up a few bottles of Domaine des Aubuisières (2011?) today to show support.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:22 pm
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Great Sam. I have found a lesser-name producer in Domaine De Vaufuget so am picking up 2 bottles after a coffee meeting in the westend here. We do not have the big names on the shelves here apart from Huet.
Last night I opened the `11 Bougrier which was quite acceptable. Off-dry but plenty of the usual flavours.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 1:05 pm
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Tim York wrote:Update from Jim Budd http://jimsloire.blogspot.be/2013/06/vo ... l?spref=fb .

Chinon also badly hit :( .


Here`s a video, with Monsieur Pinon showing the vine damage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ4Mjy6T ... tube_gdata

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:08 am
by Tim York
Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:
Tim York wrote:Update from Jim Budd http://jimsloire.blogspot.be/2013/06/vo ... l?spref=fb .

Chinon also badly hit :( .


Here`s a video, with Monsieur Pinon showing the vine damage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ4Mjy6T ... tube_gdata


Further news about Chidaine's plight http://jimsloire.blogspot.be/2013/06/vo ... l?spref=fb . He's building a new winery and could go under if his bankers pull the plug :shock: .

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 10:51 am
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Certainly a very serious situation. The idea of all pulling together and trying to produce a regional Vouvray is a great idea but who will represent the wine here in the USA? Hopefully one of the recognised agents out there already I guess.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:56 pm
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:Great Sam. I have found a lesser-name producer in Domaine De Vaufuget so am picking up 2 bottles after a coffee meeting in the westend here. We do not have the big names on the shelves here apart from Huet.
Last night I opened the `11 Bougrier which was quite acceptable. Off-dry but plenty of the usual flavours.
.

Finally got around to trying the Vaufuget which I found quite sweet. There was some honeysuckle on the finish but generally did not rock my boots!!
We need to support all Vouvray producers.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:17 pm
by Mark Lipton
Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:
Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:Great Sam. I have found a lesser-name producer in Domaine De Vaufuget so am picking up 2 bottles after a coffee meeting in the westend here. We do not have the big names on the shelves here apart from Huet.
Last night I opened the `11 Bougrier which was quite acceptable. Off-dry but plenty of the usual flavours.
.

Finally got around to trying the Vaufuget which I found quite sweet. There was some honeysuckle on the finish but generally did not rock my boots!!
We need to support all Vouvray producers.


Bob, alas, there is an ocean of plonk produced with Vouvray AOC on the label. I steadfastly agree that quality-conscious vignerons such as Pinon, Foreau, Chidaine and Hwang/Huet need our support in these parlous times, but much of the output of Vouvray is not really worth our support. And Montlouis and Chinon will also need our help, don't forget!

Mark Lipton

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:50 pm
by Rahsaan
Mark Lipton wrote:...but much of the output of Vouvray is not really worth our support. And Montlouis and Chinon will also need our help, don't forget!

Mark Lipton


Kind of a harsh outlook. When you give humanitarian aid after a natural disaster do you really want it pegged to whether the recipient was a high achiever in his/her chosen profession? Lots of honest folks out there making mediocre wine who also need to eat and pay their bills!

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:37 pm
by Mark Lipton
Rahsaan wrote:
Mark Lipton wrote:...but much of the output of Vouvray is not really worth our support. And Montlouis and Chinon will also need our help, don't forget!

Mark Lipton


Kind of a harsh outlook. When you give humanitarian aid after a natural disaster do you really want it pegged to whether the recipient was a high achiever in his/her chosen profession? Lots of honest folks out there making mediocre wine who also need to eat and pay their bills!


That's certainly true, Rahsaan, and I would never suggest that they aren't worth our consideration. But in a situation where my wine-buying funds are limited, who should I support, Pinon, Chidaine* or some vigneron whose wines I've never found worth my consideration? If a fund is established that provides for all Vouvray vignerons equally, I'd happily contribute, but if I'm buying wine, I'm buying wine from people whose wines I enjoy drinking. My apologies if that seems harsh to you.

Mark Lipton

*Huet and Foreau I am reasonably certain have the financial resources to weather this crisis, so I exempt them from the discussion.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:40 pm
by Rahsaan
Oh yes, I see the wine logic and will be following it myself. But there is a lot of damage out there.

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:45 pm
by Mark Lipton
Rahsaan wrote:Oh yes, I see the wine logic and will be following it myself. But there is a lot of damage out there.


No doubt, it's a tragedy for many concerned. The fact that François Pinon, a man who I've met and chatted with and who's produced some wines that have made me swoon, has been totally wiped out and has no insurance, is a cause for major concern, but there's no question that many others have been badly affected, too. It's not a Katrina-level disaster, but it will mean the livelihood of many hard-working vignerons is threatened, and that does make me very sad.

Mark Lipton

Re: Hail devastates Vouvray

PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:57 am
by Bob Parsons Alberta
Rahsaan wrote:
Mark Lipton wrote:...but much of the output of Vouvray is not really worth our support. And Montlouis and Chinon will also need our help, don't forget!

Mark Lipton


Kind of a harsh outlook. When you give humanitarian aid after a natural disaster do you really want it pegged to whether the recipient was a high achiever in his/her chosen profession? Lots of honest folks out there making mediocre wine who also need to eat and pay their bills!


Very well said Rahsaan. One has to remember that not all of us have access to Huet, Pinon etc. So I guess Mark has to consider this fact. Some of us do not have the great choices that some of the other folks here have.