#ChablisClimats is real! The challenges of viticulture in marginalized climate.

Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel Guillaume Michel oversees his family estate, created in 1850. One of his signatures is using only stainless steel to vinify & age his #ChablisClimats to bottle only the purest essence of his terroirs. 📸Christy Canterbury MW

Guillaume Guillaume Michel has 2 hectares of #Montmains with 2 parcels in its center, near the Fôrets sub-appellation. (Montmains is in the center of the picture & Fôrets is where the plot of trees stand.) #ChablisClimats 📸purechablis

#Montmains is a medium-sized mountain that is lower than its 2 neighboring hills. In 1537, several variations in spelling existed, such as “Mont Moen” & “Montmoyen”. (again, Montmains is in the center of the picture!) #ChablisClimats

Montmains is a large #ChablisClimats w/h 2 sub-Climats. Furthest west is #Butteaux, in the center is Fôrets & the eastern end is Montmains.

Locals say, “Montmains Montmains”, when referring exclusively to the eastern portion of this #Climat. However, any portion of the #PremierCru on this hill can be called Montmains, even if it is only from, say, Butteaux. #ChablisClimats

However, unlike #MontDeMilieu, which has no shadows from the sun, #Montmains vineyards do. “Montmains Montmains” receives the most sunshine & is > accessible & Butteaux can be very tight as it is in the corner of the valley. Fôrets is in-between. #ChablisClimats

Arthur Hon David Michaud NYT Food I am SOOOO looking forward to the holidays at home! #HomeForTheHolidays #Thanksgiving #FamilyHolidays #WineAndFood #FriendsAndWine #ChablisClimats

We hope you enjoyed exploring the geography of the Chablis terroir! @MyVineSpot @AWanderingWino @Cuvee_Corner @Enobytes Rupal Shankar @WineCompass Tom Plant Yolanda Shoshana @DracaenaWines Arthur Hon JamesTheWineGuy #ChablisClimats

As mentioned before European #GarnachaGrenache is ancient! Garnacha seeds & leaves have been carbon dated back to 153 BCE. Its 1st known written reference dates back to 1513. (📸: Alfredo Maestro) #sustainableEUwines

Sustainability is important for Europe, where #GarnachaGrenache is predominantly grown today, as well as regions that may plant it in the future given climate change. #sustainableEUwines (TY @Nasa for the data!)

Learning about #SustainableEUWines #GarnachaGrenache with Christy Canterbury MW. Super Excited!

Back to #GarnachaGrenache’s sustainability! This grape also stands the test of time thanks to its #droughtresistance. Roots grow deep into subterranean H2O tables & don’t depend on rain. (Irrigation isn’t permitted in most #EuropeanWine appellations.) #sustainableEUwines

#Droughtresistance helps #GarnachaGrenache grow well in stony or gravely soils that do not hold water well. Yet, European Garnacha/Grenache also thrives in more alkaline soils, like those with high limestone content. It’s a super malleable grape! #sustainableEUwines

#GarnachaGrenache’s versatility in different soil pHs is helpful because soil acidity increases w/ time. This can be due to the leaching of calcium by rainwater – especially acid rain in urban areas, fertilizer additions or the decomposition of organic matter. #sustainableEUwines

There is yet another reason that European #GarnachaGrenache is a highly #sustainable #winegrape. It is very disease pressure resistant. #sustainableEUwines

#GarnachaGrenache plantings 1st exploded in the 1850s when odium, or powdery mildew, arrived in Europe. Though – as a fungal disease – oidium multiplies in warm conditions, bright sunlight & dry winds inhibit its proliferation. #sustainableEUwines

#GarnachaGrenache is also highly resistant to wood diseases like esca & eutypa dieback, the latter particularly prevalent in European #Mediterranean vineyards. #sustainableEUwines

The @MasAmiel Altaïr vines date back to the 1940s. The #winemaking begins w/ whole cluster pressing. 40% is aged on the fine lees in 600L wood tanks & 60% is aged in stainless steel vats for 10 months. #GarnachaGrenache #sustainableEUwines

Let’s take a look at our red, or tinto, European #GarnachaGrenache starting with the @BodegasSanValero Particular Garnacha 2017 from DOP Cariñena. #sustainableEUwines