Cis a small municipal appellation (230 hectares) which does not benefit from the same light as its neighbor on the other bank of the Garonne. But in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, as in Sauternes, sweet wine is made. Once around a hundred, the appellation's winegrowers now number only around twenty. They produced almost 5,300 hectoliters last year.
Due to wine crises, the time for sumptuous open houses is over – “Twenty years ago, it was huge. The cook Maïté even came,” remembers Nicolas Solane, director of the wine union – but the conviviality is still there. Saturday November 16 and Sunday November 17, eight family properties will welcome the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nicolas Solane, owner of Château Crabitan Bellevue, manages the appellation.
EG
“It’s already quite an adventure to come here, to enjoy a 360-degree panorama, to discover our products,” enthuses Virginie Tinon of Château La Grave. To convince visitors to come to the open days, she does not highlight any exceptional activity, other than the essential: the free tasting of her wine and the sharing of the passion that drives her with enthusiasts.
Activities for children
Several of the winemakers will offer a tasting of old vintages. “It’s interesting to see the evolution of the aromatic palette in these sweet wines which keep very well,” notes Angélique Armand at Château La Rame. The free initiations from the Wine School, which will be present all weekend at the Château de Tastes, are also exciting and accessible to all. »
Throughout the day, the Chez Nana food truck, parked at the church square, will serve burgers, pies, sandwiches and salads. At the Château des Mailles, Laurence Larrieu will organize a game area (1 hour, 15 euros), an orienteering race (2 hours, 15 euros) and an introduction to tasting (one hour, 10 euros) with an alcohol-free version for the children.
Like so many others, the winegrower is experiencing the crisis head-on. “Since 2017, I have no longer earned a salary, I have taken a second job. We are constantly trying to reinvent ourselves with new activities. Open days are an opportunity to meet people and also to make people aware of our difficulties. »
This weekend, the public will also be able to visit the interiors of the Château Du Pavillon, an 18th century Chartreuse.e century. “We do everything to make it as beautiful as possible, but we are in difficulty like all winegrowers, we are fighting,” says Olivier Fleury. Our sweet wines are sold, but at the same prices as ten years ago even though all costs have increased. »
To describe the specificity of their wines, the winegrowers of the appellation evoke “the minerality provided by the fossil cliffs, characteristic of the village”, “the freshness” or even “the accessibility of prices”.
A prize to be won
Three pinnace rides in the Arcachon basin, accompanied by a winemaker, are up for grabs. Participants in the open days who visit at least three castles will be able to take part in the draw.
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