Wines made from Mondeuse blanche grapes of Vaud
Discover the best wines made with Mondeuse blanche as a single variety or as a blend of Vaud.
Haute-Savoie finds in Mondeuse blanche one of the oldest grape varieties planted in its vineyards. It can be found throughout Savoie and Ain, although its cultivation is not very well developed. Barely 5 hectares of vineyards are planted with this variety. It is known by other names such as savouette, dongine, couilleri or aigre blanc. Mondeuse blanche can be recognized by the downy appearance of its young shoots bearing very tan leaves, reminiscent of spider webs. The leaf blade tends to lose its tan appearance as it ages, while the 5 lobes are clearly defined. Mondeuse blanche produces bunches of grapes that give a wine with good acidity and a long shelf life, which can be kept for up to thirty years. They appear compact, cylindrical and winged. The juicy, sweet and crunchy berries ripen in the second late season. The golden yellow or green skin is quite strong, covering an ovoid or spherical fruit of medium size.
Vaud is Switzerland's second-largest wine region, located in the French-speaking southwest. The region - which is also one of 26 cantons in the country - is best known for its crisp, white Fendant wines (the national name for the Chasselas variety) and its stunning lakeside landscapes. Both of these reach their zenith in the grand crus of Lavaux/dezaley">Dezaley and Calamin. These famous Lavaux Vineyard terraces, which rise steeply up above Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), are considered of such importance that they are now enjoy protected status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The creation of an Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho dos Açores (IVVA), with headquarters in the island of Pico, follows the remarkable qualitative growth that the Archipelago of the Azores’ wine industry has been experiencing over the past decade. ‘People are excited about growing fruit and making wine here. There are about 300 growers producing their own fruit and a lot of small “garage” producers are starting. Some of them have worked and trained with us and are now making very interesting wines, ...
In the same way that a private domaine can support a family, a co-operative winery can support an entire village. So when the Cave de Cairanne was effectively declared bankrupt in 2014, a whole community of growers was left hanging from a thread. ‘Closing a co-op is like closing a church. It supports businesses, families, generations,’ says Denis Crespo. He’s an unlikely saviour, as his roots are in natural winemaking. But he provided the necessary electric shock to get the co-op’s heart pumping ...
Excavation of the Villa of the Quintilii near Rome unearthed ruins of the ornate ancient winery, which may once have turned the annual grape harvest into a ‘vinicultural spectacle’ for a select imperial entourage, says a study that draws on evidence about Roman wine culture and the villa’s features. Grape treading floors partially clad in red breccia marble suggest opulence was prioritised over pragmatism, said researchers, writing in the Antiquity journal. A nymphaeum-like des ...