Life changes
little ina small
Loire vineyard

Froim page 22

advise against wearing wloves. Agile fingers not only help locate
clusters of grapes hidden by leaves, but precision is essential
when using the razor sharp cutters.

Clusters of grapes sprout randomly from vines that are older
than most of the workers. Finding ail three io four pounds of
fruit on each plant requires some contortion. The other pickers,
all veterans of the vineyard, nod knowingly ~ Pb have a sore
back tomorrow, Standing up to stretch becomes a good oppor:
tunity to make conversation in what I discover is fairly bad
French. Everyone smiles. One man has been working for. the
Chéné family for 10 vears; another travels throughout France;
an older couple moves along parallel vines in unison, Just as our
pails approach overtiowing, the porter, making his rounds,
replaces it with an empty one. Harvesting continues in this vine-
yard as it has for centuries.

A warm wind slides up the hill and between the rows whip-
ping up a delicate swirl of powdery mould on a cluster of grapes
now translucent and ripe with juice. The owner of che vinevard,
Jean-Pierre Chéné, gently opens the dense cluster to expose the
grey mould burrowed deep into the centre. The grapes are
puckered from a loss of moisture. He examines it with scientif-
ic expertise, brushes a purple-stained finger across a grape then
pops one into his mouth. Ac the risk of sounding like a fine out
of a bad film he really said “Parfait”.

Winemakers in the Anjou appellation value Botrytis mould
on white wine grapes, particularly the Chenin Blanc. Botrytis
increases the sugar and acidity which allow the wine to age well.
Thirty vears is the bottle is not unusual for late-harvest Chenin
Blanc. Red wine grapes are also affected but the slight orange
marmalade aftertaste of the mould is undesirable and they typi-
cally discard up to a quarter of the red harvest. Life is never per-
fect for winemakers in this picturesque country town but it cer-
tainly comes close.

Lunch is a lavish indulgent affair that takes nearly two hours.
Five bottles of wine are put on the table for seven people. Jean-
Pierre emerges from the kitchen with the sixth bortle wrapped
in a tea towel. He pours a small amount into each glass. At
almost every meal we go through this ritual test of our palates.
We must guess the nationality, rhen the region, the grape and
the year before the food is served. As passionate as they are

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MORNING dew coats a picker in the Chéné vineyard,
Beaulieu sur Layon.

about wine, the food is equally impressive: endive and ham in
white sauce, sliced meats, salads, a minimum of one baguette
per person, a massive cheese platter including an outstanding
local goat cheese. Afterwards, our hosts are certainly more fit
and eager to work than the non-natives.

See Exploring page 24

EUROPE
London from 599.00
31 May to 12 June
Frankfurt from 549.00
6 May to 14 May

EUROSTAR one way $149.00 Cad 2nd class
$230.00 Cad ist Class

Germany car rentals from $19.00 Cad per day
United Kingdom cars from $29.00 Cad per day
Frankfurt hotels from $69.00 Cad per person
London hotels from $59.00 Cad per person

All destinations are subject to availability
1305 Lonsdale Ave.,
North Vancouver

All locations are registered with the £.C. Trowel Reqiste:
Cond:rons apply, prices per person ex Vancouver. Taxes may apply

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