A trip to the last day of the harvest at Jacquesson

There is something truly magical about being in the vineyards at the end of the harvest. Not only is it the culmination of a years work and with that comes a sense of a job well done but there is allied to this a sense of anticipation about the quality of the wine to be made from the fruit safely gathered in and beyond that a feeling that you are part of an unbroken line of human experience that dates back to when man first farmed. Magical indeed…

The day starts, as any should, in the main kitchen at Jacquesson. The sense of community is immediately obvious. It takes 20 minutes to sit down to have breakfast as you have to shake hands and kiss (men and women respectively) those preparing for a
hard days work in the vineyards and questions about your health and general well being
have to be answered with a courtesy that matches their genuineness. No chance of a
quick espresso and out the door here.

At Jacquesson, unlike any champagne house I have visited, the emphasis is not on the art of blending or the skill of the winemaker but it is on the quality of fruit produced in the vineyard. First stop, Dizy Terres Rouges. Driven by our genial and ever courteous host Jean Herv