Vineyards

If anyone is qualified to make the argument that winemaking is an art form, it’s Bibi Graetz, an abstract artist by training, son of a sculptor, and for 20 years now, maker of some of Tuscany’s most-coveted wines. Artist or no, Graetz’s inner winemaker was honestly born, with a childhood spent in the family’s medieval castle on a hillside in Fiesole, near Florence, surrounded by a few acres of vines. And by 2000, the winemaker prevailed, with the first vintage of Bibi Graetz wines.

The 2019 vintage, releasing this month, was Graetz’s 20th, and as he describes it, the wines reflect the ultimate success of his original passions, winemaking convictions and evolution over the last 10 years. Very old vineyards came first. Graetz is devoted to the depth of character that vines planted in 1970, 1980, 1990 can deliver. He’s managed now to amass a substantial acreage of old vineyards throughout Tuscany, and he captures the nuances of each with natural, minimal winemaking. It’s “transparency” Graetz is after, with native fermentations, hand punch-downs and almost no new oak. He admits that his winemaking priorities have shifted in the last decade, from pursuing concentration and structure through methods like crop thinning and bleeding off juice, to looking for finesse and elegance—wines that are a little lighter on their feet.

His 20th anniversary Colore. 

Photo: Courtesy of Bibi Graetz

In his view, with Bibi Graetz 2019 Colore (the “Dream”; $450), his flagship Sangiovese, he’s done it. “This is the best wine we’ve ever made,” he says. The proof is in the glass. On the nose, it’s deep and layered (not to be confused with concentrated), opening with earth, leather, violet, and mocha aromas—dynamic over time, with dark berries and spice emerging. Juicy black raspberry flavors are edged with hints of fresh, savory herbs on a focused palate that still manages a slightly mysterious, elusive quality. The wine is beautifully textured and seriously elegant.

The Bibi Graetz 2019 Testamatta (the “Crazy-head,” undoubtedly a self-reference, and also 100 percent Sangiovese; $99), made from seven vineyards on seven hilltops, offers up minerality and freshness from poor, rocky soils and elevation. Raspberry, wild fennel and anise, with underlying crushed rock, give way to generous red berry and cherry flavors balanced by a touch of savory tomato leaf, tension and mouth-filling texture. This one finds perfect balance between sweetness and savoriness, fruit and minerality.

It’s no surprise that these 20th anniversary bottles are themselves works of art, decked out in pointillist interpretations of Graetz’s impressionist artwork. Or, as he puts it, “like an evening dress for a fireworks party.” One-offs for this 20th anniversary vintage, the flamboyant, color-dotted etchings render the bottles as distinctive as the product inside. And doubtless ensure collector status.

Vines on Graetz’s 198 acres of vineyards. 

Photo: Courtesy of Bibi Graetz

Twenty years ago, Graetz was inspired by two of the world’s great producers—fellow Tuscan-great Sassicaia and Bordeaux-legend Pétrus—and he dearly wanted his wines to be priced in the neighborhood of Sassicaia’s. Ironically, in a fog of ignorance over how the system worked, his first pricing decision produced the desired outcome: He figured 10 packs of cigarettes cost 25 euros then. His reasoning was to top that by one euro, but on impulse he added 10. And as it turned out, the 35 Euros he charged were two more than Sassicaia at the time.

Today, with a new winery on a hill in sight of the famous dome soaring over the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Graetz has fruit from 80 hectares of vineyards (about 198 acres) to work with. Ask him about clones, and you get nowhere. “With old vines,” he says, “you don’t know what they are.” And frankly, he doesn’t care. “Not exactly my thing,” he admits. In fact, “to hell with the clone story,” he adds. Graetz mixes whatever it is he has out there together. “This is 100 percent terroir speaking.” And in his view, he’s firmly planted to take Colore into the future. “After 20 years,” he says, “we aren’t Sassacaia. We aren’t Pétrus. We’re Bibi Graetz.”

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With kids back to school and the calendar flipped to September, many Loudoun County residents are turning their attention some of the area’s traditional fall activities and festivals. With COVID-19 safety protocols in place, local event organizers are ready to welcome visitors to this year’s festivities. Here’s a round-up of fall events to check out this season.

Great Country Farms/Henway Hard Cider/Bluemont Vineyards/Dirt Farm Brewing, Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont. Greatcountryfarms.com.

Bluemont is high on the list for many fall experience seekers, and for good reason. That’s because Great Country Farms and its sister properties — The Cottages at Bluemont, Henway Hard Cider, Bluemont Vineyards and Dirt Farm Brewing — offer something for everyone.

From apple and pumpkin picking to apple cider donuts, a Harvest Chef’s Table Dinner, to scenic views, a corn maze and local wine, beer and cider, a visit to Bluemont is a must for fall fun. Insider tip: If possible, visit during the week to avoid crowds. Check the website for tickets and additional events and activities.

The 2nd Annual Loudoun Arts Film Festival, Sept. 10 – 12 and Sept. 17 – 19 with events during the week of the 13th at Artistic Fuel. 50 West Vineyards, Middleburg and Artistic Fuel, Leesburg. Loudounartsfilmfest.com.

After launching the Loudoun Film Festival last year in the midst of the pandemic, co-founders Kaeley Boyle and Owen Palmiotti said they are ready and excited to hold the event for a second year with live music, over 150 films and video projects, food vendors and more.

This year’s festival, like last year, will take place at 50 West Vineyards in Middleburg, where there will be drive-in screenings the weekends of September 10th and September 17th. Screenings will also take place during the week of September 13th at Artistic Fuel. Tickets are $40 for the drive-in movie and $10 at Artistic Fuel which is located at 215 Depot Court in Leesburg.

The opening night film will be “A Shot Through the Wall,” which premiered at Bentonville Film Festival in 2020.

Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. September 11 and 12. B Chord Brewing, 35246 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill. Roundhillat.org.

When the town of Round Hill was designated as an Appalachian Trail community in 2019 by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, local outdoor organizations teamed up for the first festival, which has now become an annual event.

“We want people to come out and enjoy all of the natural resources and green spaces we have,” said festival director Jody Brady.

On September 11, the free, family-friendly festival opens at 11 a.m. with live music, food, games, a silent auction and raffle, camping and hiking demonstrations, vendors, crafts and more. Groups participating in the event include Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Center for Wilderness Safety, A.T. Museum and Virginia Master Naturalists.

On Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., visitors can choose between a slate of hands-on activities and workshops.

End of Summer Block Party in Purcellville. September 12, 2 – 8 p.m. N. 21st Street, Purcellville.

Organized by local nonprofit Discover Purcellville, this free, outdoor, family-friendly event is designed as an end-of-summer community celebration with live music, food vendors, a beer garden, children’s activities and more.

The classic rock band Grindstone kicks off the day at 2 p.m., followed by Last Ham Standing, a comedy improv show. At 4:30 p.m., The Bridge, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, will take the stage.

“We needed a good party,” said event organizer Michael Oaks. “We hope people will come and hang out and enjoy the afternoon and evening.”

Prior to the block party is the Loudoun Pet Expo starting at 10 a.m. at Franklin Park. Oaks hopes that these two events in tandem will encourage people to come and spend the day in Purcellville. Visit Discover Purcellville on Facebook for more information.

82nd Annual Inova Ladies Board Rummage Sale. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. September 18 and 19. VIP ticketed event on Friday from 12 – 3 p.m. Loudoun County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg. Ladiesboard.org.

The Inova Ladies Board Rummage sale is back this year but in September instead of October and at a new location at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds.

This popular bargain shopping extravaganza offers almost everything imaginable: antiques, collectibles, books, clothing and accessories for the entire family, tools, sports and exercise equipment, small appliances, household items and décor, designer labels, electronics, holiday items, jewelry and toys. 

Admission is free during regular sale hours, or shoppers can purchase a VIP ticket on Friday for early-bird shopping.

The Rummage Sale draws shoppers from the mid-Atlantic region, grossing more than $340,000 in 2019. All proceeds go to Inova Loudoun Hospital and The Ladies Board Nursing Scholarship Fund.

51st Annual Bluemont Fair. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. September 18 and 19. General admission $10; ages 9 and under free. Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont. Bluemontfair.org.

Located in the 200-year-old Village of Bluemont, this family-friendly, old-fashioned country fair features fun for the entire family. Highlights of the fair include traditional crafts (juried), local art and authors, craft and farming demonstrations and colonial re-enactors with special activities for kids of all ages. There is also live music, farm animals, a quilt display, a gardener’s shed, homemade food, local wine tasting, breweries and gourmet treats.

One popular event at the fair, the 28th Annual Pickle-Making/Pie-Baking Contest, will take place on September 18 at the E.E. Lake Store. Entries, labeled with the creator’s name and “contestant’s” title out of sight, should be delivered to the upstairs of the E.E. Lake Store by 10 a.m. Judging will take place at noon with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards for two categories of pie (fruit/other) and pickles. First place winners in each category will receive a commemorative pickle or pie plate. All winners will receive ribbons and bragging rights. Afterwards slices of the pie “contestants” will be available for purchase at a nominal fee.

The Goose Creek Association 50th Anniversary Celebration. 12-4 p.m. September 19. Historic Aldie Mill, Aldie.

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Goose Creek Association, which was actually in 2020, at a fall festival in Aldie.

The event features an art show and sale, wildlife exhibits, conservation exhibits, children’s games, face painting, food and music. The Aldie Mill, built between 1807 and 1809, is a restored gristmill and was once the largest factory of its kind in Loudoun County.

The Goose Creek Association nonprofit was founded in 1970 to help protect the Goose Creek waterway. The organization’s members have since been involved in stream monitoring and environmental advocacy on a state and federal level as the creek feeds into the Chesapeake and Potomac watersheds.

The 2021 Waterford Fair. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. October 1 – 3. Village of Waterford. Waterfordfairva.org

The annual Waterford Fair returns for the 77th year after holding a virtual event last year.

Located in the nearly 300-year-old village of Waterford, the fair draws hundreds of artisans from all over the country, as well as many local nonprofit groups that benefit from the estimated 20,000 visitors who flock to Waterford each fall.

Featuring artisans selling their handmade products, a juried art show, Civil War-era demonstrations, displays and re-enactments, there are activities for all ages of the family.

Instead of tours inside historic homes, new this year are garden tours, where docents will share the history of the homes, preservation, construction, architecture and more.

Throughout the village will be food stands and vendors. There will also be a farmers market with items such as chocolates, cheeses, maple syrup and salsa.

The Middleburg Film Festival Oct. 14-17. Schedule and details will be released at the end of September. Visit middleburgfilm.org for more information.

After hosting a hybrid festival in 2020 with screenings outdoors and virtual, this year’s event returns with in-person screenings, fireside chats with filmmakers and actors, concerts, farm-to-table dinners and parties.

The allure of the event is that it features a carefully curated slate that festival filmgoers have come to expect, including Oscar “buzz” films, international features, independent gems and fascinating documentaries. 

However, COVID-19 safety protocols are being strictly followed and event organizers are requiring all attendees to be vaccinated and show proof of vaccination.

The festival is held in and around the town of Middleburg and Salamander Resort.

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“There’s going to be an eradication effort, but it’s a reproducing population where it’s been found,” Downing said. “So eradication is unlikely, but it’ll be tried.”

If people find the insect, they are asked to kill it, take a photo and contact the extension office at albemarle.ext.vt.edu/Spotted_LanternFly.

They are also asked to scrape off or smash egg masses, which are about 1 to 1.5 inches long, grayish-brown in color and covered with a grey, waxy coating. Adults lay their eggs in the fall. Eggs then hatch in the spring and early summer and undergo four nymphal instars before adults begin appearing in July, becoming abundant in August.

Spotted lanternfly adults and nymphs are shown on a tree of heaven plant. The insects mass on trees by the hundreds, secreting a sugary substance that causes sooty mold to form on branches, outdoor furniture and patios. The mold releases a vinegar-like smell and can give the impression that the area has been scorched by fire.

COURTESY PIEDMONT MASTER GARDENERS

The lanternfly can lay its eggs on railroad cars, vehicles, wood pallets and even rock, which allow it to spread easier. They are particularly attracted to the tree of heaven, or Ailanthus altissima, an invasive plant species with a strong presence in Virginia.

The Albemarle extension office has been training volunteers and monitoring for spotted lanternfly at various sites across the county since April 2020.

Stephen Barnard, president of the Monticello Wine Trail, said they’re currently focusing on monitoring and showing wineries what they look like and how to identify the insect.

“Right now, it’s just trying to get as much information as possible, trying to identify it if we see it, and then reaching out to people that may know a little bit more about it and may help us,” he said.

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Earlier this summer, Economic Development Director, Kwame Reed, was asked to provide information and photographs that would be incorporated into a writing competition.  Chris Howard, PhD, originally from California but now resides in Wellington New Zealand, is a wine writer and anthropologist.  Chris started researching ancient vine vineyards for an annual writing competition being held by Jancis Robinson who is an internationally known wine writer.  For more information about Jancis, click here. 

The competition is called the WWC21, Wine-Writing Competition 2021, and this year a total of 136 entries were submitted and Chris Howard’s piece on our very own Evangelho Vineyard was selected to the shortlist of the top 20.  This year, the WWC21 is featuring a people’s choice award where they are allowing the public to vote for three stories.  This is the shortlist of stories, please vote for Chris’s story.

Read the short story, Evangelho Ca, by Chris Howard 

Cast your vote for Chris Howard’s piece below by selecting “Evangelho Ca, by Chris Howard”

 

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Horses and wine come together at the EqWine Estate in Petaluma, California, a 42-acre property listed this week for $12.95 million. 

There’s more than 7,000 square feet of living space, about 16 acres of Pinot Noir vineyards for oenophiles and a profitable equestrian facility with 68 stalls and indoor and outdoor arenas, according to the listing with Tim Rangel of Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country Brokerage. 

“The home overlooks the vineyards and the equestrian facility, plus the hills of Petaluma and on to Sonoma Mountain,” said Mr. Rangel, who shares the listing with Michael Fanelli of Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty. 

Owner Ron Noble purchased the estate in 1999 with the vision to build all three elements: the house on the upper portion, the stables on the lower part and the vineyard in the middle. Mr. Noble, a civil engineer, designed the house and had an architect refine it, he said. 

“My goals were privacy, nice views and a peaceful setting so I could get away and relax and enjoy it,” he said. 

The hacienda-style home offers a number of outdoor areas from which to enjoy vistas of the estate, including a pool and deck, an outdoor kitchen and covered terraces. There are also oversized arched windows that frame views throughout.

Other features include beamed ceilings, custom millwork, a chef’s kitchen with an island and a breakfast area, four fireplaces and, nor surprise, a wine cellar, according to the listing. There’s also a two-bedroom guest house.

There are about 16 acres of Pinot Noir grapes.

Casey Flanigan for Sotheby’s International Realty

Mr. Noble, 77, had originally planned a small horse facility for his personal animals, which he was showing at the time. 

“I was looking for property for just a few horses and then I determined if I was going to go to the effort to handle a few horses, I’d just as soon develop a training facility and have staff so I could bring in trainers and just keep my horses there,” he added.

So Mr. Noble’s vision of keeping three to five horses became a full-scale affair. In addition to the 68 stalls, the barn is equipped with everything needed to care for the animals and their handlers, Mr. Rangel said. 

The vineyard came about 10 years later, although Mr. Noble only started making wine himself a few years ago. Until 2018, he was selling the grapes.

“I had twice the crop that I was expecting to have, so I quickly decided to jump into wine producing…and all the wine we produced in 2018 and 2019 scored up in the ’90s,” he explained, referring to the 100-point wine rating system used in the industry.

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Lonesome Ryder Band: 5-8 p.m., Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery and Tap 29 Brewery in Leon, (800) 800-WINE, no cover.

Music on the Patio by Mike Proffitt: 2:30-5:30 p.m., Burnt Ends BBQ food truck will be there, DuCard Vineyards in Etlan, (540) 923-4206, no cover, reservations recommended.

Freefall Music & Art Festival: WTJU Vinyl Takeover at 3 p.m., Zuzu’s Hot 5 at 5:15 p.m., Susie and the Pistols at 6:30 p.m., Guinness record attempt at 7:30 p.m. and Good Dog Nigel at 8 p.m., IX Art Park, free, all ages. Nasty weather cancels. Wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

Ken Farmer & The Authenticators: 5-8 p.m., Kaas & Cure food truck will be there, Knight’s Gambit Vineyard, (434) 566-1168, bring beach chairs or picnic blankets for seating, no cover.

The Jon Spear Band: 1-4 p.m., Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery and Tap 29 Brewery in Leon, (800) 800-WINE, no cover.

Bailey Hayes: 5-8 p.m., Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery and Tap 29 Brewery in Leon, (800) 800-WINE, no cover.

Orion and The Melted Crayons Album Release with Wilson Springs Hotel and Chloe Ester: 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m., The Southern Café and Music Hall, (434) 977-5590, $15, $12 advance.

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Pizza Amoré (Photos courtesy of M&T)

Tue, Aug 31st 2021 05:40 pm

Online marketplace connects local businesses to new customers, communities

M&T Bank is featuring more than 50 of its business clients throughout seven states and Washington, D.C., on an online marketplace designed to connect the businesses to new customers and communities. 

The “M&T Virtual Spotlight Shop” allows visitors of the bank’s website to easily access the online retail portals of businesses from Richmond, Virginia, to upstate New York. Visitors can search the businesses by region or category, shop their merchandise online, and learn more about their commitment to helping their communities thrive. 

A press release stated, “The ‘Virtual Spotlight Shop’ is another way M&T, one of the nation’s most active small-business lenders, is demonstrating support for its communities and their local businesses – many of which were forced to adapt to new ways of operating because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Eric Feldstein, M&T’s head of business banking, said, “M&T is a bank for communities – including the communities of local businesses throughout the areas we serve that have shown remarkable resilience and determination to serve their customers during the pandemic. We want to support their recovery and growth by exposing them to the nearly 10 million visitors our website gets each month.”

Businesses featured in the “M&T Virtual Spotlight Shop” include bakeries and breweries, restaurants and retailers, pizza parlors and hair salons, art galleries and bookstores. Many of them are the businesses that line the main streets of towns and neighborhoods throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Among the businesses in the “Spotlight Shop” are:

√ Althea’s Almost Famous, a Black woman-owned catering business inspired by the flavorful cooking of the owner’s Jamaican grandmother;

√ Arcay Chocolates, a Washington, D.C., shop owned by an internationally acclaimed Venezuelan chocolatier;

√ Funk Brewing, a craft brewery launched by a brother-in-law team that now has two taprooms in Elizabethtown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and distributes to seven states in the region;

√ Muddy Creek Soap Company, a woman-owned handmade soap and bath products retailer in West Reading, Pennsylvania;

√ Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, a family-owned independent bookstore in Lakewood;

√ Om Nohm Bakery & Café of Fredonia, a gluten-free bakery founded by a mother who learned to prepare a variety of foods for her children with dietary restrictions;

√ Sleeping Bird Coffee, a mobile coffee truck-turned-specialty coffee shop that serves espresso, pastries, sandwiches and more from its location in Wilmington, Delaware;

√ Pizza Amoré, a classic Buffalo Pizzeria featuring wood-fired pizza and wings; and

√ Orange Tree Inn, a family-owned-and-operated Niagara Falls restaurant famous for its homemade soups, beef on weck and Friday fish fry.

This is the third consecutive year M&T has featured some of its business clients in a “Spotlight Shop” – but the first it’s been open to businesses throughout M&T’s footprint. The bank tested the concept in Baltimore the previous two years.

In 2019, M&T launched its “Spotlight Shop” in a modular pop-up shop located in downtown Baltimore that featured 12 local retailers rotating through the space every two weeks for six months. Last year, M&T moved the “Spotlight Shop” online – a pandemic-inspired adaptation of the original concept – and again featured more than a dozen of its Baltimore-area business customers, including Boordy Vineyards, a 76-year-old family-owned business that returns to the “Spotlight Shop” for its third year.

“Boordy Vineyards has enjoyed a productive relationship with M&T Bank for three-and-a-half decades,” said Robert DeFord, president of Boordy Vineyards. “M&T has always been responsive to our needs, providing timely capital to allow us to take advantage of opportunities for growth. I cannot overstate how important this relationship has been for the success of our family business.”

Learn more about the “M&T Virtual Spotlight Shop” by visiting mtb.com/spotlightshop or following @mandt_spotlight on Instagram.

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One glance at a map shows how New York’s Finger Lakes got their collective name. The 11 long, slender lakes, extending roughly north-to-south, look like outstretched fingers.

On the mystical side, Iroquois tribes believed the lakes were formed by the Great Spirit, reaching down to bless the land and leaving impressions of fingerprints that were filled with clear, fresh water. According to geologists, however, the gorges of water that form the present-day Finger Lakes were carved by moving, melting glaciers two million years ago.

Science and lore aside, there is no arguing the allure of this upstate region rich in history (and herstory) thanks to American roots that run even deeper than those of the Finger Lakes’s bounteous vineyards. Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Mark Twain, Clara Barton, Joseph Smith, and many other heroes and luminaries dwelled in the Finger Lakes region, leaving their own deep imprints on U.S. culture.

Seneca Lake Pier in Watkins Glen

Alamy

There’s much to explore: Comprising 14 counties across more than 9,000 square miles, the expansive Finger Lakes region is almost as large as the state of Massachusetts. It’s dotted with charming small towns, each with a unique character that has beguiled travelers for two centuries. Many of them began as villages that grew steadily once the Erie Canal opened in 1825. Today, their legacies endure for visitors seeking everything from abundant nature and recreation to great wine and gastronomy, renowned art, and historic landmarks.

When (and how) to go

All four seasons in the Finger Lakes offer something by way of natural delights. Warmer months invite outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and water sports, particularly in some of the great state parks where you’ll find waterfalls, picturesque trails, and natural swimming holes. Winter brings its holiday and lights festivals and snow sports, plus a greater appreciation for cozy spa sessions, and abundant opportunities for tastings—whether you’re thirsty for craft beer, cider, spirits, or wine. The region is especially glorious come autumn, when harvest season brings apples, pumpkins, and grapes, overlapping with mesmerizing fall foliage to make any scenic drive, from Owasco to Canandaigua Lake, ultra colorful.

More than the other lakes, the shores of Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka are lined with world-class wineries that produce prized vintages for which the region is rightly famous: dry riesling, unoaked chardonnay, and cabernet franc. There are more than 100 Finger Lakes wineries, so when touring the area, pad your schedule with extra time to swing by the tasting rooms of your choosing. 

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BEAUMONT, France — The vines were once demonized for causing madness and blindness, and had been banned decades ago. The French authorities, brandishing money and sanctions, nearly wiped them out.

But there they were. On a hillside off a winding mountain road in a lost corner of southern France, the forbidden crop was thriving. Early one recent evening, Hervé Garnier inspected his field with relief.

In a year when an April frost and disease have decimated France’s overall wine production, Mr. Garnier’s grapes — an American hybrid variety named jacquez, banned by the French government since 1934 — were already turning red. Barring an early-autumn cold snap, all was on track for a new vintage.

“There’s really no reason for its prohibition,” Mr. Garnier said. “Prohibited? I’d like to understand why, especially when you see the prohibition rests on nothing.”

Mr. Garnier is one of the last stragglers in a long-running struggle against the French wine establishment and its allies in Paris. The French government has tried to rip the jacquez and five other American vine varieties out of French soil for the past 87 years, arguing that they are bad for human physical and mental health — and produce bad wine.

But in recent years, the hardiness of the American varieties has given a lift to guerrilla winemakers like him, as climate change wreaks havoc on vineyards across Europe and natural wines made without the use of pesticides have grown in popularity.

Despite France’s pledge in 2008 to halve the use of pesticides, it has continued to rise in the past decade. Vineyards occupied just over 4 percent of France’s agricultural area but used 15 percent of all pesticides nationwide in 2019, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

“These vines ensure bountiful harvests, without irrigation, without fertilizers and without treatment,” said Christian Sunt, a member of Forgotten Fruits, a group fighting for the legalization of the American grapes. Showing off forbidden vines, including the clinton and isabelle varieties, on a property in the southern Cévennes region, near the town of Anduze, he added, “These vines are ideal for making natural wine.”

American grapes have long played a central role in the tumultuous, and emotional, history of wine between France and the United States — alternately threatening French production, and reviving it.

It all started in the mid-1800s when vines native to the United States were brought over to Europe, with a piggybacking louse known as phylloxera. While the American vines were resistant to the pest, their European counterparts did not stand a chance. The ravenous lice attacked their roots, choking off the flow of nutrients to the rest of the plant — and causing the biggest crisis in the history of French wine.

The lice destroyed millions of acres, shut down vineyards and sent jobless French to Algeria, a French colony.

After a quarter-century of helplessly watching the collapse of Europe’s traditional wine culture, the wine world’s best minds had an epiphany. The cure was in the poison: the American vines.

Some vintners grafted the European vines onto the resistant American rootstocks. Others crossbred American and European vines, producing what became known as the American hybrids, like the jacquez.

Faced with seeming extinction, France’s wine industry bounced back.

“That left an impression to this day,” said Thierry Lacombe, an ampelographer, or vine expert, who teaches at Montpellier SupAgro, a French university specializing in agriculture. “It wasn’t the only time that the Americans, our American friends, came to save the French.”

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The French wine world split between supporters of grafting and hybrid grapes.

The grafters kept producing wine from pinot, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and other classic European grapes. The American hybrids, they often said, smelled like fox urine.

Still, the American hybrids thrived all over France. Sturdier and easier to grow, they were especially popular in rural areas like the Cévennes. Families planted them on hillsides where other crops were impossible to grow. They let them grow on top of arbors, cultivating potatoes underneath, as a way to make productive every inch of land. Villagers harvested and made wine together, using a common cellar.

If pinot noir is part of Burgundy’s identity, the jacquez became part of the folklore of the northern Cévennes, including the village of Beaumont.

And in the southern Cévennes, the clinton (pronounced clain-ton) reigned.

“Here, if you serve a glass of clinton at any bar, people will pounce on it,” said Mr. Sunt, 70, a retired forest ranger. “If the clinton became legal again, I can tell you that if a winemaker wrote clinton on his bottle, he’d sell 10 times more than if he wrote syrah or cabernet sauvignon.”

Today, the American varieties make up only a tiny percentage of all French wine. But with grafting and the hybrids, production boomed across the land in the early part of last century. Algeria also become a major wine exporter to metropolitan France.

With France awash in wine, lawmakers urgently addressed the problem around Christmas in 1934. To reduce overproduction, they outlawed the six American vines — including hybrids like the jacquez and pure American grapes like the isabelle — mainly on the grounds that they produced poor wine. Production for private consumption would be tolerated, but not for commercial sale.

The government had planned to follow up with bans on other hybrids but stopped because of the backlash to the initial ban, Mr. Lacombe said. Then the war provided another reprieve.

It was only in the 1950s — when hybrids were still cultivated on a third of all French vineyards — that the government really began cracking down on the six forbidden grapes, Mr. Lacombe said. It offered incentives to rip out the offending vines, then threatened growers with fines.

It then condemned the American grapes as harmful to body and sanity with arguments “not completely honest to try to quell a situation that was slipping away from the government,” Mr. Lacombe said.

“In fact, the present defenders of these vines are right in underlining all the historical and government inconsistencies,” he added.

The clinton and jacquez might have met a quiet death if not for a back-to-the-land movement that, starting in the 1970s, brought people like Mr. Garnier to the Cévennes.

Originally from northeastern France, Mr. Garnier, now 68, was once a longhaired high school student who traveled to see Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin perform in concert. Half a century later, he cheerfully recalls how he avoided mandatory military service after only seven hours on a base during which he asked to see a psychologist, refused to eat with others and was generally annoying.

A week after his discharge, aimless hitchhiking brought him in 1973 to the village of Beaumont in the Cévennes where he immediately decided to buy an abandoned property — paying it off mostly by repairing roofs in the region and elsewhere.

Some years later, he got into winemaking almost by accident. Two elderly brothers asked him to harvest their jacquez grapes in return for half of the wine production. He learned the history of the forbidden vines and eventually bought the brothers’ vineyards.

Today, he makes 3,400 bottles a year of his deeply colored, fruity “Cuvée des vignes d’antan,” or wine from vines of yesteryear. He got around the ban by creating a cultural, noncommercial association, “Memory of the Vine.” A membership fee of 10 euros, or about $12, yields a bottle.

With the growing threat of climate change and the backlash against the use of pesticides, Mr. Garnier is hoping that the forbidden grapes will be legalized and that France’s wine industry will open up to a new generation of hybrids — as Germany, Switzerland and other European nations already have.

“France is a great wine country,” he said. “To remain one, we have to open up. We can’t get stuck on what we already know.”

Léontine Gallois contributed reporting.

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JACKSONVILLE, Ore– The 2021 Oregon Wine Competition is now over. Several wines from wineries and vineyards across the Rogue Valley had success during this year’s competition.

Two wineries in the Rogue Valley won Best of Show in the specialty and white wine categories this year in Oregon. In the specialty category, it was Del Rio Vineyard’s 2020 Grenache Rosé that took first place, while in the white wine category, StoneRiver Vineyard’s 2018 Chardonnay took the top spot.

In the Best of Class category, both wines listed above were also the winners in their respective wine categories, for Rosé and for Chardonnay.

Several Southern Oregon wines were also Double Gold winners in this year competition including Quady North’s 2016 Steelhead Run Wineyard Syrah, Pebblestone Cellar’s 2015 Cabernet Franc and Fences Winery’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Several other local vineyards and wineries also won gold medals across Southern Oregon including Schmidt Family Vineyards, Upper Five Vineyard and Foris Vineyards. 

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