haut-poitou armance b ampelidae nv
ByAmpelidae, in Marigny-Brizay, is near the ancient city of Potiers in the Vienne Department, roughly an hour’s drive southwest of Tours. Since 1995, the father, Christian Brochet along with his son, Frédéric in the winery and Daniel Patour in the vineyards do the heavy work. Most of the farming in their 12 hectare holding is organic and yields are far below the norm for this region. This racy, vibrant, sparkling wine is a blend of the ancient Folle, with Sauvignon, Chenin, and Chardonnay. Delicious with lighter smoked fish and cheeses.
Regional History
The Haut-Poitou is a pastoral region of mixed agriculture just north of the ancient city of Poitiers. The wines were famous in the Middle Ages and during the Rennaissance but the phylloxera disaster of the 19th Century wiped out most of the vineyards. Most of the growers supply fruit to The Caves Haut-Poitou which produces 95% of the wines entitled to claim the VDQS Haut-Poitou. In recent years a number of small growers have begun farming organically and “estate bottling” their wines.
Regional Foods
The lower half of the Loire River, the longest in France, runs through more than forty wine appellations, among them Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Vouvray, Chinon, Saumur, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and Muscadet. This broad valley, noted for its big skies and big chateaux, doesn’t boast an indigenous cuisine. Nevertheless, the rich soil and the varied landscape provide a bounty of raw materials for a cook. Diverse livestock are raised on local farms; the Atlantic coast and the river itself supply plentiful fish; vegetables and grains are harvested from the large, well-tended kitchen gardens seen everywhere. So one drinks Muscadet with Atlantic oysters and pike au beurre blanc, Vouvray with friture de la loire (fried freshwater fish) or pork rillettes. Rillons, little fists of pork belly, might be enjoyed with a glass of Montlouis. The reds of Chinon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil often accompany jugged hare, pork with prunes or venison. Restaurants offer baked cod, escargot, frog’s legs and freshwater fish pate with Pouilly-Fume.
© 2007 Moore Brothers Wine Company