Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts
This gives me a great image in my head of pirates with a French accent. Though I'm not sure why the farmers are letting the pirates decide what grapes to replant.
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300th anniversary
- Thread starter Cliff
- Start date
This gives me a great image in my head of pirates with a French accent. Though I'm not sure why the farmers are letting the pirates decide what grapes to replant.
Joel Stewart
Joel Stewart
originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
so was there like a town meeting afterwards...."all in favor of replanting folle blanche, say aye!" and nary a soul raised their hands?
This gives me a great image in my head of pirates with a French accent.
....yeah, i had an image of monty python
Claude Kolm
Claude Kolm
My sources indicate that the freeze began January 12 and lasted two months. It was severe enough that even the sea froze. In Paris, 24,000 died.
The region had been planted almost entirely to black grapes (dating back to Roman times), but in 1639, conversion to white began in order to accommodate Dutch customers. But there hadn't been a large-scale change in grape color until the freezes of 1709-1710. Melon de Bourgogne had already been in the region for at least half a century before the freeze. The grape is related to the Gamay Jus Blanc, it was chosen for its early-ripening and frost-resistant qualities, and experts from Burgundy assisted in the post-freeze planting of the vines. There is a Hamlet near Vallet called Bourguignon.
The region had been planted almost entirely to black grapes (dating back to Roman times), but in 1639, conversion to white began in order to accommodate Dutch customers. But there hadn't been a large-scale change in grape color until the freezes of 1709-1710. Melon de Bourgogne had already been in the region for at least half a century before the freeze. The grape is related to the Gamay Jus Blanc, it was chosen for its early-ripening and frost-resistant qualities, and experts from Burgundy assisted in the post-freeze planting of the vines. There is a Hamlet near Vallet called Bourguignon.
Joel Stewart
Joel Stewart
i see...so the replacement grape had already had plenty of time (and a couple of key opportunities) to prove itself...and there was no town meeting after all. damn.
in any case, i'll raise a glass to the dutch.
in any case, i'll raise a glass to the dutch.
originally posted by the Duc de St. Simon:
L'hiver, comme je l'ai dj remarqu, avait t terrible, et tel, que de mmoire d'homme on ne se souvenait d'aucun qui en et approch. Une gele, qui dura prs de deux mois de la mme force, avait ds ses premiers jours rendu les rivires solides jusqu' leur embouchure, et les bords de la mer capables de porter des charrettes qui y voituraient les plus grands fardeaux. Un faux dgel fondit les neiges qui avaient couvert la terre pendant ce temps-l; il fut suivi d'un subit renouvellement de gele aussi forte que la prcdente, trois autres semaines durant. La violence de toutes les deux fut telle que l'eau de la reine de Hongrie, les lixirs les plus forts, et les liqueurs les plus spiritueuses cassrent leurs bouteilles dans les armoires de chambres feu, et environnes de tuyaux de chemine, dans plusieurs appartements du chteau de Versailles, o j'en vis plusieurs, et soupant chez le duc de Villeroy, dans sa petite chambre coucher, les bouteilles sur le manteau de la chemine, sortant de sa trs petite cuisine o il y avait grand feu et qui tait de plain-pied sa chambre, une trs petite antichambre entre-deux, les glaons tombaient dans nos verres. C'est le mme appartement qu'a aujourd'hui son fils.
Cette seconde gele perdit tout. Les arbres fruitiers prirent, il ne resta plus ni noyers, ni oliviers, ni pommiers, ni vignes, si peu prs que ce n'est pas la peine d'en parler. Les autres arbres moururent en trs grand nombre, les jardins prirent et tous les grains dans la terre. On ne peut comprendre la dsolation de cette ruine gnrale. Chacun resserra son vieux grain. Le pain enchrit proportion du dsespoir de la rcolte. Les plus aviss ressemrent des orges dans les terres o il y avait eu du bl, et furent imits de la plupart. Ils furent les plus heureux, et ce fut le salut, mais la police s'avisa de le dfendre, et s'en repentit trop tard. Il se publia divers dits sur les bls; on fit des recherches, des amas; on envoya des commissaires par les provinces trois mois aprs les avoir annoncs, et toute cette conduite acheva de porter au comble l'indigence et la chert, dans le temps qu'il tait vident par les supputations qu'il y avait pour deux annes entires de bls en France, pour la nourrir tout entire, indpendamment d'aucune moisson.
originally posted by David M. Bueker:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by David M. Bueker:
Maybe we can get a killer freeze in Napa.
What grapes would you rather see in Napa?
Or do you want a return to the melon and prune farm culture?
Almonds
Good call. For decades, Napa was renowned for its nuts (inside joke).
Mark Lipton
originally posted by Cliff:
In some places, it got as cold as -20C, and the Gironde froze. Brrrr.
Pffftt. It's colder than that right now where I live. And 24 hours from now, it'll be down around -22C. Maybe I should try planting some Melon?
Mark Lipton
Chris Coad
Chris Coad
originally posted by Brad L i l j e q u i s t:
Why hasn't Sharon commented again yet?
What, it's not late in Paris? Paris is asleep!
I continue to DENY EVERYTHING.
For decades, Napa was renowned for its nuts.
Have you met Lou?
Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Cliff:
In some places, it got as cold as -20C, and the Gironde froze. Brrrr.
Pffftt. It's colder than that right now where I live. And 24 hours from now, it'll be down around -22C. Maybe I should try planting some Melon?
Mark Lipton
Man, it's -21F here this morning (-29C) and the 1991 Volvo wagon starts! Score 1 for european engineering, or at least score 1 for the new battery I put in it 3 weeks ago.
Is there any Melon planted anywhere in North America?
cheers,
Kevin
Steve Guattery
Steve Guattery
originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
Is there any Melon planted anywhere in North America?
Oregon. Florida Jim has posted a note on the Biggio Hamina here on Disorder, I've tried DePonte's version, and I think there are at least a couple more producers.
originally posted by Steve Guattery:
originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
Is there any Melon planted anywhere in North America?
Oregon. Florida Jim has posted a note on the Biggio Hamina here on Disorder, I've tried DePonte's version, and I think there are at least a couple more producers.
Panther Creek made a Melon for years. Not sure if they still do, though. Not anything to cause anxiety in the Nantais.
Mark Lipton
Steve Edmunds
Steve Edmunds
There used to be a fair amount of Mlon hereabouts, but it was called Pinot Blanc, probably just by those Napa nuts.
U
Unknown
Guest
I doubt they replanted anything until thaw...
Steve Edmunds
Steve Edmunds
at leatht until they thaw the ithe melting
Christian Miller (CMM)
Christian Miller
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
i see...so the replacement grape had already had plenty of time (and a couple of key opportunities) to prove itself...and there was no town meeting after all. damn.
in any case, i'll raise a glass to the dutch.
And the French tax authorities. According to Hugh Johnson, part the reason that you have Chenin (adept at producing sweeter wines) upstream and Melon/Folle Blanche et al (lean and green) downstream is the result of a tax station on the river trade between Nantes and Angers (I forget exactly where). Only the sweeter white wines could command enough revenue to still make a profit after paying the tax. The dry stuff was cheaper, much of it intended for the Dutch market to make brandy or wash down oysters (some things never change).