Brigitte Chevalier - Owner & Winemaker working at Domaine de Cébène

The humanity of old vines in Languedoc

The owner and winemaker, Brigitte Chevalier, moved from a first career in wine exports when she was able to buy (after much searching) a small plot of ancient Carignan planted on and adapted to schist. She has been a resolute champion of indigenous old vine plantings in Faugères, which she sees as part of the priceless patrimony of a region under constant pressure to adopt the latest wine trend. Her experience with old vine adoption schemes show one approach to making this patrimony resonate with consumers. “These days, so many of the vine adopters are young people”, she says, “they seek me out.”