Lavaux wine region & Lavaux wines: with Benjamin Massy (Massy Vins)

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Transcript:

Benjamin, can you give us an overview of Lavaux as a wine region? The terroir, the climate?

So, we are here in Epesses. Epesses is an appellation. You have behind me the Dézaley. The terroir here is more calcareous. Where we are right now is really limey, but you can see that most of the vineyards are yellow and this is Chasselas. Chasselas is our grape in the region.

Excellent. And what are the main influences here? How does the lake impact the grape growing? The lake will impact in two ways, or three ways. It will do temperature... how do you say that?

Moderation?

Moderator. And also it will bring that reflection of the sun to the vineyards. So that will heat up more. And also with the moderation we will avoid frosts until now.

Excellent. And you told me that there are three types of sun here in the Lavaux.

Yeah!

What are the three sunshines?

So, the direct one, the walls (which bring a lot of heat during the night), and also the lake - the reflection. And if you want to add a fourth one, it will be the heart of the winemaker!

Ahhhh - wooo! (laugh)

And can you tell us why this is a UNESCO heritage site? And a little bit about that?

So UNESCO is all the region of Lavaux, as you can see maybe behind me it's absolutely stunning. And it was decided to be UNESCO because of the monks here, they started to work in 1100, 1200AD (that's 300 less than Machu Pichu) and people thought that's maybe something and so we started on that.

Excellent, and the retaining walls, they are not just for the erosion but also the heat.

Yeah. They will bring heat, because these are the stones really heating up with the sun during the day will bring heat in the night from the stones mostly all night long.

Excellent. And tell me about the slopes, which way are we facing? And the aspect, the gradient.

So, we are now on the 30 - 35 gradient slope, we are facing south - so the lake, or France, just after the lake. And they can go until 40 - 45% in Dezaley in steepness.

Excellent, and why is Chasselas the main grape here? It was born here you said? And why does it thrive here, why does it do so well?

I think it's a little bit of everything but first as you just said it was really born here, and for us it's just the perfection here because we like to