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Cardinal Mazarin’s private secretary, in charge of his possessions and his immense fortune, Colbert takes possession of the Duchy of Nièvre on behalf of Mazarin in 1659. During Autumn 1660, Colbert starts a second journey in the Duchy to implement the necessary reforms for its reorganization. Once there, he sends a letter to Mazarin on […]

In the heart of France, on the banks of the Loire river, stands the famous Sancerre vineyard.   Recognized for its Sauvignon Blanc, the reputation of the wines of Sancerre has been well established for many centuries … In fact, traces of vine culture can be found in Sancerre since Antiquity.   In 582, Grégoire […]

The Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto or Quercus conferta) is a tree of the Fagaceae family whose natural range extends from central Italy to northwestern Turkey: Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia), Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary , Italy, Romania and Turkey.   Use of Hungarian oak The wood of the Hungarian oak is used in the […]

The Jury of the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine), which met in Paris on September 9, 2021, this year awarded 16 Prizes and 10 Special Mentions from around sixty publications in competition.   Today, we are very proud to announce that the work “Le Chêne en majesté, de la forêt au vin”, written […]

While the use of oak (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea and Quercus alba) dominates today very largely the cooperage, it has not always been so. Different archaeological studies have indeed shown that the barrels were originally made of softwood. Oak has established itself over the centuries, first for mechanical issues, then more recently for its organoleptic […]

A narrow strip of land extending over some thirty kilometers on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Lavaux vineyard (canton of Vaud) enjoys a particularly favorable climate for the cultivation of vines which has prompted men to shape its slopes. steep. The exceptional character of this wine-growing landscape was recognized in 2007 by the inscription […]

Aromas of Oak in Wines – The Aromas of Wood in Wines serie highlights the olfactive molecules that oak gives to wines during aging.   Before being bottled, some wines are aged in barrels. This aging modifies their structure thanks to exchanges between wood and wine. Different aromas develop and vary depending on the origin […]

The art of cooperage has, “for a long time, reached the level of perfection to which it is likely to come. Our ancestors did much of the barrel casing as well as they do today. (W. Maigne, New Complete Cooper and Tonnage Manual, 1875).   While manufacturing techniques have changed only a little since the […]

Bartram oak (Quercus heterophylla) is a tree of the Fagaceae family. It was named in memory of one of the first American botanists, John Bartram (1699-1777) who founded the first botanical garden of the new continent, Kingsessing, near Philadelphia *. A deciduous tree, the Bartram oak can reach 30 meters in height and exceed one […]

Bio-based construction, and in particular wood construction, appears to be one of the main avenues for decarbonizing the construction world.   Indeed, the building sector represents 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in France and Europe. A constructive revolution is called for. The 2021 edition of the “Forum Bois Construction”, located in the Grand Palais Éphémère […]