Become a sponsor? Banal. But becoming the godfather of a vine? Style. It’s possible thanks to the campaign “Adopt your vine” launched by Hélène Séguier, winemaker and wine merchant between Toulouse and Pechbonnieu in Haute-Garonne. The one who took on the challenge of relaunching Vigné des Granges in 2017 wants even more, by developing this ancestral wine from the north of the Pink City.
In the villages of Haute-Garonne and Tarn, the vineyard was this place bringing together the plots of land of the inhabitants to each produce their own homemade wine. The very old Pechbonnieu vineyard is a vestige of it. On its south-facing hillside, it has defied urbanization since 1931. “It is a magnificent and rare place. It is located on the first terrace of the Garonne. The project is to perpetuate the conviviality of the place and transmit the identity of this region. I really want to relaunch this story of the small villages of France and give a taste of our region,” explains the smiling Hélène Séguier.
World War One
The Pechbonnieu vineyard – “Le Vigné des Granges” – is the last in the village which has now become a small town, just thirteen kilometers from the Capitol. Today, the town has more inhabitants than vines… Hence the project to replant 500 vines in 2023 then 800 vines in 2024. A new plot would be planted in 2025 to reach 7,000 m2 of organic vines. “There is already wine from Vigné des Granges but one in two vines is missing because it is old…”
And to develop your land by thumbing your nose at the world of opulent estates and castles, nothing better than finding godfathers for these missing feet. No Italian mafia but a clan of bon vivants. No formal ceremony and gifts every birthday either. By way of return, it’s time for wine boxes and learning the secrets of manufacturing. You will be able to follow the winegrower and your goddaughter throughout the year. Of course, sponsorship means birth announcements and certificates for godparents. We are no exception to the rule.
“A true oenological experience”
The professional offers a real experience that is much less far-fetched than her adoption campaign. “The originality of the approach is to intimately combine the wine merchant activity and the winegrower activity, to offer original distribution methods and wines selected for their good quality/price ratio and the state of mind of the winegrowers », she explains. “It’s a real oenological experience… They can taste wines from one to two grape varieties today; identify the expression of the terroirs of these grape varieties, and understand their aromatic profile. It’s as if they had to choose which grape varieties to plant. Real winemaker work! » In these boxes, therefore, a bottle of Vigné des Granges and two other bottles to discover the French terroir. On the other hand, you will have to be patient to taste the goddaughters. They will only produce in four years
To become a godfather or godmother, you can go to www.vignedesgranges.com/adoptetavigne