"L'âme du Vin"
On the eve of the economic crisis which disrupts the reign of Napoleon III and the ravages of the phylloxera (1868), two great poets find their inspiration around the vine and wine.
Alfonse de Lamartine celebrates Milly, the house he loves so much, in the heart of the vineyard in the poem "la Vigne et la Maison " in 1867 and Charles Baudelaire wrote the wonderful poem following "l'âme du vin ".
Brigitte Berthelemot
L’âme du vin
Un soir, l’âme du vin chantait dans les bouteilles :
« Homme, vers toi je pousse, ô cher déshérité,
Sous ma prison de verre et mes cires vermeilles,
Un chant plein de lumière et de fraternité !
Je sais combien il faut, sur la colline en flamme,
De peine, de sueur et de soleil cuisant
Pour engendrer ma vie et pour me donner l’âme ;
Mais je ne serai point ingrat ni malfaisant,
Car j’éprouve une joie immense quand je tombe
Dans le gosier d’un homme usé par ses travaux,
Et sa chaude poitrine est une douce tombe
Où je me plais bien mieux que dans mes froids caveaux.
Entends-tu retentir les refrains des dimanches
Et l’espoir qui gazouille en mon sein palpitant ?
Les coudes sur la table et retroussant tes manches,
Tu me glorifieras et tu seras content ;
J’allumerai les yeux de ta femme ravie ;
A ton fils je rendrai sa force et ses couleurs
Et serai pour ce frêle athlète de la vie
L’huile qui raffermit les muscles des lutteurs.
En toi je tomberai, végétale ambroisie,
Grain précieux jeté par l’éternel Semeur,
Pour que de notre amour naisse la poésie
Qui jaillira vers Dieu comme une rare fleur ! »
Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du Mal, 1857
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Exception'Elles: 10 years!
The Grands Jours de Bourgogne committee inform us the cancellation of events that cannot ensure favorable conditions of safety for visitors and exhibitors following the evolution of the Coronavirus.
Also, that we decided to follow their decision.
Our Exception'Elles tasting, 10 years is therefore canceled.
See you soon for other events!
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Musician, comedian,epicurean....
Musician, comedian,epicurean......that’s me : I like to learn new things, I like meeting people, I like work well done!
When I first arrived in this magnificent region, I was struck by 3 features in particular: the sense of solidarity, friendship and true burgundian hospitality! For instance, I was very quickly drawn into the warm and welcoming Confrérie de Saint-Denis fellowship and soon after became a member of the all-female jury for the “Féminalises” contest.
Burgundy, wine, music.....3 loves inseparable from my female existence......Simone Weil, the philosopher, once said “I maintain that my condition as a woman should be recognized for its difference and in no way should there be an obligation to adapt oneself to the masculine order of life”.
Looking back to the time when I first discovered wine, I cannot help comparing this to my early stages in playing the cello: the same sensations revealed in a few seconds: a glass of white wine reflecting the sun or a glass of ruby red, the delicate feeling of the wine on the palate and its gradual warmth as it works its way freely like music through the body. Life was ahead of me: I spent hours with my musical instrument so as to gain artistical excellence – just like the toil involved in winemaking: sheer hard work to achieve the state of the art.
I dare to say that wine for me is a source of inspiration for my thoughts and dreams! As for my dear Brahms on his deathbed, when the time comes I will almost certainly ask for a glass of white wine and will exclaim when finished “that was good!” – those were his last words! We must not forget that Marie Jaëll – great composer and friend of Liszt – was also a lover of burgundy wines!
It is largely because of our deep interests – or perhaps simply the beauty of life -- that we wish to show off our feminine talent, our work and our unique versatility of mind.
Lets move forward together, all with a single objective and oblivious to what characterizes men and women: live our lives to the full!
Mona Lou Parmentier
https://www.facebook.com/ensemble.tamaris
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As generations follow on.....
As generations follow on.....
Like so many things today even the manner wine is consumed is influenced by changes in the way of life; Burgundy is no exception and the upcoming generation of both young men and women winemakers is the source of a real festival for the tastebuds, such is the range and the quality of the red and white wines produced.
What a pleasure and what better way of expressing the skills of those men and women who dedicate their lives – with so much passion and talent - to cultivating this blessed land with its multitude of plots, or climats.
What a pleasure and what better way to serve and satisfy and even surprise a customer: there is something for everybody and every budget, whatever the method of upbringing of the wine – that is the legacy of successive generations to satisfy our thirst (in moderation of course) and leave us gasping with enjoyment!
As generations follow on, the cellar is no longer big enough! Sebastien the sommelier is in a tizzy and the chef Pras is in a quandary to select the right wine to accompany his recipes! This may be a downside but what a formidable challenge in the search for gustatory sensation which also depends on vintage.
Forget for a moment warnings relating to alcohol and health and focus on what is so precious and what we derive from it and which keeps us in harmony with rural activity.
Lets try and see if the wine is good........and we can go on forever!
Frederic Lamy
the host of Lameloise, Chagny.
