When everyone thinks you will give up and leave, one woman soldiers on and continues to express the best of the land in the Languedoc at Terres des Dames winery.
People often move to a new place for love. Lee Van Wilgen's husband loved wine and dreamed of owning a winery. So the couple left their careers in the Netherlands and bought a centuries old, but neglected winery in Languedoc, France.
While he wanted to hire a winemaker, Lee thought she could learn the craft. In 2002 with two babies at home, she enrolled in the local wine school where everyone was 18 years old and she was the only non-French person in the classroom. By 2005, she became the winemaker for their winery.
While she progressed in her wine knowledge, the couple separated leaving Lee with now three young daughters in a dilapidated 1750 farmhouse with no windows and doors that wouldn't close.
It would have been easier to leave.
But Lee fell in love with the land: 13 hectares divided into 25 tiny plots surrounded by trees that bore habitat to tiny spiders that protect the vines from pests.
The vineyard is also located next to a natural park, and there are no nearby neighbors so she doesn't need to worry about sprays tainting her organic vineyard.
She kept every existing vine including 70 year old grenache vines rooted in mineral rich soil of clay, limestone, and plenty of pebbles. These deep rooted vines are much more resistant to climate change than younger vines would be.
The grapes are 100% hand harvested. She is careful about choosing which grapes to put into the vine, so she doesn't have to correct with sulfites later.
She chooses not to have an apellation because the local AOC requires blends, and she had one plot of grenache blanc where she wanted to make single varietal wine. She liked the grenache blanc so much she planted two more plots of it.
Though some French wineries are passed down to subsequent generations, it seemed like Lee was destined to take care for this piece of land. The vineyard owner before her had 3 daughters, and the owner before him had 3 daughters. Therefore, she named the winery Terres des Dames, land of the ladies.
The winery is certified organic, and Lee sees herself as carrying on the winemaking tradition before her. In the 50's and prior, they didn't have pesticides and herbicides. She's making wine the way it has always been made.
In addition, everything she does in the cellar is biodynamic. Looking at the influence of the moon on the tides and women's reproduction, it's only logical to work with wine on the same cycles.
Bottlings are done according to the biodynamic calendar. She plans 6 months in advance and places high importance on picking the right days. She see proof of concept in the product.
She doesn't see it as "woo" but very factual in how liquids move and flow in accordance with the moon cycle. The elderly winemakers she consults with know everything about the moon and its natural cycle. It's called 'biodynamic' now, but back then it was just called farming and knowing what works best.
Though she practices biodynamics, the winery is not certified biodynamic. One of the requirements for certification is a to bury cowhorns filled with cow manure during the cold season to ferment into humus. Since there were no cows native to her existing land, she didn't think it was appropriate to introduce cows to the land.
As a mom to three now young women, Lee has also cultivated a forgotten vineyard into a beautiful, flourishing winery. She seemed not only destined for this land but a ideal steward to take care of it.
To learn more about the land of France and Grenache wines, check out these posts from the French Winophiles:
Wendy is having Roasted Lobster Tails with Curry Dipping Sauce paired with a French Granache Rosé at A Day in the Life on the Farm
Camilla is tasting A Pays d'Oc Grenache with Iberian Peninsula-Style Squid at Culinary Cam
Terri is pairing a 2019 Milhas Grenache with Campfire Beef Stew at Our Good Life
Gwendolyn is celebrating with Let’s Go Grenache! Dave Phinney’s D66 from Cotes Catalanes France with Lamb Chops at Wine Predator
Jeff is writing about Domaine Lafage: Sustainable Grenache from the Roussillon at Food Wine Click
Wendy Klik says
What a great story. She should write a book in her free time, oh wait....I'm sure she has no free time, perhaps now that her daughters are young women they can help out a bit.
Camilla Mateo Mann says
Wow! Talk about persistence and grit. I will definitely try to track down some of these bottles.