Yesterday... The real launch of the vine and the vintners goes back, as far as records show, to the period where the Eduens called the Romans to their aid. And so Cesar’s bronze eagles took off at the same time as the Roman Civilisation: the clearing of the land and the planting of the vines keeping time with the steps of the Roman Legion... Extract from the book ’The Vine and the Vintners (Asquins-Vèzelay).
The Brotherhood of the Four Slopes of Vèzelay came in to being on the 7th of January 2002 and hopes to spread to include four villages in its district and occasionally go further a field for festivities linked to wine and principally from around the St Vincent.
You can become a member of the Brotherhood and join the big family of the Four Slopes. (Membership fee, greater than or equivalent to, 15 €uros)
Confrérie des Quatre Coteaux du Vézelien (Brotherhood of the Four Slopes of Vèzelay)
Mairie de Vezelay
89450 VEZELAY
| | Nowadays… In the eighties, 330 hectares (825 acres) were demarcated by the INAO (National Institute for Wine controlled Origin) in Vézelay’s four villages: Asquins, Vézelay, St Père and Tharoiseau. This action, coupled with the desire of several men to re-plant Vèzelay’s vineyards and to bring back the ancestral image of the vineyard that has always been the heart of the hillsides of Mount Scorpion and which became “Vaiselay 1610”. To this day, we estimate that on average 150 hectares (375 acres) are exploited by either independent vintners, or by the cellar cooperative.
The replanting of the vines started in 1974: I have had the privilege to exploit these vines for 30 years or so, at the heart of an area named “Les Roches” (The Rocks)
Since the re-establishment of vineyards in the Vézelay district, the young appellation of “Bourgogne Vézelay” comes better known each year on this ancestral soil.
Thanks to this dynamism in the heart of Morvan, due also to Vézelay winegrowers’ Syndicate’s intensive work, our micro vineyards and refining are being ensured a future at the heart of the Greater Auxerrois area. Domaine Maria Cuny was established in the year 2000, from the determination to participate in bringing a stop the desertification and with the goal to develop Vézelay’s vineyards.
As a young vintner, I was able to install a microstructure of 2.4 hectares (6 acres) divided as follows:
- 1,5 ha of Chardonnay plants (the vines are 18 years old)
- 0,9 ha of Pinot Noir plants (the vines are 30 years old)
To perpetuate the company, I have the possibility to spread my vineyards over 4.5 hectares (ll.25 acres).
With this objective, I have integrated the notion of diversification, welcomed by my hosts. |
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