Thierry Michon: Loire vigneron for Stage 1 Tour de France 2011

On Saturday the Tour swept through Brem-sur-Mer and past the Cave Michon (11 Rue des Vallées) where the Michon wines are on sale. Tomorrow the stage starts in Olonne-sur-Mer and heads northwards and initially inland – ducking to the east of Challans – before finishing in Brittany. Soon after the start of the stage the race will pass Thierry Michon's winery at La Croix Bégaud on the D32.

Thierry was my Loire vigneron for Stage One. However, as you can't be the Loire vigneron twice in the same edition of the Tour, I will be nominating someone else for tomorrow's stage, which passes through the southern part of Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. I will be announcing my nominee for Stage 3 early tomorrow. 

Then there will be a gap until Stage 7: Le Mans to Châteauroux when there will again be a Loire vigneron for this stage. Apart from producing excellent wine, the nominated vigneron has to be on or very close to the Tour route.    

 Thierry Michon (Domaine Saint-Nicolas): one of leading producers of Fiefs Vendéens

Tweet from Jon-David Headrick (US importer):

'Wildly elated call from France. Fiefs Vendéens just passed from VDQS to AOP for 2011 vintage. Oysters are being shucked, ducks slaughtered.'

As Egypt celebrates the fall of Mubarak, so the Fiefs Vendéens celebrate their promotion from VDQS to AOP status from the 2011 vintage.

Jéremie Mourat, Vignobles Mourat  another leading FV producer

An appropriate shirt for tasting wines of Domaine Aloha

Hervé Lalau, fellow blogger and also shortlisted for the Salon des Vins de Loire Wine Blogger Trophy, has kindly brought this Fiefs Vendéens estate and their blog to my attention.

'Dear Jim,

As a Loire-lover, but also as a flowered shirt lover, this "far west"
estate might interest you:
http://hlalau.skynetblogs.be/post/6711693/les-carottes-daloha

Regards

Hervé'

I haven't yet tasted their wines but must do so. Perhaps I'll manage to get down to see that star, Thierry Michon at the Domaine Saint-Nicolas, again this year and fit in a visit to Domaine Aloha. Once again this underlines how many interesting producers there are to see at the Salon des Vins de Loire and even with two days reasonably flat out you only manage to scratch the surface.

Domaine Aloha, Le Poiré, 85150 Vaire
Tel: 06.31.29.55.05
Email: smegnan@wanadoo.fr
Website: www.domaine-aloha.com