![]() I was fascinated to learn that it is actually the logistics prior to harvest that are the most daunting for Véronique. ![]() The recipe, given to her by her grandmother, is a huge favorite with the harvest crowd. She shared her recipe for Tomatoes Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes incorporating leftover beef from the evening before’s pot roast) with me. It is a substantial meal beginning with a potage (vegetable soup) followed by a main course of roasted meat, fish or pasta, and finishing with tarts and cakes for dessert. (Frankly, given how small Celles-sur-Ource is, I cannot fathom where they are lodging them although they said they have dormitories and some folks sleep in local homes.)ĭinner is always cooked by the Gerbais ladies and their friends. Amazingly, the Gerbais family not only feeds all 100 of their harvesters and winery employees during the harvest period, they house the majority of them as well. While we were eating lunch, I brought the conversation around to the question of how and what the workers at the winery eat during harvest (not a shock to anyone who knows me since it is one of my favorite topics). For instance, the Ibérico ham we were enjoying with our melon was sliced from one of the legs of Jamón the family brought back from one of their regular trips to the Basque country. ![]() While the Gerbais do some shopping in Bar-sur-Seine, they routinely travel 20 miles to the Halles market in Troyes for the lion’s share of their marketing, sometimes venturing even further afield to ensure a good supply of their favorite foods. The closest shops (and they are very small) are in Bar-sur-Seine five miles away. Celles-sur-Ource, population 450, has no stores, no café and no hotel. After Aurélien and I visited the vineyards (with me driving my trusty Fiat Panda up the steep, dirt roads to see the oldest Pinot Blanc vines-yikes!) and the cellar and tasted the wines, he invited me to join him for lunch in the tasting room.ĭuring a simple yet delicious lunch of Jamón Ibérico and melon, summer-ripened tomatoes with mozzarella and a mâche lettuce salad with julienned red beets (and Pierre Gerbais Champagne, of course) I discovered that Aurélien and his parents are avid foodies who don’t let the relative lack of grocery stores in their neck of the woods hamper their dining habits. My experiences each time I have visited the Aube allow me to attest to the fact that they are extremely hospitable. While I agree it is big business, I have never found the Champenois to be unfriendly-having been welcomed into the homes of many Champagne producers. ![]() I have friends in the wine industry who espouse the view that Champagne is big business and the Champenois people are not friendly. Récoltant-Manipulants in the Aube have emerged from their limited roles as grape growers for their neighbors to the north by bottling their own estate-grown wines, with a number of them becoming some of the most sought-after winemakers in all of Champagne. Over the last 15-20 years a group of Grower Winemakers a.k.a. Located approximately 100 miles south of Reims and Epernay with their well-known Champagne vineyards, the Aubes’s Côte des Bar is the warmest region in Champagne and historically has supplied grapes to the large Champagne houses in the north. What a great visit! We toured vineyards and discussed the family winery where he is the fourth generation to work the vineyards and make wine. While planning a trip to the Aube this summer to visit my friends Cédric and Emilie Bouchard of Roses de Jeanne fame, I contacted Aurélien hoping that he would have time to see me while I was there. I make sure I have an ample supply of properly chilled Champagne. Some people get ready by stocking up on tons of toilet paper and milk (milk, really?). I was preparing for last winter’s big snowstorm. The wines from this winery in the Aube region in Southern Champagne have quickly become favorites of mine so I was ecstatic when Aurélien Gerbais started following me on Instagram after I posted a photo of two bottles of Champagne-Pierre Gerbais L’Originale and Roses de Jeanne Côte de Béchalin-chilling in the snow on my patio table. While celebrating my sister Lori’s birthday in New York, I happened across the 100% Pinot Blanc Cuvée Originale Champagne from Pierre Gerbais. If given a choice of only one wine for the rest of my life, I would choose Champagne. ![]() The fact that I love Champagne has already been pretty well established in previous blog posts, but it bears repeating. ![]()
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