The story behind Les Caves de Pyrene

Caves NewsSeptember 2008 Issue 12Dates for your diaryFriday 17 th October 2008Regional tasting at Les Cavesfrom 5pm to 8.00pmLanguedoc RoussillonFriday 21 st November 2008Christmas Tasting in housefrom 5pm to 8.00pmA large range of wine including sweet wines and ChampagneWhat‟s onVintage ReportThe Story behind Les CavesDon‟t forget your special supplement: The Guildford Times!!!This September (or August, Adrian and his memory!!!) les Caves are celebrating 20 years of importing unique andsometimes…wacky wines from regions that no one else would have thought of. One of the “parents” tells us a bit moreabout the wonderful adventure of Les Caves de Pyrene. So Happy Birthday and… SANTAT!!! See page 2 formore history and family album.

2008 Vintage ReportAs we have received our first 2008 we have ask two of our growers to tell you a bit more about the vintage…ALEX SOKOL BLOSSER of Dundee Hills, Oregon.July 2, 2008- We are about 80% done with bloomin our vineyard and the weather has been dry and warm tohot (80-100 F). We are on track to start picking PinotNoir at the end of September/early October. The cropat this point looks heavy just like it did in 2007 and 2006. Ido not remember 3 bumper crops in a row since we‟ve beenfarming in the Dundee Hills. I predict I will have to drophalf my crop to get the crop load I want for our Pinot Noir.Just this past week we started getting summer like weatherfollowing a normal cool spring. The only thing unusual thisyear has been the rainfall; we are about 2-3 inches belownormal. Since we are dry farmers I watch this closely. TheOregon summer is very dry so it is not likely that we will begetting any more rain from now until harvest.There has not been a lot of mildew pressure thisyear so my sulfur sprays have been working very well. Theweirdest thing happened this past March as I went to pickup my sulfur for the season; there was none to buy! We‟vebeen farming here since 1971 and there has never been asulfur shortage. Since I so heavily depend on sulfur as anorganic farmer this shortage was extremely serious. I waslucky enough to be able to track down some bags aftermaking a dozen or so calls. I guess we have entered a newparadigm with everything that once seemed in plentifulsupply; sulfur, oil, love (!) that now seems in short supplyand extremely expensive.JOHN BOJANOWSKI, CLOS DU GRAVILLAS, St Jean de Minervois, Languedocburst in May, we've been taking weekly rides through allour vines starting at 5am on windless mornings and again at9pm when we couldn't finish all 6 hectares before theday got too hot. In addition to sulfur powders and wetComing off of 2007, which was the perfect vintagesprays, we've started using alternative (some sayin grape quality and in matching exactly our maximumbiodynamic) preparations made from marine algaes, fromcapacity in the cellar, we are working hard to bottle what weclays, from limes and lemons (to dry up any mildews that getcan before harvest 2008 to have enough room in tanks tostarted) all followed up by a dilute dose of nettle tea (onferment and work the new wines comfortably!!! 2008 hasthe vines, not in the vignerons--we prefer coffee!). Thebeen the wettest, coolest, most humid spring since Nicolebeginning of the season was pretty scary, with appearancestarted 10 years ago. As traditional organic methods onlyof more fungal warning signs than we'd ever seen, despitelet us call on manual shoot and leaf thinning, sulfur dust andmore vine work than we'd ever had to do.copper sulfate powders to dissuade the fungi which wantto attack our vines in these conditions. Since the budsOur version of Organic viticulture is based on creating an ecosystem in our vines and soil that increases the ability ofthe vines to produce delicious healthy grapes. To reduce competition from weeds for water, we plough; to cut diseasepressure, we work to aerate the vine canopy to reduce the humidity and the likelihood of fungal growth--and we follow up withregular small doses of organic elements that prevent fungus from getting a foothold. All this not because we want to sellorganic-labelled wines but that we prefer to live and work in healthy conditions and believe that healthy conditions let us growbetter grapes which make better wines.

The story behind Les Caves de PyreneOnce upon a time, in the pretty, Gascon town of Pau, three young university students began a strong friendshipthat would take them on a long and winding adventure together: law student Eric Narioo, resident of neighbouringJurançon which was home to sweet wines, then unheard of in the UK yet rivalling those of Sauternes and Barsacin both concentration and perfume; Maths student Christian Gaucher from Saint Gaudens near Pau; andGuildford born Liz Reid who was benefiting from a university exchange scheme for language students fromUniversity of Bristol.Remember them?!The venue chosen for this venture, bought theFrench natives to Liz‟s home turf, to which she andEric had returned to in 1987. Once in the area,Eric‟s determination to succeed in the British wineand drinks business led him to finding a job in thedrinks store „ Peter Dominic‟ on Godalming HighStreet, managed by none other than well-connectedGuildford resident, Adrian Scholes.And this young and smooth chap?....It was the passions binding these 3 friends; bothtravelling and foreign languages, but more importantlythe enjoyment of great company, and a love ofauthentic food and wine made by people with apassion for the land, that would ultimately lead themto set up a wine importing and wholesale operationtogether.In 1988, thanks to the three french speakingstudents and one, thankfully less juvenile and morelevel-headed Brit, Santat Wines was born. Whilstnot a word that rolled of the tongues of its Surreycustomers, the Occitan word Santat meaningCheers was chosen to represent the company‟sambition of introducing the British public to thethen-little-known wines of Gascony.

The population of Farncombe andGodalming proved to be keen wine drinkers and gaveSantat its initial push towards success. However,having sniffed out many potential trade customersamong the quality restaurants and pubs aroundSurrey, the decision was made to venture into the bigbad smoke of London. Almost simultaneously, thedecision was also made to change the company name.Whilst still evocative of the company‟s roots inSouth west France, the softer sounding Les Cavesde Pyrene was the name chosen to represent the fourfriends‟ on the bigger scene. Not even a new namecould prepare them for the reception they wouldreceive in London however. The quality andoriginality of their wines, combined with their excellentcustomer service led to them breaking into this verywell covered and coveted market with unexpectedsuccess. And with each year that passed, and eachaward that was won, Les Caves de Pyrene‟s horizonsgrew. Leaving no corner of France unvisited, and nostone unturned, Eric then turned his sights to Italyand soon the French named Les Caves de Pyrenewas also named Italian Specialist of the Year too.Now a thirty strong team working in threeoffices across three European countries, not tomention the worldwide spread of the buying team,Les Caves de Pyrene continues to uphold theprinciples and ideals of the four founding fathers…orthree fathers and a mother as the case may be. Andwith the new, Rioja based Spanish office as astepping stone, it will be only a matter of time beforeSpain receives the same „Narioo treatment‟ that hasbeen given to France and Italy.But there are still things that will never change in les Caves…”l‟Esprit de Famille”, voici notre album…Phil B double T looking cheekyAs anyone seen Ade without a glass???And who is enjoying some prosecco…Anthony?Who is that blonde in your arms James?

What is so funny boys?? Will playing his invisible trumpet after a few… Looks like Peter likes it too!!Family reunion in Tuscany last September, Liz, Christian and AdrianPhil protecting his “Barnet” !!!Pew Staff in the The Old Ship Inn after a hard day of work!…