Nantes is known for its lamb’s lettuce, lily of the valley and muscadet. In Divatte-sur-Loire (Loire-Atlantique), the Bouyer family and the Morille-Luneau family have been offering “muguet-muscadet” since last year. A 37.5 cl bottle of Muscadet from the Morille-Luneau family estate to which is attached a pipette of water in which are deposited three sprigs of lily of the valley. These sprigs of lily of the valley come from the exploitation of the Bouyer family.
An idea following the health crisis
The idea was born last year and the coronavirus health crisis is not for nothing. “In 2020, following the coronavirus, there was no lily of the valley collection and therefore on the initiative of Louis Bouyer, who wanted to find new outlets, new distribution niches, we said to ourselves why not develop the range. They already have about sixty references”, explains Jean-Baptiste Morille, one of his friends, who is also a winegrower.
A different way to present lily of the valley sprigs offered last year to private companies – still due to the health context – festive events, pots… They offer it to their employees, their loyal customers. This year, orders were opened to the general public. “Our customers mainly come from Loire-Atlantique, Vendée and Maine-et-Loire”, explains Jean-Baptiste Morille. But a few boxes went to the Netherlands. Lily of the valley being a fragile flower, everything is prepared at the last moment and the boxes are kept cool.
Wine, muscadet and a good cause
The idea is to marry two local products, two local prides and that one promotes the other and vice versa. 2,000 of these girls – these 37.5 cl bottles – have been ordered. The two families limited themselves to this volume: the lily of the valley producer faced a lack of labor and was unable to take all of his production when his winegrower colleague had to face the increase in certain expenses, such as cardboard, the glass bottle.
The price of a bottle of lily of the valley and muscadet is 11 euros 90. 40 cents are donated to the local association “The Carpenter” for the fight against Friedreich’s ataxia. It is a degenerative neuromuscular disease, incurable to date: it affects 1,500 people in France.