the pleasure of returning to the Bourgueil Wine Festival, after two years of Covid

It reigned like an air of before on the boulevard Heurteloup, this Saturday, March 19. The Bourgueil Wine Festival has made a comeback in Tours, after two canceled editions because of the health situation. An 18th edition that the people of Tourangeaux and the forty winegrowers present were impatiently awaiting.

A moment of meeting and sharing between Tourangeaux and winegrowers

Glass in hand, Gretchen and Marie navigate between the stands, with a few tasting stops. “Can we taste the red, please?” Vintage 2018. “Very pleasant, fruity and a good hold in the mouth”comment the two women. “We were curious to know these wines. It’s also an opportunity to meet people and we take advantage of it with the winegrowers, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen them.”

A pleasure shared by the professionals present, such as Eric Meslet, based in La Chapelle-sur-Loire. “We are always happy to come and see the people of Touraine and to be able to present our work to them. It is the culmination of a long process to reach the bottle. Even if we can see that habits have changed”he observes.

A breath after two years complicated by the Covid

The health crisis did not spare winegrowers. “People were no longer going out, the restaurants were closed, commercially, it was very tense. Climatically, too, with the episodes of frost. All of this together means that the last two years have been extremely painful”, explains François Audebert. The Bourgueil winegrower has lost 20% of turnover per year. Many have had to adapt, by exporting, or by setting up a drive system.

It will get better ! – François Audebert, winemaker in Bourgueil

But today he wants to be optimistic. “We are still in uncertainty but you see, there is a ray of sunshine, a little bit of a crowd. It will be better!” An enthusiasm also present among the people of Touraine, many of whom leave with several bottles under their arms. “Six bottles of rosé to replenish the stock!”smiles Thierry.

He and his wife Brigitte have already got back to their habits. “We know the Domaine de la Chanteleuserie so we pay them a little visit. And we hope that in the coming months, we will resume a more or less normal life. And so, make way for good meals and wine!”