Wine tasting at the Boissier vineyards, in Vic-le-Fesq

LET'S TALK

Hello Mélanie
Welcome to the Terroir section of the UzEssentiel.com blog,
First of all, could you introduce us to your vineyards?

Hello Nancy! Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak on UzEssentiel.com.

Founded by our great-grandfather Émile in 1946 in Sommières, in the Gard, our House has woven its history in the heart of the Languedoc. The art of creating wines is a family know-how that has been passed down for four generations. We are producers, winemakers and merchants.

Out of conviction, our vineyards are cultivated using organic methods. It covers 7 hectares of IGP Pays d'Oc and 16 hectares of AOP Terrasses du Larzac.
 

So you are the 4th generation of winegrowers. You must have gradually developed a passion for wine... How did you train yourself for the different jobs that run  such a business? Who is on your team?

The passion has been passed down from generation to generation, and each generation has innovated and enriched our know-how. Today, our ambition is to combine tradition and modernity. My brother Alexandre is in charge of creating the wines, from growing the vines to blending and vinification, supported by a team of five people.

For my part, I manage the structure, promote our wines, market them and design the collections in collaboration with six colleagues, including my sister-in-law and my parents.

We all learn from each other. Everyone contributes to the Domaine with their knowledge and skills. The team work is always the key to the success of the business.

Your wines have been certified organic since 2017. How has this changed the way you grow your vines?

We had to rethink the way we work the land, favouring methods that respect the environment, in particular by avoiding the use of chemicals, whether in the soil or on the vines. In the cellars, too, there's a whole new way of organising the vinification and blending of the wines. Only certain products are authorised in the organic specifications. The idea is to limit inputs while maintaining the quality of the wine.

You divide your ranges into collections. There's Mélanie & Alexandre B, Vignobles Boissier... How would you define them, what are their specific characteristics?

Our collections include a variety of red, rosé and white wines: cepage wines and typical Languedoc appellations.

Mélanie & Alexandre B is our collection of signature wines, the creation of top range wines, created with the aim of a rich tasting experience, complexity on the palate to delight the most demanding wine lovers.

Under Les Vignobles Boissier brand, we offer wines for friends, easy to drink, to enjoy with friends: whether at a family meal or an aperitif with friends. And (last but not least), Uchronic products, which break free from the codes of the wine world with a retro-futuristic design, linking French gastronomic tradition with our times. Our mantra is: Where you want, How you want, With whom you want!

Our ambition is to ensure that all epicureans (aged 18 and over, of course!) have access to wines from the region (IGP Pays d¡Oc) that are certified organic, delicious and easy to drink, all presented in practical, lightweight formats.

Do you have a speciality?

Absolutely, The cuvée "nº1" from our hand-picked harvest day. Every year, the whole team, our friends and family are invited to join in. After the morning hand-picking, we all gather at Le Mazet (our family holiday resort) to share a meal with our wines.

This tradition is a celebration of conviviality, sharing our passion for wine, while creating our cuvée together.

We have discovered and tested your cans of wine, all 3 IGP OC. A Sauvignon, 'Vif comme l'éclair', with its pale colour and silver tints, a fine, floral nose of white-fleshed fruit and apricot and a round, refreshing palate, Gold Medal winner at the International Wine Challenge, a Chardonnay 'Frais comme un gardon', with its yellow colour and golden tints, a floral nose of boxwood and grapefruit and a gourmet, persistent palate, all round and fresh with lemon. And lastly, a Pinot 'à Bisquelette' with a light red colour, a nose offering a diversity of aromas from fresh red fruit to spicy notes and, on the palate, a round, light and fruity wine with mellow tannins.

How long has the Uchronic range been around, and how did you come up with the surprising idea of slipping wine into a can that is usually reserved for beer or soft drinks?

The Uchronic range was created in 2020 in response to a change in wine consumption that was both contextual and cyclical. It was difficult to find the same wine-by-the-glass experience in takeaway meals. Offering wine in a can format with offbeat packaging means providing a practical solution that's suitable for all occasions: home wine tasting, outdoor picnic, an aperitif in a van or on a boat.

It's a way of drinking sensibly (one can = two glasses) and in an eco-responsible way that's simple and free of wine codes. The varietal approach also helps to educate consumers. Uchronic wines are a high-quality, premium alternative to beer and soft drinks to accompany world cuisine.

Your Sauvignon Vif comme l'éclair won the Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge in 2021. Have other vintages also won awards? 

Yes, our Sauvignon won the Gold Medal at the International Canned Wine Challenge in 2021, which was a great source of pride for us. Since then, we haven't entered the competition for cans. However, our bottles, a more traditional format, have won awards at various national and international competitions.

Do you take part in regional, national and even international trade fairs?

Yes, we take part in several trade fairs every year. There's the unmissable Wine Paris in February and Vinexpo Asia in May. It's a great opportunity to showcase our product ranges. With Uchronic, we take a bit of a break from the very 'traditional' trade shows, as opportunities arise. For example, following the selection of our cans by Eurostar, we exhibited at World Travel Catering & Onboard Services, a show dedicated to the transport industry.

Where can we find your wines in the Gard?

Our bottles are available in a number of restaurants and straw huts in the region. These include L'invitation in Quissac, Le Very'table in Lunel, L'estuaire in Grau-du-Roi and L'Esplanade in Sommières.

As for our cans, you'll find them in shops such as Hop & Brol in Saint-Gély-du-Fesq, Les Vins de nos contrées in Montpellier, Les pâtes de Pat in Servian and Namassepamousse in Uzès, mentionned above.

All our products are available on our e-commerce site and on our partner platforms Ankorstore and Faire for professionals.

Would you like to add a detail, a comment?

We'd love to! As you may have seen, we unveiled our latest addition to the Uchronic range for Halloween: Sauvignon Fizz. This can is fresh, modern and a delicious sparkling Sauvignon to be enjoyed well chilled.

What's more, I'm delighted to share a little secret: we have other creations in the pipeline, scheduled for January. Stay tuned, you'll find out all the details in the coming weeks on our social networks. Instagram : @uchronic_drinks, Tiktok: @uchronic_ and Linkedin: uchronic.

Many thanks to Mélanie, from Vignobles Boissier, for her contribution to this article and the visuals.
The right address: Vignobles Boissier, 20 chemin des près, 30260 Vic-le-Fesq. Contact: contact@melanie-alexandre-b.com