Country of Origin: France
Location: Marchampt, Beaujolais
People: Herve Ravera, Owner & Winemaker
Herve Ravera started out as a nurse, but was drawn to farming and winemaking. In 2007, his interest became more than a part-time hobby: he quit his job and bought 2 ha of old Gamay vines in the tiny village of Marchampt. His vines are grown in sand and granite with volcanic subsoil.
Herve Ravera farms biodynamically and uses a plow led by a horse named Reggae Nights. Friends and family pitch in to help harvest. He ferments whole clusters in concrete without any additives, then uses a massive 100-year-old press in the winery. In the cellar, there’s no filtration or fining, no use of sulfites.
In a world where the top wines of Beaujolais seem to be becoming more extracted and dense, Herve’s wines have a transparency and purity, while still maintaining the varietal character of gamay. that can be a revelation.
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