Vinocap show in Cap d’Agde: all the love of the Picpoul grape variety at the Domaine de la Grangette

Matthieu et Christelle Caron, des défenseurs du Picpoul. MIDI LIBRE – OLIVIER RAYNAUD

Alors que le salon vit sa dernière journée ce samedi 11 mai sur les quais du Cap d’Agde, rencontre avec Christelle et Matthieu Caron, symboles d’une reconversion réussie.

This is what we call a successful retraining. Christelle and Matthieu Caron, a couple from Paris, have been at the head of the Grangette estate in Castelnau-de-Guers for eleven years now. She in human relations, he in sign maintenance, nothing predestined these young urbanites to come and cultivate vines in Hérault. Until Christelle's parents purchased the property in 2001, which greatly facilitated things when it came time to get started.

Picpoul is vinified in three colors

The particularity of this 60 hectare estate, twenty of which are organic plantations? It is the only one in the appellation to cultivate Picpoul in three colors: white , gray and black. If the first is the one which enters into the specifications of the famous Picpoul de Pinet, available here in two vintages, the others also have their history, their uses. "With the black, we vinify in IGP Côtes de Thau a red, a rosé and grape juice (excellent!)", explains Christelle Caron. "For the gris, we are in Vin de France and we make a crémant." Originally, it is the black Picpoul that we found in our latitudes, near the sea. The gray was used for the manufacture of vermouth.

La Grangette has also diversified by planting 700 olive trees, with the plan to develop this culture a little further. Homemade honey is also appreciated, even if production remains anecdotal. But the will is there.