A Day at Domaine Bergeron in Emeringes

We'd spent the previous night marveling over the severity of a thunderstorm raging its way through the Emeringes area of the department of the Rhone in France. We did not know that in a mere four minutes, it would also rain down hail that would create a scene of devastation. We witnessed the destruction ourselves, the next day, as we drove through the area on our way to our tour of Domaine Bergeron. We had been booked for a private tour and tasting with Jean Francois Bergeron, one of the two brothers who own and operate the enormous vineyard. Upon arrival, he told us that the hail storm (lasting only four minutes) had destroyed many of the vines throughout the area. Amazingly enough, the Domaine Bergeron made it through the havoc entirely unharmed! Because of this, we were able to see an impressive way that the brothers manage their production. We were also able to see their Julienas (old vines), which are more than 80 years old, and which are pressed into vintages aged in oak barrels for a year or more.

Jean Francois is a down to earth man who has a very obvious passion for his vineyards and for wine making. As a family owned property across multiple generations, there is an obvious dedication to its preservation and success. The Domain Bergeron is a 34 hectare property known for its excellent terroir. The brothers use precision in their cultivation, controlling of the yields of each vine and systematic sorting of grapes. This allows them to perform an extremely controlled process, which only enhances the flavors of the fruit. Wines, we learned, are chilled quickly after their fermentation process in order to preserve maximum flavors. This is a very significant issue since the vineyard follows some impressively organic processes. The wines produced are all vegan, and there is not a single pesticide used throughout the vineyard. The tasting introduced us to their whites, reds and rose options, and they offer a Chenas, Morgon, Julienas, Fleurie, Windmill, St. Amour and Cremant of Burgundy. We could not choose a favorite as they were all delicious.