Laurent et Emmanuel Habrard, wine producers from Gervans, a Drome village located between Lyon and Valence, like to repeat, « We are not chemists or carpenters ». Which clearly means that no imported yeast crosses the threshold of the estate and that only old casks are used, to avoid imparting too woody a flavour to the wine. It is true that Syrah, which flourishes on the granite hills of Gervans and gives a nectar with strong aromas, doesn't need to be reinforced! A wine with a well-affirmed character, that the estate of 14 hectares produces in three appellations: Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Might as well mention the most representative appellations of the region!

But it is especially the methods for working with the wine that are the speciality of this estate, which has been in the family for several generations. Faithful to tradition, the two brothers carry on the « pigeage », a technique that allows for the gentle extraction of the components of the wine by sinking the cap into the must of the grapes. If nowadays this kind of work is most often done by pneumatic presses, the two brothers continue to use ancestral methods for the crushing of the grapes in the vats! A strong penchant for the natural that is also reflected in the decision made in 2008 to convert the estate to organic farming. And since nature and tradition are not opposed to modernity, the Habrards have created an internet site that doesn't merely present the wines they produce but also explains in detail the conditions of production and the work of the small farmer. Explaining that the bottles of wine do not grow directly on the vine stocks!  

More information: www.domainehabrard.com

Domaine Habrard
7, route des Blancs
F - 26600 Gervans
Photo: Domaine Habrard

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Once again it's time for the publication of the Guide Rouge, at the same time as the New Year's neverending question: who has managed to do the impossible this time?

For the 2009 edition, the hundredth for the Guide Michelin, a very young chef from Valence was awarded the much-coveted star. Not even thirty years old, Baptiste Poinot, of Flaveurs, has shown his talent at the greatest: Anne-sophie Pic, Robuchon and the Pourcel brothers. Produce from the immediate proximity, an inclination to cook at low temperatures and, without the slightest hesitation, audacious blendings of borage (starflowers) and lobster, of strawberries and olive oil, of basil and vinegar. And what can be said about the incredible sucette au foie gras de canard?  Proof, were there still a need for it, that merit doesn't depend on age! The other happy winner this year: Ljichi Masashai, who came from Japan a decade ago and who works at La Cachette, a little restaurant that is so well hidden in the heart of the old city of Valence that it exemplifies its name. Lots from the region, enormously imaginative: cod preserved with fennel, caramelised tomatoes for a price that's still sweet. Two new little places to discover before the stampede!

More information: click here
Photo: Drôme Tourisme

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It was while travelling around the world for five years selling Côtes du Rhône wines that Raphaël Delaye-Reynaud came to vinegar. It was a period in which he got to know the winegrowers of the region very well. Owning neither vineyard nor olive tree, but with a strong desire for independence, he started his own business in 2004. He transformed the business of the La Para family into a producer of vinegar in the traditional way. To make vinegars like great wines are made. And actually wines hold no secrets for this young entrepreneur.

For the knowledge acquired through contact with wine producers allow him not to make any mistakes when it comes to choosing a wine. And without good wine, there's no good vinegar. Raphaël puts his precious nectars in casks of oak. The process of acetification can then start with the development of  « mycoderma aceti », the famous « mother of vinegar ». At the end of the process - count on a good two weeks - the nectar, flavoured with a decoction of plants from Drôme, is poured into a new barrel to refine its aromas. Shallots, taragon, hyssop, elderberry, thyme, raspberry and lavender are combined with honey. A gamut of aromatic vinegars for dishes which are just as flavourful. And if you don't know how to use them, don't hesitate to ask for some recipes from Raphaël, who even organises cooking classes.

Contact et informations: www.lapara.fr
La Para
F- 26110 Nyons
Tel + 33 (0)475 261 299

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Les amateurs de truffes et de beaux livres vont pouvoir se régaler avec le dernier né des éditions La Muse. Avec, à la plume, Florian-Gabriel Serron, écrivain et fin connaisseur du monde de la truffe et, à l'objectif, Annick Guillaume, photographe aux mille images du Sud, « Richerenches la Secrète, un marché en terre de truffes » offre une immersion complète dans l'univers hautement confidentiel de la truffe.

Richerenches, plaque tournante du précieux joyau depuis bientôt 80 ans, berceau de la confrérie des chevaliers du diamant noir mais également  lieu d'échanges et de rencontres: c'est un véritable condensé d'arômes, de parfums et de sensations qui se dévoile au fil des pages. Une invitation à se plonger dans le monde mystérieux de la truffe dont on peut avoir un avant-goût en visitant le site consacré à l'ouvrage: www.marche-truffes.com.