French Wineries to Make Taste of Two Forks an International Competition

French vineyards will go head to head against wines from the South Fork and North Fork during Dan’s Taste of Two Forks Presented by Hampton Jitney on Saturday, July 6 at the Southampton Arts Center.

In addition to Hampton Water, born in France and raised in the Hamptons, two family-owned vineyards in the South of France will offer their wines at the event. Domaine Solence is located south of Grès Vaillant keeping with the North and South theme.

Domaine Solence is located in the beautiful foothills of Mt. Ventoux and is the vision of Jean-Luc and Anne-Marie Isnard, who manifested their dream to make wine using organic farming methods in their favorite part of Provence. When the Domaine was founded in 1992, Jean-Luc and Anne-Marie set out with a desire to establish a trend within the appellation for sustainable viticulture — a trend that has only increased over the past 30 years. Since inception, Solence has held Ecocert Status for organic winemaking and viticulture practices. Jean-Luc and Anne-Marie’s vision dates back to university and decided that upon graduation they would build an estate together with the philosophy to work with nature rather than against it.

Many years later, this husband-and-wife team has grown the Domaine to 14 hectares of vines, spread over a terroir with two very distinct geological identities. One part is composed of alluvial soils and limestone that drains particularly well, allowing syrah, grenache and marselan to flourish. The other part is marked by mineral heavy, silty-clay soils with a colder climate that when paired together makes a great growing environment for their whites and rosés. The wine is vinified in their eco-cellar and aged in a combination of stainless steel and wood foudres, with particular attention to the monitoring of fermentation temperatures. Each plot at the Domaine is subjected to separate vinification, and each wine blended from a combination of these parcels results in a fantastic range of wines — from wines perfect for summertime apéro to wines with enough body and flavor to complement the most gourmet of meals.

Grès Vaillant, a vineyard steeped in history, has origins dating back to the 13th century when Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Saint-Polycarpe first planted vines on the site of the current estate. Today, the estate is managed by veteran winemakers Aigline de Causans and Laurent Maffeis and covers an area of 7 hectares in a natural setting rich in biodiversity, surrounded by woods, meadows, and streams. With the help of their three horses — Rustica, Colette and Carolus — the winemakers can cultivate vines and produce wines according to organic farming methods. Set atop a gray limestone plateau, Aigline and Laurent’s plots are surrounded by woods mixing white and green oaks and arbutus trees, alongside companion trees of the vine such as the pinion pine and the almond tree, which have been certified organic since 2008.

The result is a polyculture wine — an homage to wine production prior to the 19th century, reflecting the best of natural, organic and biodynamic viticulture practices. Grès Vaillant underwent a major renovation in 2020 to update wine production facilities. They now vinify in thermo-regulated stainless-steel tanks using gravity loading for red wines and pneumatic pressing for whites and rosé wines. White wines produced are barrel aged in cellars on the property which has been carved out of gray sandstone. To round out production and achieve the best expression of its terroir, indigenous yeasts are used in natural fermentation with no additives. The result is an outstanding range of wines crafted from ancient grape varietals in a sustainable, natural, and unique manner. Their offerings span from a refreshing sparkling wine made with Mauzac to a delicate Pinot Noir in the Burgundian style.

Guests will enjoy these French wines along with North and South Fork wines all a perfect complement to the wonderful food of the forks.

For tickets visit DansTaste.com.