Provencal Wine Producer La Fête Launches Red

La Fête du Rouge

My go-to vino this summer, and truth beryllium told, moreover now travel colder weather, is La Fête du Rose, a crisp, refreshing explanation that’s cleanable connected its ain aliases arsenic a partner pinch a assortment of food.

It’s produced successful Provence, a destination that I love, and was founded successful 2019 by Donae Burston. As I’ve written earlier successful this column, Donae had a high-profile profession astatine LVMH moving for brands specified arsenic Dom Perignon and Ruinart earlier he launched his ain vino brand. He has since expanded pinch a white, La Fête du Blanc.

Today, Donae continues to turn his postulation pinch different debut: conscionable successful clip for winter, present comes La Fête du Rouge. A blend of 3 reddish grapes, nan mostly being Syrah, his latest stunner is aged successful stainless alloy and actual tanks and has a gorgeous ruby-red hue. Not excessively tannic and incredibly smooth, nan vino is arsenic awesome successful sensation pinch its notes of achromatic pepper, cherries and touch of pomegranate. With a unit value of $34.99, it’s affordable excessively but has a value that speaks to a higher value point.

But alternatively of me, I’ll fto Donae stock more. Read connected for our speech that follows below.

What led you to motorboat a Provence red?

It was nan logical adjacent improvement of nan La Fête marque arsenic we aimed to bring nan wines of Provence to greater prominence successful nan United States. During my predominant stays successful nan southbound of France complete nan years, processing La Fête du Rosé, I was introduced to nan region’s unthinkable achromatic and reddish wines. So that was apical of mind erstwhile I thought astir nan description of nan brand. This, coupled pinch truthful galore of our loyal customers asking if we would ever nutrient a red, I decided nan clip was now.

What is it astir nan region of Provence specifically that lends itself to creating a red?

First and foremost, nan ambiance of Provence is perfect for viticulture: tons of sunshine, lukewarm days, cool nights, and small rain. This, mixed pinch nan awesome terroir, produces awesome juice.

Secondly, 88% of nan region is already planted pinch various varietals of reddish grapes, albeit nan immense mostly person historically been dedicated to rosé vino production. As Provence wines person gained world attraction and fame successful nan past 10-15 years, location has been a renewed attraction connected producing nan highest-quality wines possible, and a passion by growers, winemakers and consumers to push past nan region’s rosé typecast.

Tell maine astir nan creation process.

My squad and I had a fewer criteria that had to beryllium met earlier we could moreover begin: La Fête du Rouge must beryllium Côtes de Provence, ensuring we were sourcing from nan very champion region successful Provence. The champion value vino was paramount.

Also, existent to nan La Fête style, our Rouge had to beryllium bright, youthful, and fruit-forward. We didn’t want immoderate of nan large tannins you typically get from aging successful oak barrels. Our wines were predominantly aged successful stainless steel, pinch a information fermented successful actual egg-shaped tanks. Aging successful actual (or clay) tanks is an age-old believe that allows for immoderate micro-oxidation to occur, which helps information retired nan earthy tannins from nan grape skins to create much concentrated artics, without nan dense wood power of oak barrels.

From there, we worked pinch our winemaking squad to root and sensation guidelines wines from nan champion Provence growers. After selecting our preferred guidelines wines, we started nan blending process. For me, this yearly blending process is for illustration being backmost successful a assemblage chemistry people pinch beakers and cylinders, vino samples, laboratory notes and precise measurements for each experiment. The squad tastes and iterates again and again until we find nan cleanable practice of nan La Fête style and ethos. It’s a very nosy and collaborative process.

What did you observe astir Provence done creating this wine?

The region is overmuch much than conscionable awesome rose, and it is opening to beryllium recognized arsenic a superior vino region, producing high-quality wines.

I besides discovered nan immense & divers typography of nan region- from nan seaside towns and umbrella pines, to nan plains comprised of lavender fields and vineyards to upland broadside rugged terrain location of cork oak trees.

Provence is often thought of arsenic a celebrated destination during nan summer, but you spell year-round. What is it for illustration during nan disconnected season?

Of course, it is little crowded without nan visitors and Europeans summering during precocious season. That said, it is still very enjoyable. I consciousness for illustration I genuinely get to acquisition nan principle of nan region during nan disconnected season. It becomes overmuch much astir mixing and mingling pinch nan locals: luncheon aliases meal astatine nan quaint cafes and restaurants versus nan luxury hotels, formation clubs, and tourist-focused restaurants that are closed during disconnected season. It is besides a awesome clip to get retired and explore.