2009 November
Blessed by the Gods
Interview with M. Guy BASCOU, technical director, and M. Gérald HANIFI, purchaser for the POMEROLS cooperative wine cellar.
The Picpoul de Pinet bottle we see today is a result of one of its most innovative evolutions. But those who knew it before can rest assured that the integrity of the bottle has been preserved.
Should they thank Neptune for this? For the god of the sea has lent his name to the Picpoul bottle. The Neptune will now be made available with a screw ring for the export market. Reassured by the screw top, Anglo-Saxon clients can discover this white Languedoc wine in the packaging they prefer.
When we consider that 80% of Picpoul wines worldwide are presented in the Neptune bottle, we can say that it has every reason to be divine....
The Neptune, terroir of the sea
A base with the allure of a Corinthian column, its collar seemingly carried atop a wave, the Languedoc cross embossed in the glass....The Neptune displays its terroir and leaves no doubts about it. A terroir which is nothing less than the sea itself!
The vineyards of the Picpoul de Pinet AOC in effect extend along the shores of the Mediterranean bordering Lake Thau. Little rain, mild winters and an undeniable marine influence—in addition to its marine inlets—favour the late maturation of the piquepoul, the unique white cepage at the origin of this appellation.
The Picpoul de Pinet with the wind in its sails
This collaborative bottle, developed in association with the VOA, is a small piece of the terroir and its history. It belongs to this territory which awakens the senses. For Mr. Bascou, president of the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (Inter-professional Council of Languedoc Vines), the Picpoul de Pinet is the only Languedoc appellation to see a stable growth despite the severity of the current economic crisis.
Even abroad it holds its own! Picpoul means 400,000 screw bottles on the American market. A sweet success for a project initiated last year and which put the first bottles in circulation in May 2009. If this sculpted green bottle reflects the strength of Neptune, we can also see the beauty of Venus and Apollo. In a word: divine.
