Journey to the center of the terroir
A wine tasting in absolute darkness, would you do it ?
Cécile, A la conquête de l'Est - Tourism Blog
Unusual oenotourism in the heart of an Ardèche cave
A few winemakers from the South of the Ardèche are ageing their wines at about 80m under the soil, in the heart of the Cave of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche.
Thousands of bottles and a numerous amount of barrels are peacefully nesting in the underground night.
This world unique wine ageing enhance the quality of the wines, expressing unexpected aromas and surprising any wine tasters.
Are you ready for a journey to the center of the terroir ?
SpeleOenologie®
The natural wine cellar of the Ardèche canyon
Ageing wine in the center of the terroir
Perfectly nestled in the underground landscape, bottles and barrels are the new tasty concretions of the cave. The ageing conditions are perfect in this matrix of taste. The cave of Saint Marcel is always dark, always cool and always humid. No vibrations, no electronic waves are disturbing the slow maturation process of the wines which benefit from the natural presence of carbon dioxyde in the surrounding atmosphere. A perfect natural cellar for those seeking the true sense of Terroir, at the origin of taste.
The spelunkers of the terroir
The spelunkers of the terroir, are characters that Jules Verne could have created…
They are taste explorers that are searching tirelessly in the surrounding limestone environment the treasures of nature.
In France we call them the...
"SpeleOenologues" !
The Natural Wine Cave of the Ardeche Canyon
Located 80 m underground, in one of the most beautiful and biggest gallery of the Cave of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche, the Natural Wine Cave of the Ardeche Canyon was born in April 2015. All the winemakers working on the terroir of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche joined together to create this unusual wine aging environment. Starting with 12 oak barrels filled with red organic Côtes du Rhône Villages, the winemakers quickly installed more than 1250 bottles of red and white wine to this limestone jewelry box.
Vinolithic tasting in the Grotte de St Marcel d'Ardeche, episode 1
It’s in the cave of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche that Raphaël Pommier, passionate organic winmaker, ages some of his wine. The cuvée which is aging in this Natural Wine Cave of the Ardeche Canyon, will bear the name Vinolithic once brought back to the surface. This organic Côtes du Rhône Villages red, from Notre Dame de Cousignac winery, in Bourg St Andéol in Ardèche, reflects in its beautiful robe the wonderful colors of the monumental gallery of the Cave of Saint Marcel d’Ardèche.