A producer of scintillating estate and single-vineyard Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sure Lie. Michel’s grandfather, Henri, took the first step of this journey with his wife Agathe. Michel took the reins in 1985, soon after buying the vineyards his father and grandfather had farmed as part of a share-cropping arrangement. Michel began conversion to organic farming in 2010 and harvested his first fully organic grapes in 2013. He’s not only a fine winemaker, he’s also a bit of a philosopher.
“Reading Descartes, I became aware that I was running in circles... Now that I practise organic agriculture, I am rediscovering my profession as winegrower. The word ‘agriculture’ is formed of the words ‘agros’ and ‘culture’; this last developed from ‘culte’, derived from the Latin word ‘colere’, which means ‘to honour’.
“To cultivate is therefore to honour the earth in order to make it fertile. I respect the balance of nature. I bring life back to the soil to provide good living conditions for the vines, so that the vines provide me with healthy, high-quality grapes. That is how I am able to produce, quite simply, wines that fully express the potential of these great terroirs with finesse. My philosophy is to produce real wines: wines with great minerality; living wines. Wines that consistently offer a pure expression of the terroir from nose to palate.”
Michel has now been joined by his son, Antonin, in the family business, with the aim of ensuring a bright future for Vigneron Bedouet Muscadet.
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