Partners with Pinon: An Historic Offering from the Pinon Family!

8/6/14 -

(Domaine Francois Pinon)

On the morning of June 17th, 2013, a horrible hail storm slashed through Vouvray, especially the vineyards around Vernou and Vallée de Cousse, home of our friend Francios Pinon. 85% of his crop was lost, and this came after a very small 2012 vintage that produced almost nothing except Pétillant. Many of us had the idea of helping the Pinons through this difficult period, so in conjunction with Louis/Dressner Selections and David Bowler wines, we are offering a unique six-pack of wines from the Pinon cellar, with 100% of the price, less credit card fees, going directly to the Pinon family. View the complete offer in PDF here. Mid-September arrival.

I remember walking down the hill from the Ferme des Landes in Vallée de Cousse in 1981, with a one-year-old on my shoulders, to see if we could taste some Vouvray at the Pinons. We were greeted warmly by Francois' parents and offered a glass of 1959 moelleux, which led to a magical afternoon. Many years later, after Francois had returned from Tours to take over the estate, Joe Dressner and I began importing Francois' wine, first for Garnet Wines and then for a few other retail and restaurant accounts. 1996 was a great vintage for the Pinons and Louis/Dressner Selections began distributing these beautiful wines to other states, leading to American recognition for Francois Pinon as one of the great producers of Vouvray. His outstanding organic vineyard work and superb vinifications make all his wines, from Sec to Cuvée Botrytis, excellent choises for current drinking or long-term cellaring. Francois is a great friend and as his retirement nears, we are proud to take part in this effort to help his family continue to operate this wonderful estate. We are adding a few other current offerings from Domaine Francois Pinon which we hope you will consider. DL