Events calendar in Gers

Events calendar in Gers

The Saint Mont Appellation celebrates its 60th anniversary

The Saint Mont Appellation turns 60 in 2017. On February 23 the winegrowers of Saint Mont will be inviting invite their customers, journalists and friends to share a friendly moment around a glass of Saint Mont, on the Champs Elysées in Paris.

Brief historical background: in 1957, “on one of those autumn mornings that one drinks in like a golden, silky liqueur, about thirty winegrowers dressed in their Sunday best, “invaded” the town hall of Saint-Mont ….
Slightly intimidated by the mayor’s speech, they listened motionless, as he read the statutes. Some of them did not understand it all, but they all agreed upon the basics. Meetings took place first in the town hall of Aignan, and then in that of Plaisance du Gers.

Thus was born the Syndicat de Défense ! It was the beginning of a beautiful story. And the vineyard started to thrive. For about fifteen years, the region played the “Appellation d’Origine” card until 1973, when as a result of the abolishment of this type of appellation, the union decided to apply for a VDQS label.

The appellation is a direct result of the union, but the spectacular success was in fact the result of a very traditional approach: discipline, high demands and drive, feet firmly on the ground and the survival of Gascony over the horizon. At about the same time, Mr Houbart, a young technician whose knowledge stemmed from both the classroom and the field, was becoming increasingly aware of the richness of the soil, the climatic conditions and original grape varieties of the region, unequaled.

So after unrelenting efforts to put forward these characteristics, the appellation officially received the VDQS (Vin Délimité De Qualité Supérieure – high-quality wines from an approved regional vineyard) label, on 01 April 1981.

The wines of Saint Mont were now on the road to success …

The remainder of the story will be told at the sound and light evening show at the Château de Sabazan, the last weekend in March during the appellation’s Portes Ouvertes (open house).

More information to come at www.plaimont.com

The Saint Mont Appellation celebrates its 60th anniversary
Saint Mont Vignerons 60 ans