Meet the artisan vignerons of Southwest France
After the success of the first edition in Rodez, the second edition of Contrastes! will unite 80 artisan vignerons in Albi.
Organised by Terres de Gaillac, a dynamic collective of artisanal producers in the Tarn, 80 growers from 17 appellations across the Southwest will gather together for the event, united by a charter defining their ethical approach from the vineyard to the winery.
A Charter for Quality
In 2022, Terres de Gaillac*, an association of artisan producers committed to organic and biodynamic farming and natural winemaking, had this idea to create a wine fair to celebrate like-minded vignerons across the Southwest. But how do you bring so many different regions, so many different terroirs, so many different traditions, cultures and grape varieties together under one roof? Through a common charter for quality.
All the winemakers at Contrastes adhere to a demanding set of criteria inspired by Terres de Gaillac’s charter for quality, slightly adapted to allow for the climate variations of each region. All the wines presented at the event will showcase local grape varieties, hand-picked and fermented by native yeasts to offer the purest expressions of the terroir.
Myriad Micro-Terroirs
The Southwest wine region counts 70,000 hectares of vines in a total area that’s the size of England. In fact, it covers all of Southwest France except Bordeaux. Take a trip from the Dordogne to the Pyrenees via the Lot Valley, the Aveyron, the Tarn and the Garonne through Gascony, the Bearn into the Basque Country - or come to Contrastes and discover a vibrant community of organic, biodynamic and natural winemakers from all over the Southwest under one roof.
Local Grape Varieties
300 different grape varieties grow in the Southwest, and 120 are indigenous. They were cultivated by the Romans and propagated by pilgrims on all the trails to Santiago de Compostela. Thousands of native varieties were uprooted in the 80s and 90s and replaced by international varieties. They would have been forgotten if not for a group of forward-thinking vignerons who continue to replant them to protect their terroir and wine culture.
@contrastes.salon
Artisanal Grower-Makers
Gaillac, Cahors, Côtes du Marmandais, Fronton, Jurançon, Côtes de Duras, Bergerac, Irouleguy, Aveyron, Madran, Compté-Toloson, Côtes du Montalbanais & more…Contrastes! is the biggest gathering of natural winemakers exclusively from South-West France. Organised by Terres de Gaillac, 80 growers from 17 appellations participated in the 2nd event. Watch this space for info on the 3rd edition in 2024!
@lolafromthebar
Purity, Personality & Great Value.
The Southwest wine region is often overshadowed by it’s powerful neighbours and some of its most brilliant winemakers still remain under the radar on their own territory, but nothing stops these growers from crafting vibrant and expressive wines, and for deep-rooted historico-political reasons, they are still remarkably affordable. For fun and finesse, come to Contrastes!
Key Info
🗓️ Sunday 11th and Monday 12th June, from 10am to 7pm. Entry 10€. Trade only.
📍E.E.A.M – Ecole Européene de l’Art et des Matières (anciens abbatoirs) , 30 côte de l’abbatoir 81000 Albi
How to get there
✈️ Toulouse-Blagnac (1hr) Castres-Mazamet (45 mins) Rodez-Marcillac (75mins) Carcassonne (1.5 hrs)
🚆 Daily connections from Paris and Toulouse
🚘 On the A68 from Toulouse, A75 from Montpellier, A20 from Paris
Where to sleep & eat
Visit Contrastes or Albi Tourisme for tips and recommendations 😋😴
About Terres de Gaillac
Created in 2006 by Patrice Lescarret at Causse Marines and Bernard Plageole, Terres de Gaillac is an association of artisanal producers committed to organic farming, biodynamic agriculture and natural wine. Their goal is to connect producers who share their values and principles: qualitative yields, manual harvests, natural yeasts, zero inputs, minimum added sulfites etc. They advocate for viticulture that protects terroirs and living wines in the face of all the technical processes used by winemakers today (thermovinification, oak chips, synthetic yeasts…). Their approach is defined in a strict charter for quality respected by all members. Today the group is attracting more and more locals and newcomers to the appellation thanks to its dynamism and ethics.
