Rebels of Wine : La Soeur Cadette
In our blog series; ‘Rebels of Wine’, We get personal with some of our wine makers who showcase their talents through minimal intervention methods of wine making and their passion for terroir (amongst other things that excite them). It is with their commitment to creating honest and true wines that we are able to build the foundations of our offerings. Let's get crackin!
This month we were honored to sit down with Valentin Montanet who makes, stunning natural wines from the Vezaley region of Burgundy under his families flagship La Soeur Cadette winery along with his mother's (Catherine Montanet) offshoot project Domaine Montanet-Thoden .
Give us a little background on yourself. How did you get into wine making?
I grew up on the vineyards and my parents have always worked the land. In the beginning, they supplied a Co-Op, but decided to depart from this arrangement in 2004 and start to make their own wines. At an early age I realized that winemaking excited me hence, decided to undertake a viticulture and winemaking degree at a technical school in Switzerland. I returned to the family business in 2010 and I have never stopped making wine since then.
What are your thoughts on the current green movement and sustainability?
To me sustainability isn’t just a “movement”, it should be the norm in terms of farming and processing. We must consider this the utmost importance for the planet and for the next generation. At our family estate, we have been farming organically since 1999. We saw the fruits of our labor evolve year after year and now, with consumers more weary about what they drink and what they eat, I thank my parents for the decision they took 21 years ago.
In one sentence, how would you sum up the internet?
We heard about the internet for a long time at home, my grandfather was a physicist at the CERN and frequently used it since the early 90’s. Today we aren’t able to sell, communicate and run a business without it! You can say what you want about it, but like everything in life, it has its pro’s and con’s.
What is the future of wine?
The biggest factor for me is climate change. We have already seen, and witnessed the consequences of it. What scares me the most is the pace at which we are moving and not being able to slow down this deterioration. I think in the next 30 years, Burgundy might not be the burgundy that we know today, with its ability to harvest such wonderful grapes . I don’t know exactly what will happen, but I know that something will happen. We need to take preventive steps now in order to lengthen its viability.
Who is your favorite musician and which wine does his/her music remind you of!
One of my favorite musicians is definitely Bruce Springsteen. Without a doubt! I want to make wines that are able to convey the feelings of his songs; Thunder road, Racing in the Street, or The River for example. Songs that unravel stories. Songs that undress the human emotion, and songs that invigorate those who need it. I want my wines to also be able to tell stories.
What advice do you have for aspiring winemakers?
Be honest, be generous, be serious, be humble. That’s the most important!
