Winemaker renounces ties to Loire body

A biodynamic winemaker has split from the Loire’s promotional body and plans to set up his own appellation after a bitter court battle over unpaid fees.

Nicolas Joly, of Coulée de Serrant, has pledged to set up his own appellation having branded Interloire’s efforts to promote the region’s biodynamic wines “a scandal”, as reported by La Vigne. 

It follows a court case in which Joly was taken to court by Interloire for non-payment of mandatory membership fees. He was sentenced by the Court of Angers last month and ordered to pay €5,000  in “voluntary mandatory” fees to Interloire.

Confirming his departure from the regional body, Joly said he would be appealing the decision and plans to create his own appellation of just seven hectares, comprising the vineyards of Coulée de Serrant.

In a statement Joly said: “The growers are expected to pay a portion of their sales to Interloire, which is then supposed to represent their interests.”

But, the statement added, those who grow organically or biodynamically are not fairly represented with specifics of terroir not promoted, while wines which use “flavor-enhancing yeasts and other tricks” are not listed on labels.

Joly has been biodynamically farming his vineyards, which includes a monople of the Coulée de Serrant cru in the appellation of Savennières, since 1981, but now risks no longer appearing on official maps of the Loire Valley wine regions. Other larger appellations to have left Interloire include Bourgueil and Montlouis.

In 2001 Joly founded La Renaissance des Appellations (“Return to Terroir”) with the aim of returning the region’s vineyards to a system that would ” guarantee the full expression of the appellations.” The group now number 175 with other prominent members including Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Pierre Morey from Burgundy and Domaine Zind-Humbrecht from Alsace.