An association aims to resurrect Normandy’s vineyards

he home of Calvados and Camembert, Normandy is using an association as a vehicle for becoming a wine region once again. Supported by the Normandy regional council and the Chamber of Agriculture, the ‘Les Vignerons de Normandie’ association was established on 18 January 2022 in order to bring together winegrowing estates in the five Normandy departments (Manche, Calvados, Seine-Maritime, Eure and Orne). “We represent around thirty farmers who have planted vines or are preparing a winegrowing project”, explains its chairman Édouard Capron, who runs Domaine Saint Expedit with its 2 hectares of vines planted in 2016 in Freneuse, Seine-Maritime.

Although the majority of members have just planted their vines, one estate has pioneered the Norman wine revival. Gérard Samson created his estate, Les Arpents du Soleil, in 1995 in Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives (Calvados). Currently farming 6.6 hectares of vines in IGP Calvados and Calvados Grisy, he demonstrates that it is possible to make a living from growing wine in Normandy. After struggling for years to get planting rights, Samson’s aim was to experiment by recreating a historic vineyard. At the time, there was no reference to global warming, and he still doesn't talk about it. “I base my work on history. The location of my vineyard was home to vines before the Revolution – it featured on the Cassini map – and it is in the same geological stage as the Côte de Nuits”, he points out, adding that his grapes have always ripened.