Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that earthy, full-bodied Rhône Valley wine that can give a good Burgundy a run for its money is produced under strict quality controls in the sunny south of France just north of Avignon and south of Orange. It is a highly unusual noble wine of France as it can be produced with as many as 13 grape varieties which accounts for its luscious complexity.

Enter We Wine !, A Marseille-based house that wanted to see if music could have an effect on the taste, color and body of wine. And so during the winemaking process one cask of wine was treated to a playlist of jazz numbers while the other was made in the normal fashion. The result, two versions of the Père Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with the jazz version one entitled In the Groove. The music clearly had a result on the wine. While The Gourmet Gazette had a clear preference for the non-musical version, both were excellent. We Wine! would not reveal what music the grapes actually listened to.

With the Mayard Family Estate which produces an AOC Châteauneuf-du- Pape, the In the Groove wine was elaborated with some of the usual grape varieties of the region, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. They were raised in identical vats with the musical version enjoying a jazz playlist with water-proof speakers placed into the vat for the 45-day fermentation period for eight hours a day. The other wine was vinified in a normal fashion and both were transferred and subsequently aged in oak casks. In the Groove had a higher alcohol content and a slightly darker color. Both are perfect with game and any red meat.

We Wine! is the brainchild of Michel Assadourian, the entrepreneur and investor who in addition to the musical experience decided to create a brand of organic wines to promote the winemakers of the south in the region of Marseille. Assadourian has joined forces with Lionel Boillot, a wine merchant who hails from Marseille. Les Vins du Mars was launched in 2020. But more on that in an upcoming Gourmet Gazette Fine Wine Find.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
https://www.we-wine.fr/en