Vineyards: these are in two communes, Saint-Péray and Toulaud in the French Department of the Ardèche.
Soil types: granite bedrock overlaid with loam, loess and limestone shale.
Climate and relief: steep tortuous slopes flanking a deep valley result in a micro-climate which is slightly colder that the warmer continental climate of the surrounding region.
Background: although in existence since Roman times, vine cultivation did not come to pre-eminence in this region until the 15th Century. In 1825, a forward thinking winemaker imported a cellarman from Champagne into the region and in 1829, the first cork from the sparkling Saint-Péray wine was popped at the foot of the ancient Chateau of Crussol !
Saint-Péray and Saint-Péray Mousseux were consecrated A.O.C. Locales in 1936.
Area under cultivation*: 75 hectares, yearly production: 2171 hl, basic yield : 29 hl/hectare.
* Source: harvest statement 2009.
Grape variety mix: for still or sparkling wines: Marsanne and / or Roussanne.
Pruning: short with 2 buds and 1 "bourillon", or small fertile bud.
Wine making: the sparkling wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle in the same way as champagne. Still wines have a short pressing and fermentation takes place partly in new casks and partly in stainless steel vats.
Natural alcohol content by volume, minimum 10% for still wines, 9% for the sparkling wines.
