Lolita Sene

Lolita Sene - Writing and fine wines.

Before becoming a winemaker, I had a first life in Paris where I was in charge of the artistic direction of a club, at 20 years old. Then I decided to resume my studies and to combine partying and science: this is how wine entered my life. I do not come from a family of winemakers, nor of great connoisseurs. Very quickly, during this year at agricultural school, I detached myself from conventional wine which bored me to death, and I discovered that of natural wine which I finally touched this very particular emotion that everyone was talking about. So I worked in sommellerie and cellar, defending only natural wine. After two years in North America, I was fed up with serving and talking about a product that I did not know how to make, so I decided to take the plunge. Today, owner of a hectare 20 in plots in Southern Rhône (0.35 of Grenache Noir, 0.35 of Syrah and 0.3 of Cinsault and 0.2 of Plantier) combined with a trading part to do what I like, I started with 1800 bottles in 2018, 5000 in 2019, 7500 in 2020 and 10000 in 2021. But never exceed 10000. My motto: start small, stay small. I do everything by hand, from the vineyard to the design of the label. I press with a ratchet and pneumatic press, I tread lightly by foot, I do two or three pumping overs with a bucket and I also fill my barrels at the jump. I bottle with a small machine with four nozzles or a Fimer at a rate of 1000 bottles/hour. In the vineyard, I do as much as possible by hand, like a large garden. I clear brush with a rototiller, I treat with a backpack sprayer. My wines are neither filtered nor fined nor sulfited. And I carry out a minimum of movement. I work only with grapes from organic farming, but I don't think I'll apply for the label for my plots, for the simple reason that I expect conventional farmers to also pay for a chemical label that explains their maneuver.

BOOK. "Only the Vines" by Lolita Sene: "The life of a farmer is very hard." France TV report - video - (FR)
Author's blog: Lolita Sene - (FR)
"Only the Vines" by Lolita Sene and "Julien of the Revolt" by Elise Fontenaille - (FR)
VIDEO - Wine and Words: Lolita Sene takes up her pen to recount the daily life of a winemaker-writer - (FR)
Lolita Sene on Vice - (FR)
Lolita Sene novel, childhood to the dregs - (FR)
Lolita Sene: "We're not going to empty the water tables like Napa Valley!" - (FR)
Only the Vines, Lolita Sene, Le Cherche Midi! 📚 - (FR)
"A Summer at Jida's" by Lolita Sene: the obligation to silence - (FR)

Information

Domain Name:
Lolita Sene
Winemaker's Name:
Lolita Sene
Country:
France
Region:
Rhone Valley
Appellations:
Vin De France, Vin de France, Occitanie
Grape varieties:
Ugni Blanc, Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Clairette, Syrah Cinsault vermentino, Mouvèdre, Viognier, Vermentino, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noire, syrah, Chardonnay, Clairette ; Grenache ; Cinsault