Les Raisins Suspendus - Maxime Aerts & Angela Weidner

After taking their first steps in the hills of Gard where they converted almost 5 hectares of old vines to organic farming, Angela and Maxime settled in Embrun in 2020 to develop their small 3-hectare vineyard, Les Raisins Suspendus.

This consists of plots of very old vines on which there are more than 30 different and rare grape varieties, younger vines, and a planting area on which they have planted grape varieties originating from the Alpine arc: Mollard, Persan, Petite Arvine, Mondeuse Blanche… All these plots are located on the slopes of the Durance between 800 and 1000 meters altitude, and like the old-timers, Angela and Maxime harvest by hand and bring the grapes up to the upper valley of Crévoux at 1600 meters altitude where their winery is located.

Passionate about living things, they cultivate the vine with respect for its ecosystem and using organic farming methods. They make grass their ally, use as few machines as possible that generate CO2 and impact the soil, use herbal teas and plant-based liquid manures, and respect the physiology of the vine with a gentle and sustainable pruning method.

The grapes are then vinified naturally: no inputs are added to the fermentations (the yeasts present on the grapes do the work) so that they can best express the terroir of the high Alps.

Terres du Gaugalin

Angela and Maxime still market some vintages produced on the old Gard estate and also produce an original range of wines that showcases their creativity, with grapes bought from winegrower friends in Vaucluse, which complements the high-alpine vintages.