The cultivation of the vine in the Land of the Écrins
Grapes at an altitude of 1400 metres
Yes, you read that right: wine was made (and is being made again) in the Hautes-Alpes, at an altitude of 1,400 m. In Les Vigneaux, the cultivation of vines has been part of the décor since the tenth century. Stone terraces, irrigation channels, larch presses: everything is there to tell the story of nine centuries of peasant ingenuity.
On the sun-drenched southern slopes, the vines rose to 1,450 m. The stone kept the heat, the massive presses did the rest. Here, we didn’t just grow grapes: rye, beans, everything was optimized. Until the day when phylloxera, this parasite from elsewhere, put a stop to production in the nineteenth century. The terraces were gradually overgrown with broom… but not forgotten.
Today, the association La Vignetto, in Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières, is relaunching the adventure. On the La Vignette site, old grape varieties adapted to the altitude are replanted: Clairette rose, Mondeuse, etc. The wine is produced in small quantities, to be enjoyed on the spot or at the local markets.
Where to discover the culture of the vine in Les Vigneaux?
- La Vignette – easy 2 km walk: presses, gullies, stone huts, old amphora niches and even a troglodyte habitat.
- Hautes-Alpes Heritage App : activate augmented reality and bring an old wine press back to life.
- Grafting workshop in spring : an opportunity to learn, to handle… and to put down roots a little more.
The cultivation of vines in Les Vigneaux is a story of altitude, know-how… and good times shared over a drink.
