Terra Vita Vinum: Vineyards
Sometimes it is easy to slip into thinking that every domaine of note in Anjou is located along the banks of the Layon, or across the river in Savennières, but this is certainly not the case. Terra Vita Vinum is located some distance from the Layon, among the region’s gently rolling pastoral terrain (well, to be honest, at the side of a busy road), midway between Rochefort-sur-Loire (sandwiched between the Layon and the Loire) and Mûrs-Erigné (upstream, south of Angers). It sits in a landscape of mixed agriculture, with the majority of the surrounding fields dedicated to arable crops, or serving as pasture. There are vineyards here too though, although you do need to know your way around to find them. Of course, I had no such problem; I had Luc and Bénédicte as my guides.
The domaine boasts 40 hectares all told, including 30 hectares planted to vines, of which Luc and Bénédicte own 20 hectares, the other 10 hectares being rented. They dedicate 10 hectares, one-quarter of the surface, to biodiversity, which they see as vital to the sustainability of the domaine. The vast majority of the 30 hectares of vines are located close to the edge of the plateau which runs along the left bank of the Loire, while there is a small parcel on the opposite bank, in Savennières.
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