Domaine Vacheron is Born
These were difficult times in Sancerre, as indeed they were throughout France. It was not unusual at this time for Maurice Vacheron to be paid in land, rather than in cash, for two principal reasons. First, following the arrival of phylloxera in 1886, vines were dying and vineyards were no longer profitable, and once the cure of grafting onto American rootstock had been embraced the land needed replanting with grafted vines which could only be purchased from the local nursery, making viticulture an increasingly expensive activity. In the face of destitution many vignerons were leaving to find work elsewhere, and they had no more use for land planted with the ghosts of vines. Secondly, payment in cash means paying taxes, and this little problem could be circumvented if payment was made by handing over the deeds to a plot of land instead.
As a consequence Maurice found himself in possession of some land, admittedly amounting to little more than a hectare, close to the road running out of Sancerre. This was very early in the 20th century, and these few plots of land – probably devoid of vines – were the beginnings of Domaine Vacheron. At the time the domaine probably looked like a typical French smallholding, planted with vegetables and fruit trees (and perhaps with a few goats wandering around) rather than being carpeted with vines.
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