A Visit to Pithon-Paillé, 2010: A Biodiverse Farewell
After lunch I concluded my visit to Pithon-Paillé with another drive out to the Coteau des Treilles, this time approaching from the top. Standing at the very crest of the slope afforded an excellent view not only down to the vines below, and to the Layon behind the trees, but also now over the treetops to the vineyards of the opposite bank (as shown below, with the church of St Lambert du Lattay in the distance), including the latest Pithon-Paillé acquisition in Les Bonnes Blanches. As Wendy and I scanned the magnificent panorama before us we could just make out Jo Paillé in his tiny red tractor, now hard at work in their new vineyard.
Although I was not fortunate enough to catch sight of the Belargus butterfly there was certainly a wealth of biodiversity all around us here, in this protected habitat, not least some giant grasshoppers and fat caterpillars, both a striking and vibrant green, the former in the process of egg-laying it seemed, the latter curiously leaf-shaped and not easy to spot. And surprisingly there were a large number of old vines too, growing wild, which Wendy identified as American varieties, once planted in abundance on the slopes in the first days after phylloxera. Small-leaved, no longer bearing fruit, and sadly spotted with mildew, these vines were poignant reminders of a difficult time in France’s viticultural history.
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