Pineau des Charentes or just ‘Pineau’ is a French aperitif blended of slightly fermented grape must and eaux-de-vie (Cognac) and
Pineau des Charentes or just ‘Pineau’ is a French aperitif blended of slightly fermented grape must and eaux-de-vie (Cognac) and is served chilled in a tulip shaped glass. The annual production of pineau is around 14,000,000 litres. Around 80% of this is made in the Charente-Maritime département. Its production is controlled under the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Le Maine Giraud manor - now in part a museum remembering Alfred de Vigny, the 19th century romantic poet - was built and altered between the 12th and the 15th centuries, and belonged to Vigny between 1827 until his death in 1863. Vigny inherited it from his aunt Sophie de Baraudin, who was his mother's elder sister. He had first seen it in 1823, when he was 26 and a military captain, and had been very impressed. His grandfather, the Marquis of Baraudin, was an admiral who wished to remain close to the ports Rochefort and La Rochelle. On Vigny's inheriting it, the manor was in a bad state of repair, but instead of selling it he decided to restore it bit by bit. Today, as in the days of Alfred de Vigny, Maine Giraud is a vineyard. The visitor can follow , in the footsteps of the poet, discover the secrets of the making Pineau through a tour of the cellars and distillery
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Photo credit: © Philip Enticknap / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: alfred, barrels, cellar, cha, champagne-vigny, charentes, chateaux, courtyard, de, des, distillery, eu, france, giraud, house, le, maine, manor, museum, pineau, poitou-charentes, towers, vigny
