Do you all know the Montreuil-aux-Lions toll there? A4. We often pass without stopping to quickly follow the road, but if you come from Paris, the tour invites you to discover several small wine towns that form a kind of discreet and charming rosary.
What do Domptin, Bézu-le-Guéry and Montreuil-aux Lions have in common? The Miller variety largely dominates there. But still? Take a close look at a road map and you will discover that these three small wine towns are located near the Montreuil-aux-Lions exit of the A4 motorway. “We cannot say that the economic weight of viticulture is important in Montreuil-aux-Lions with its 18 hectares planted. But I recognize that for motorists coming from Paris through the Marne Valley, the toll is an excellent gateway to the champagne appellation “, says Olivier Devron, mayor of the town, the largest of the three in number of inhabitants . Most of the population resides in the main residence. And it’s very moving. The town only has one operator who sells bottles, a stone’s throw from the church. The rest of the vineyard is operated by vine growers from neighboring towns and commercial houses. “But the city remembers its roots in Champagne with a fresco, right in front of the town hall. It highlights the vines ”, underlines the councilor, who is also a member of the board of directors of the Mission Coteaux Maisons et Caves de Champagne. “Even if it is small, the Montreuil-aux-Lions vineyard is well exposed. The vines were grouped in an area where the roads are well laid out thanks to the stones that were left over from the construction of the TGV line. “
Growing populations
The wine-growing town of Domptin is dominated by Miller
Different situation in Domptin, with its 67 hectares planted. “We work closely with Bézu-le-Guéry and Villiers, who are in a pocket square”, explains Christophe Lemoine, president of the local section of the SGV of Domptin. “This allows us to be at the center of the expectations of winegrowers who sometimes have very different problems. We organize a discussion meeting once a year. ” Domptin has a dozen full-time winegrowers, two wineries, cooperators who deliver to Cogevi, Covama and the Nicolas Feuillatte Vinicole-Champagne Center. “The human proximity between the winegrowers of Domptin and Bézu-le-Guéry is all the greater since many winegrowers have plots in the two municipalities. They are planted on a bottom of hard clay. But we observe a great variety in maturation, budding and the beginning of the flower “, continues Christophe Lemoine. In Domptin, the development of the vine dates back to the 1970s. “It should have been five hectares planted. We are at 67.” years, the vine has become predominant in this town that was dominated by mixed agriculture and breeding. The Domptin cooperative dates from the 1950s. It was built on a military base formed in a semicircle. “The wine growers have recovered the buildings red to make a press. The cooperative has invested a lot, installed two horizontal presses and a third pressing center was created in the 1980s. The city is beautiful. It offers beautiful panoramas popular with a growing population. “We have gone from 250 inhabitants in 1975 to 665 today. Mainly active urbanites who come in search of tranquility, close to the employment zone of the Paris region. Domptin did not play the subdivision card to expand. Many houses have been renovated and others built. The school, which was inactive, has found new colors and now welcomes a hundred children. “We benefit from the commercial proximity of Charly-sur-Marne, where we find many services. In short, Domptinois and Domptinoises coexist in perfect harmony in this sector a bit far from the Marne valley where time seems to have stopped.
marks
? Planted area: 110 hectares? Chardonnay: 5 hectares?Meunier: 91 hectares? Pinot noir: 14 hectares? Number of respondents: 44?Number of inhabitants: 2304 inhabitants (These figures represent the total of the 3 municipalities) (Sources: Champagne Committee)
Efforts to beautify Bézu-le-Guéry
Bézu-le-Guéry was once a viscount, the lords were numerous there. The most recent, De Forget, was captain of the falconers. Later, the Comte de Boisrouvraye, captain of the cavalry, represents the region in the States General. On July 10, 1790, he sat in the constituent assembly. The fall of the monarchy will lead him to flee. He died in exile in 1800. The countess returned to live in the castle of Villiers, near Bézu-le-Guéry, which was spared the disaster, while that of Champvercy was abandoned and destroyed. The town did not suffer the bombings during the First World War. There were still skirmishes in early 1914 between the British and the rear of the German army, which withdrew after the Battle of the Marne. But the town was sacked by the occupier then occupied by the French troops, then the 2nd American Division which successively occupied the forests and the large farms of La Longue, Larget and Ventelet. The miller is king in Bézu-le-Guéry with 23 hectares planted. “In 2015 a first private press was created. It belongs to an operator that presses on its own account ”, comments Olivier Péricart, president of the local section of SGV. Above all, the town has many cooperators and vendors per kilo. »The vineyard is divided into two sectors with a favorable south-southwest orientation. “The sector is quite backward but is approaching the maturity of other municipalities. Local wine growers have taken several actions recently. Including the development of plots along a road and the creation of a five meter strip of grass to ensure maneuvering and contain the land. According to Olivier Péricart, the proximity of the toll has little impact on the vineyard, although efforts have been made to beautify the village as evidenced by the creation of a vine-themed décor in the center of the village. . It is renewed throughout the seasons by volunteers from the town. “We are still one of the first Champagne vineyards to come from Paris,” underlines the president of the local section of SGV. The village has been known for a long time thanks to Jean-Pierre Coffe, who lived there before doing radio and television. “