Xavière HARDY

Xavière Hardy is a neo-Winemaker, based north of Ancenis, who started planting her vines in 2013, at the dawn of a professional reconversion.

For twenty years, she ran a consultancy firm specialising in environmental engineering, and assumed her role as a company director who was already very involved in biodiversity and environmental protection. She sold her company at the end of 2017 and could therefore officially start her reconversion as Winemaker at the beginning of 2018. 

She starts from scratch in a village where no vines are planted: no vines, no cellar, no equipment... but land.

Her family is already involved in agriculture (breeding, crops, etc.) and she had a terroir study carried out by the winegrowing terroir unit, and there was a pleasant surprise: "I realised that I had plots of land on which it was quite possible to plant vines!", explains Winemaker.

Terroirs and grape varieties of the Terres Bleues

"Geographically, I am isolated, but I am part of a network of winegrowers on the Ancenis hillside, well guided by Jacques Carroget winemaker in La Paonnerie. There is no AOC Pays de Châteaubriant and, as I am alone, it is difficult to claim it, but the Terres Bleues is really it! On the plot, we are on Angers schist. We're really on sky-blue clay," Xavière Hardy says proudly, pointing to an azure-coloured stone that forms the wall of her maison.

This soil is not suitable for just any grape variety, of course, and Xavière Hardy therefore chose to focus on pinot gris, pinot noir and grolleau noir in order to offer us 2 unique red and 2 unique white wines!

Organic and biodynamic wines

"I chose grape varieties adapted to the terroir and I planted the vines on stakes. The management on stakes makes it possible to keep the apexes - heads of the vine - whose role is preponderant in the vegetative cycle of the vine and favourable to the maturity of the grapes. The vineyard is run organically. I work as naturally as possible.

Xavière Hardy treats her vines according to the lunar calendar with nettle tea, decoctions of horsetail, oak bark, willow and many other plants.

"I also apply biodynamic preparations. The aim is to allow the vine to strengthen its own resistance to disease, but also to improve exchanges between the micro-organisms in the soil and its root system.

Finally, the Terres Bleues wines are all without added sulphites. A commitment for Xavière Hardy to offer us the most authentic natural wine possible. 

Petites Caves is pleased to offer you 2 natural white wines and 2 natural red wines from Winery Les Terres Bleues. Our favourite is the pinot noir HX2 2020: a very elegant natural wine that you can discover here. Thank you Xavière Hardy !