| Saint Vincent is the patron
saint of wine growers. Each year on the St. Vincent's day there
is a morning parade through town carrying his image that ends
inside Lavardin's small Romanesque church. After the ceremonies
are finished, there is a huge lunch with lots of great food and
of course great wine. The whole party continues on until late
in the night with eating and dancing and endless toasts to St.
Vincent and his wine. This pretty neatly sums up what wine means
here in France. It is spiritual and communal and a whole lot
of fun. No one here worries about Parker's rankings and everyone
is an expert. That's no joke. Most everyone in our sleepy village,
be he a janitor or a CEO, has a wine cellar with thousands of
bottles and a clear personal idea of what makes a great wine. |
A statue of St. Vincent holding grapes and surrounded by grape
vines from the church in Lavardin, France.
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