In Foye-Monjault, we celebrate the Négrette

Did you know that our territory was a renowned wine zone ? That wine produced was on table of king François Ier ? Difficult to believe today and nevertheless there was a vineyard in about fifteen kilometres from Niort.

It’s in La Foye-Monjault, little municipality of 750 inhabitants situated in the southeast of Niort. Difficult to imagine by looking at current landscape : plains and wood. But in the XIIIth century, it was an immense vineyard, classified of AOC cognac.

The zone was prosperous, the wine famous (Rabelais alluded to it in his Pichrocolines Wars) and was sold to good price.

It is moreover to the market of Foye-Monjault, the big market in the wine of the region of Saintonge, that we fixed the price of the wine and the hectare of vineyard every October 25th.

Everything fell over with the crisis of Phylloxera in 1878. 8 years later, the vineyard had left place with the breeding on lands become cheap. The wine was replaced by the milk, still very present in our economy.

The “GAEC des Bois” had the good idea to make relive a piece of the history of Fayais by planting again in 1999 the black vine 'Négrette' on 33 ares. For 14 years, organized by the association “Les Fiefs Viticoles”, a celebration of wines and country takes place in October, in memory of this market of former days.

Meeting thus on Sunday, October 12th in the room Monacalis, to taste (in moderation !) this "vintage of the forefathers" in the accents of violets and red fruits. Also come to applaud the prize-winner of the competition of local wine and to feast on all the products of this celebration of wines and country.