Anyone travelling along Luxembourg's Moselle will discover a winery that has been sparkling for more than a hundred years. Family-owned Bernard-Massard does not follow trends, but connects the history of sparkling wine with a distinct vision of the future.
Text: Monique Koster | Image: Unsplash
Bernard-Massard's origins lie in a period of change. After World War I, important export markets fell away and Luxembourg had to reinvent itself as a wine country. Founder Jean Bernard-Massard, trained in Champagne, decided to apply his knowledge of that particular winemaking method to Luxembourg soil. ‘What started as a practical solution then, eventually became our identity,’ says Antoine Clasen, fifth generation at the helm of Bernard-Massard. ‘Sparkling wine is in our DNA.’
The history of the house is a lesson in resilience. After war damage, a period of reconstruction and years of working as a négociant, Bernard-Massard did not start buying its own vineyards until the late 1970s. Today, the house has more than 20 hectares at Clos des Rochers and 15 hectares at Château de Schengen. ‘In the north we work with calcareous soils, in the south with clay. That combination gives us freedom and complexity in style,’ Antoine explains.
Party during the week
Sparkling wine accounts for some 95 per cent of production. Crémant is not a status symbol for Bernard-Massard, only for the happy few. ‘Bubbles don't have to wait for a special occasion,’ says Antoine.
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