Stphane Meyer, Udumbara Savagnin (NV)

Born and raised in the Jura to a family of winemakers and cheesemongers, Stphane Meyer’s connection to grapes dates back to distilling brandy with his grandfather as young as 12 years old. Though he studied oenology for seven years and was supposed to take over his family’s vineyards, disagreements over the viticultural and winemaking approach meant this never happened.

Instead, much of Stphane’s life has been spent as a forager gathering wild edible plants for customers ranging from Michelin Star chefs to homeopathic pharmaceutical companies. His seemingly-mystical relationship with the plants he gathers and the land on which they grow earned him the nickname “The Druid of Paris”, a reference to the druid class in ancient Gaul high ranking figures looked to as legal authorities, medical professionals, lorekeepers, and religious leaders.

An ardent believer in strengthening the connection between the food and beverages we consume and the plants from which they are produced, Stphane has often found himself at odds with how wine and spirits are made. From the cultivation of the raw material to the fermentation and distillation process, his philosophy and approach is more in line with agricultural practices that predate the French Revolution.

After moving out of Paris and back to the Jura, Stphane bought two tiny plots of land on the heralded lieu-dit “La Vigne aux Dames” in Chteau-Chalon; combined they are about one hectare. From the larger of the two plots a mere .7 hectares he produces Udumbara, a 100% Savagnin wine made to his exacting standards.

Stphane uses a mix of new oak and used wine casks for aging. Barrels are topped off once yearly from a demijohn containing wine that was not added to a barrel. The wine develops a layer of yeast and ages partially sous voile, though the oxidative element is not what Stphane prioritizes nor does it dominate his wine’s profile.