Wine is his life: Jean-Philippe Granier, 35 years of life dedicated to the defense of the AOP Languedoc

Jean-Philippe Granier : “Le goût du terroir, c’est toujours ce que j’ai voulu faire passer.” Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Jean-Philippe Granier vient de tirer sa révérence du Syndicat AOP Languedoc, après 35 ans de bons et loyaux et services. Son histoire.

If his roots are in the Gard, his homeland is Languedoc, more precisely that of its terroirs and appellation wines. “I was born into wine. Very early on, our father made us work in the vineyard and in the cellar, which I then did with my children. The passion for wine is passed down in our family. In fact, out of my three children, two are in wine, which I am very happy and proud of“, confides Jean-Philippe Granier, who has just left his position as technical director of the Syndicat AOP Languedoc, in Lattes.

“Slife is wine, whereas for me, wine is in my life.I am the pragmatist of the family, he is the dreamer, but we both complement each other well. Without him, I would not have the level of wines that we have today at Domaine Mas Granier. He has helped many winemakers to find themselves. Languedoc owes him a lot“, underlines his brother, Dominique Granier, winemaker, former president of the Gard Chamber of Agriculture and president of Safer Occitanie.

From the pharmacy…

The taste of wine is a long story for Jean-Philippe Granier who can discuss for hours the characteristics of each of them, their aromas of fruit, spices and garrigue with its thousand nuances, the subtlety of the blends… If our Proust madeleine is most often linked to a dish lovingly concocted by a grandmother or a mother, that of Jean-Philippe Granier is wine. “At that time, in my father's cellar, it smelled of fermented fruit, crushed strawberries, spices. I loved all those smells.“

However, it was towards other scents that he would turn, sometimes plant-based, but not leaving the same taste in the mouth, and without pleasure in consuming: those of medicines. Because he could not move towards agronomy, he enrolled in pharmacy after his baccalaureate. “I listened to my mother.”

He would complete his five years of studies and write a thesis on mildew. “I think I was clinging to the vine.” And to complete his studies with a year of studies in oenology, before working in a pharmacy with a heavy heart. “He didn't last ten months“, his brother still laughs when he thinks about it.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

… reunited with wine

A decisive encounter will fortunately change the course of his life, that of Jean Clavel, then director of the Syndicat des Coteaux du Languedoc, who is speaking at a conference in Montpellier on wine and health. Inexhaustible and knowledgeable about the history of Languedoc and its wines, Jean Clavel is, as he is about the fight he is leading with the syndicate for the recognition of the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation.

Jean-Philippe Granier is captivated as much by the man's charisma as by the entire wine history of the region. He has only one desire: to work with the man he will later consider his spiritual father.

“I have trained more than 1,200 winegrowers”

However, he would have to wait a few months before the opportunity arose, that of a position as an oenologist consultant, in December 1984, at the Hôtel des vins, rue Jacques-Cœur, in Montpellier. “It was the first wine bar in Montpellier that only presented wines from the region.” He stayed there for two years, before setting up an independent oenology firm, which would fail after three years.

The transfer of the Hôtel des vins from Montpellier to Lattes, which would host the Maison des vins du Languedoc at Mas Saporta, reshuffled the cards. The Coteaux du Languedoc, which obtained the appellation in December 1985, are multiplying the projects to make the wines known and to encourage the winegrowers in the appellation to always go further in the quality of their products.

To do this, you need the right man to train winemakers and sommeliers, and to host tastings of all kinds. Without hesitation, Jean Clavel calls Jean-Philippe Granier. “I have trained more than 1,200 winemakers in all. And recently, it's their grandsons…“, he says.

The general public, groups of all kinds and journalists also pass through his hands. “He is able to make people love wine like no one else. He is like a missionary who brings everyone along with him“, says Béatrice de Chabert, who worked with him for 32 years.

The Father of the “Estivales”

Transmitting also involves organizing a whole series of events. He is still the one to whom the mission is entrusted because of “his extraordinary sense of celebration and his enthusiasm for sharing his passion for wines and terroirs“, she adds. It will focus on the baptismal font “Les Rencontres vigneronnes”, which will last more than 15 years, and “Les Estivales” still there.

The last string to her bow: the work of hierarchizing the AOP at the origin of the creation of the Pic Saint Loup, Terrasses du Larzac, Pézenas, La Clape, Picpoul de Pinet appellations… But the most “important thing for me has always been to be as close as possible to the winegrowers and to transmit to them the taste of the terroir. In any case, I have always been a winemaker who spoke to winemakers“, he sums up.

The man whose history is closely intertwined with that of the Languedoc AOP has not finished with wine. Between winemaking at the family estate, at those of the Compagnons de Maguelone and Mas Noguier, and participating in tastings, he will have little time left for leisure. No matter, “he only talks about wines“, says his brother. And that is not about to change.

I subscribe to read the rest