A tradition of winemaking excellence for Chateau Grand Mayne from Bordeaux

Tradition and excellence drew people in to taste Chateau Grand Mayne from Bordeaux, France, at the Forks and Corks festival on Sunday.

Nony represented his family wine estate, Chateau Grand Mayne from Bordeaux, France, at Forks and Corks.

In fact, this Southwest French wine was such a hit that Jean Antoine Nony ran out of bottles within the first hour on the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art.

Nony’s family estate has a long history that goes back over five centuries. The word ”Mayne“ simply means ”mansion,“ and what’s a French vineyard without a historical estate?

”I represent my family estate in Bordeux, in France,“ Nony said. ”It (the estate’s wine) was a big success because after one hour I did not have any more wine to serve.“

Chateau Grand Mayne is the label and he said people enjoy the richness of their wine because they like the taste of traditional French wines.

The location of the vineyard is to the west of Saint Emillion at the foot of the plateau. It produces 76 percent merlots with an average age of 30 years for the vines.

”We have an old tradition with wine,“ Nony said while watching the people waiting for a sample. He was apologetic because he was out of wine to serve.

He said he also tries to travel around the world three months of the year to promote the winery and serve samples with dinners he prepares.

The wine from the estate brought to the event was finished off in only one hour, due to people's love of traditional French wine.

French cuisine matched with the finest of Bordeaux wines feels like an easy sell, which it is in the U.S. Thirty percent of their sales are in this country, as people tend to enjoy the Bordeaux-style production of the wine.

But Nony is also very busy around the estate and planned to return home after the event to help in the family vineyards. It’s work that continues throughout the year.

”All seasons are very important for us,“ he said. ”June is when the flower is blooming.“

The month of June is the prime time for their grapes, and this continues through the beginning of October.

”We try to make the best wine,“ he said with a French accent that makes you feel like you were walking the grounds of Chateau Grand Mayne.

Retail cost for Chateau Grand Mayne: $50.00/bottle

Erica Newport is a daily reporter for The Bradenton Times. She covers art, culture and community. If you have a story that might interest Erica, please e-mail her using erica.newport@thebradentontimes.com address.  She also takes your questions related to our weekly theme days and provides advice and opinions for our readers.

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