Producer Les Cailloux du Paradis

FRANCE, LOIRE

Les Cailloux du Paradis is a small winery located in Soings-en-Sologne in the Loire. The owner is Claude Courtois who is considered one of the forerunners of "natural wines" in France. He began producing natural wine in Provence until a fire destroyed most of his vineyards in 1991. After this tragic event, together with his wife, he set out to find a new place, until he found his happiness in Soings-en-Sologne in the form of a couple of hectares of land with ten-year vines. Vines of Gascon, Syrah, Menu-Pineau, Sauvignon, Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and some of them completely unknown. Claude also cultivates wheat, which is then fed to the cows that produce the fertilizer that will be used in the vineyard, fruit trees and an inevitable garden for self-consumption, in short, "Les Cailloux Du Paradis" is a timeless place. Today the sons of Claude have taken over part of the vineyards; Étienne Courtois has 5 hectares while Julien Courtois also has 5 hectares just a few hundred meters from the family farm.