In France, August 15th is a national holiday, the celebration of the Assumption of Mary, and it has historically been the unofficial beginning of holidays for many vignerons in the Loire. In 2026, however, the uncharacteristically warm and dry summer has resulted in a very early vintage, and August 15th marked the beginning of harvest (primarily Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc) for much of the Central Loire. In anticipation of the early start of harvest, many vigneron took their annual summer vacances a little earlier, only to return and be swiftly thrust into the throes of harvest. For someone like me, that has meant fewer vigneron visits this month, and more time spent en famille with my boyfriend, Alex, and his kids, and a balance of tasting and drinking for pleasure as well as for upcoming features here.
That said, I did get out to Domaine Annivy in Dampierre-sur-Loire in Saumur-Champigny. The domaine was introduced to me by my dear friends Rick Fitzgerald and Marilyn MacGregor, who jo…