APPELLATION D'ORIGINE CONTRÖLEE :
This is a quality origin certificate awarded to products presenting rare and
original qualities. It distinguishes the product, the specific soil on which
it is grown and the talent of the men producing it.
The Moissac Chasselas AOC, grown in the Midi-Pyrénées region and
harvested from September to November, is the first fresh fruit to be awarded
the AOC label. Its golden bunches full of bright, fine grapes, release a multitude
of rich and sweet fragrances.
The chasselas has been
part of tradition in the Moissac region for several centuries. During the nineteenth
century, the first vines were taken from the King's vineyard to be planted on
the Moissac hills and so was born the region where the grape is king.
The outstanding quality
of the Moissac Chasselas is the result of a rigorous selection process. Right
from the winter months, the Chasselas grower selects which buds have the best
exposure and directs the sap towards the young bunches to enrich their sweetness
and flavour. At the end of the summer, bunches that are fully mature are selected
and picked in the early hours. In line with the tradition of "hand picking",
women check over each bunch and then snip it off.