I was lucky enough to enjoy one of the last days of this summer’s sun on Domaine Mathis Bastian’s terrace. I sat down with Anouk Bastian to discuss her philosophy on winemaking and the future of Luxembourg’s wine industry. There’s no surprise that I also managed to fit in a tasting.
Meeting Anouk Bastian, a fourth generation winemaker, was beyond a pleasure. Anouk runs the winery with her father, Mathis Bastian, and turned to winemaking after a short career as a lawyer. She is extremely welcoming and has succeeded in creating a warm environment for visitors.
Everything at Domaine Matias Bastian, from the harvesting of the grapes to the final product, is about balance and harmony. As in all businesses, profits are important, but this winery is operated with the idea that creating a profit must be done in balance with the respect of workers and the environment while creating a quality product.
They use sustainable methods to cultivate their grapes which Anouk believes is imperative not only for the respect of nature, but also because these methods yield the healthiest grapes and therefore the highest quality wines. Mathis Bastian was one of the first winemakers in Luxembourg to employ these methods, and I believe this is one of the reasons its wines are so refined.
They grow 9 varieties of grapes to create an impressive range of wines that vary greatly from bottle to bottle. No matter how different each bottle is, the harmony of flavors is always spot on. I can honestly say, it’s an absolute pleasure to pour a glass from any Mathis Bastian bottle. You can definitely taste that Anouk was born to create wine.
With just 10 full-time employees, the Domaine manages to produce 120,000 bottles of wine a year. Approximately 50% of the production is sold in high-level restaurants with the other 60,000 bottles being sold to private customers and specialty retailers. Although you can find some Mathis Bastian wine in local shops, the more special bottles are only available directly from the winery- which I think is a more than adequate excuse to pay a visit.
When asked about her views on the Luxembourg wine industry gaining international recognition, Anouk stated with confidence that she believes Luxembourg is gaining ground and has a lot to offer wine lovers outside of Luxembourg. In fact, Domaine Mathis Bastian has had its wines sold in the UK for the last 15 years, and believes that these sorts of successes should encourage Luxembourgish wine makers to expand their marketing; I couldn’t agree more.
If you’re interested in learning more about Mathis Bastian’s wines you can attend their Wine Tasting Days from November 11-13th (14:00-18:30). Otherwise, you can drop by Domaine Mathias Bastian all year long -Monday-Friday from 8:00-12:00pm and 14:00-17:30. Outside of regular hours, winery visits and tastings can be arranged by appointment.
To try:
Cremant de Luxembourg The color is pale gold. The bubbles are refined and lingering. The nose is discreet fruity and reveals delicate touches of brioche and hazelnut. The palate is well-balanced, lively and tasty.
Auxerrois Remich Goldberg “grand permier cru” Vintage 2014 The Auxerrois is Luxembourg's "special" grape variety. It has pleasing aromas, with a well-rounded and fruity quality. Auxerrois is ideal as a pre-dinner drink, or enjoyed with a meal.
Pinot Gris “Gris de gris” A.O.P vintage 2015 Although the pinot gris grape is a white-wine grape, the skin is reddish. A cold maceration time of about twelve hours will impart a copper red color with silvery glints. The nose of Pinot gris “gris de gris” is delicate fruity (white cherry, nectarine, pears). The palate has nice complexity and spiciness.
You can also find this article on City Savvy. City Savvy is a website that seeks to inform, entertain and simplify the lives of English speakers living in, moving to or visiting Luxembourg.
