In the cellar with... Poppy Saker-Norrish

Let’s push the boundaries of exhilaration as we ask Poppy Saker-Norrish, owner and manager of my dear Auberge de Chassignolles, a few questions.

Wine accompanies the moments of our lives, from the most intimate to the most memorable. To explore this connection and introduce you to new cuvées, I interview winemakers, sommeliers, and enthusiasts about themes linked to the emotions of different occasions.

For this fifth episode and after the itinerary in Livradois, Poppy Saker-Norrish, new owner and manager of Auberge de Chassignolles, has taken on my wine-themed Proust questionnaire.

What do you think is the greatest virtue of wine?

Wine is a liquid home-movie, telling the story of a single piece of land over the course of a single season. The same wine will never be made twice.

…And what bigger flaw could there be?

Sometimes… That the same wine will never be made twice.

Which vintage for a special occasion?

1997. Some of the best music, some of the best bottles.

Best music you say… do you have a track on your mind ?

Well, i’m trying to think of the best one to accompany the wines. Radiohead’s Ok Computer came out in 97, as did the miseducation of Lauren hill - both were some of my first CDs.

…And for a non-occasion?

2021 : a cool vintage with cheeky wines. They are some of my favourites, not trying to be any more than they are.

Which wine for love?

Love has a way of making everything and anything taste good… But if I had to choose on the spot: a trousseau perhaps. Katie Worobeck (Maison Maenad) made a banger in 2022.

…And for an amicable breakup?

Hegan Hegin, Imanol Garay. It’s a delicious wine. There’s a lot going on. A bottle between two is enough. By the time you reach the end, you’re quite happy to part ways.

What about a wine for my father, who is convinced he doesn’t like natural wine?

I’ve met your father. I like him. I’ve served him wine. I feel he’s easier to please than you give him credit for (people who claim they don’t like natural wine generally are).

A bottle to gift someone who doesn't like wine?

Permapinard Cider by a new winemaker, Thomas besson, aged in vermouth barrels.

What’s your definition of the French word ivresse, which means both exhilaration and inebriation?

When the moment suddenly floods with flirtatious possibility.

Where’s the best place on earth to taste wine?

I think that wines are truly themselves the closer they’re drunk to land they came from.

... And, in your opinion, who is the best companion to enjoy a glass of wine with?

Someone who understands or at least acknowledges the enormous amount of work it took to get the damn thing in the glass in front of you.

Last but not least, in the world of wine, is there a particular work you would personally like to highlight?

Les Fréres Souliers in the Gard. I think they are one the best examples of viticulture in France. It’s a meticulously considered, ever-evolving approach to the relationship between dirt, roots and people. As for the wines themselves, they’ve been delicious from the first vintage, but there’s constant reassessment. I saw Charles only the other week, and he told me ‘It’s funny, I’ve been doing this now for more than 10 years, and I think I’m only just beginning to understand the kind of wines I want to make.'

You can find Poppy's excellent recommendations at the Auberge de Chassignolles, set to reopen in mid-April.

Auberge de Chassignolles - Le Bourg 43440 Chassignolles, France - +33 4 71 76 32 36 -info@aubergedechassignolles.com