Nicolas'S CITY MAGAZINE LUXEMBOURG · novemberâ09
Le vigneron effectue une rĂcolte dans la ville. The vintner gathering a harvest in the city. NDuncan Robertsâ OAndrĂ©s Lejona
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ifficile dâimaginer un vignoble en plein centre-ville et pourtant, nichĂ© contre les anciennes parois du rocher du Bock face Ă lâAbbaye de NeumĂŒnster, le vigneron Nicolas Ries se consacre Ă ses vendanges. «âLes vignes existent depuis longtemps ici, car ce coteau jouit dâune sorte de microclimat.â» Il y a cinq ans, au cours dâune promenade le long du circuit Wenzel autour de la forteresse historique, il a repĂ©rĂ© le vignoble dĂ©labrĂ© qui avait appartenu aux brasseries Clausen, aujourdâhui dĂ©molies. Il a proposĂ© de le restaurer pour promouvoir la rĂ©gion viticole du Luxembourg. «âTout est vieux ici, jâai donc tenu Ă conserver lâancien systĂšme de viticulture sur Ă©chalas plutĂŽt que sur fils de fer modernes.â» Le vignoble rassemble toutes les variĂ©tĂ©s de raisin de Moselle et produit quelques centaines de bouteilles de vin mĂ©langĂ© rĂ©servĂ©es aux dĂ©gustations privĂ©es. Q
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he centre of the city is not where you would expect to find a vineyard, but nestled against the ancient walls of the Bock rock, across the river from the Abbaye de NeumĂŒnster, vintner Nicolas Ries is busy gathering his grape harvest. âThere have long been vines here because we have a sort of micro-climate on this slope,â he explains. Five years ago, while walking the Wenzel Circuit around the historical fortress, Nicolas spotted the run-down vineyard which had belonged to the now demolished Clausen breweries. He suggested he restore it, chiefly as an advertisement for Luxembourgâs wine-growing region. âEverything around here is old, so I insisted on retaining the old system of growing the vines on poles rather than modern wires.â The vineyard is now planted with all the varieties of grape that can be found on the Moselle, and produces a couple of hundred bottles of blended wine purely for private tastings. Q
«âLes vignes existent depuis longtemps ici, car ce coteau jouit dâune sorte de microclimat.â» âThere have long been vines here because we have a sort of micro-climate on this slope.â Nicolas Ries
nicolas'Sâ city magazine luxembourg