My Latest in Oregon Wine Press:

“Meet Mr. Marquet”

French sailor disembarks in Oregon wine biz

by L.M. Archer

For some, the call to winemaking arrives early. For Sebastien Marquet of Crush2Cellar in Newberg, it appeared at age 14.

While an unmotivated student, Marquet enjoyed working harvest with his winegrowing grandfather in Molesme, a village in northern Burgundy near the border of Champagne. But it was the call of the sea which eventually altered the trajectory of his vigneron path, leading him to Oregon.

The Calling

Direct routes may prove efficient, but circuitous ones often prove more interesting. Upon graduating from The Lycée Viticole et Oenologue de Beaune in Burgundy, Marquet moved on to graduate school in Macon, studying marketing. Post-graduate work led him to winemaking in prestigious villages like Pommard, Volnay, Beaune, Meursault and Monthélie. But the restless young winemaker yearned to learn about grapes other than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When an opportunity arose to work in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France, he took it. There, Marquet learned about other varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Carignan. He also fell in love with the sea and sailing.

Sailing Away

A chance encounter while sailing in the Mediterranean led to a new job in Martinique. Marquet planted groundbreaking Caribbean vineyards through an EU program focusing on wine grape experiments. The project thrived. “You can make wine every day. You can prune vines every week. You can walk in the vineyards and see every stages of the vineyard just walking,” he said. But after eight years learning to grow wine in a humid region with two growing seasons, Marquet felt not only disconnected from other winemakers but unchallenged. One day, he appeared on a local island radio program, inviting listeners to tour the vineyards.

Serendipity struck…READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

More by L.M. Archer in Palate Press here.

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