Winemaking in the north of the Loire Valley is not for the faint of heart. Frost, mildew and hail are just a couple of the friends you have to contend with up there – the former destroyed Domaine de Bellivière’s entire first harvest in 1994. Ever the quick learners, they soon spread their grapes over 70 different parcels to guard against that happening again, and even now, Eric and Christine never get to harvest the whole lot. The family lives for the good vintages though – their beautifully intense Chenins and spicy Pineau d’Aunis are worth the drama. Says someone who didn’t have to deal with said drama, but I’m sure they’d agree.