Author: Clémence Fabre

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Cardboard booth at WINE PARIS: a social and architectural challenge !

Wine Paris 2025: an unusual stand for the Fabre family

Since 1605, the Fabre family has embodied one of the Languedoc’s most emblematic winegrowing sagas. At Wine Paris 2025, it is preparing to create a surprise by unveiling an eco-designed stand made from recycled cardboard. But that’s not all: the Fabre family is also offering visitors the chance to travel 800 kilometres away, using virtual reality headsets to transport them to the heart of the famous Cité de Carcassonne.

A stand that’s 100% local, 100% recycled cardboard

‘With the diversification of our offer (ciders, beers, wines), we have freed ourselves from the spaces reserved for the appellations, but not at any price, we had to do it right!’ sums up Clémence Fabre.

To meet this challenge, the Fabre family called on the ETRE school for social integration, based in Lézignan, and the Aude-based company MP2 Environnement, which specialises in recycling waste (cardboard, glass, cork, labels) and employs people on social reintegration schemes.

The result is an extraordinary stand, the fruit of a technical feat that rewards the Fabre family for having had the audacity to take up this social and human challenge. ‘The genesis of this project was really our desire to adopt an eco-responsible approach. It makes a lot of sense for us to have chosen cardboard, but also 100% local products and a social integration project’, emphasises Clémence Fabre.

To take up this challenge, the Fabre family called on the ETRE school for social integration, based in Lézignan, and the Aude-based company MP2 Environnement, which specialises in waste recycling (cardboard, glass, cork, labels) and employs people on social reintegration schemes.

The result is an extraordinary stand, the fruit of a technical feat that rewards the Fabre family for having had the audacity to take up this social and human challenge. ‘The genesis of this project was really our desire to adopt an eco-responsible approach. It makes a lot of sense for us to have chosen cardboard, but also 100% local products and a back-to-work site,’ emphasises Clémence Fabre.

An agro-ecological approach at the heart of a long-standing family project

The stand’s eco-responsible approach is part of a wider ambition: for several generations, the Fabre family has been implementing an exemplary agroecological approach, combining vines, orchards, plant cover and living biodiversity. André Fabre’s ciders and juices, made from pear, quince and apple trees, illustrate this desire to create a fertile and diverse ecosystem.

In its vineyards, the family has taken many initiatives: planting hedges (thyme, rosemary, oleander), trees (almond, pomegranate, pistachio) and introducing resistant grape varieties adapted to the challenges of the climate.

From the Languedoc to Paris: an unprecedented virtual immersion

While the technical feat represented by this eco-designed stand is an experience in itself, the immersive experience that visitors will be offered is more of a novelty. Clémence Fabre says that she has set herself no limits in order to ‘offer something truly memorable’: ‘The Carcassonne Tourist Office has agreed to make VR headsets available to us. Thanks to this system, anyone who wants to can immerse themselves in the history of the Cité de Carcassonne through a ten-minute film.

Promoting diversity

In a trade show that is largely structured around wine appellations, the Fabre family’s approach may come as a surprise. The Fabre family owns 5 estates in the Languedoc and produces wines under the Minervois, Corbières, Boutenac, IGP Pays d’Oc and Vin de France appellations.

On the programme: the family’s own wines, of course, but also ciders and juices from ‘little brother’ André Fabre, as well as beers from Béziers-based brewer Alaryk, to whom the family supplies the barley and hops grown on its land.

Clémence Fabre will also be highlighting the recent arrival of the alcohol-free cuvée Le Rendez-vous, ‘a very refreshing Muscat with a ginger ale flavour’, as well as the first rosé cuvée in the Lux range: ‘it embodies our CSR commitment through a carbon-neutral cork and a recycled paper label made in France’, Clémence Fabre points out.

Finally, the family will also be showcasing its work on sulphite-free wines, recognisable by their label adorned with a moon ‘which symbolises our quest to express the terroir’, concludes Clémence Fabre.

Practical information: Wine Paris 2025: 10-12 February 2025 – Paris Porte de Versailles – Hall 7.2 | D282

 

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Famille Fabre chez AXA Climate : des voeux pour 2050 ?

Merci à AXA Climate pour ce format de voeux très original qui nous a embarqué en 2050…nous sensibilisant aux enjeux de demain, avec ou sans vin ?!

L’adaptation à portée de fourchette. Hier c’était l’évènement de rentrée de AXA Climate à la Bellevilloise avec nos clients et partenaires. On essayé d’offrir aux 260 personnes qui sont venus une expérience concrète de l’adaptation en se demandant comment on mangerait en 2050.

Des vins qui changeront de gout face aux conditions de récoltes qui se dégradent, des farines qui consomment moins d’eau que le blé et changeront la texture de notre pain, des fromages en partie fabriqués à base de lait végétal, des nouveaux fruits qui pousseront en France. On a voulu faire gouter ca très concrètement sur les stands d’un faux “marché de producteurs” dans la France de 2050.

L’occasion de raconter que l’adaptation ce n’est pas seulement se prémunir contre les risques aigus c’est aussi accepter que plein de choses vont bouger “un peu”, qu’on peut l’anticiper et prendre les bonnes décisions.

La nourriture c’est tellement près du vivant qu’on accepte instinctivement que ca va changer avec le climat. Mais c’est vrai aussi dans nos entreprises. Il va falloir accepter la fin d’une certaine standardisation, qu’on ne pourra fabriquer tout le temps la même chose quelles que soient les conditions.

On a connu la domination du “design to cost” on apprendra celle du “design to availability”. Les entreprises qui sauront gérer ca mieux que les autres en verront les bénéfices. Il y a sans doute de l’inspiration à aller chercher du côté des producteurs agricoles, c’est leur métier depuis toujours.

Cet évènement c’était aussi pour nous l’occasion de réunir des gens engagés qui essaient de faire avancer le sujet de la transition dans des temps très difficiles. Une façon de se dire un peu “bon courage”.

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The wagon, symbol of our Famille Fabre vineyard !

The wagon, symbol of our vineyard:

  • Because it was invented by our grand-father André Fabre in the 1950s, and is a symbol of creativity and innovation. It respects the quality of the bunches of grapes which, from the stump to the cellar where they will be crushed, have no transfer of containers that could degrade them.
  • Because it’s small, on a human scale: our organization is such that the winemaker is at the heart of the organization of the group of a few dozen people who share his passion for wine.
  • Because it invites us to help each other: a wagon is almost always towed with one or two others, to ensure optimum transport capacity.
  • Because it can’t go backwards: when the wagons are hitched up in single file, it’s impossible to go backwards. We know that setting up a sustainable production system that respects people and nature is irreversible. Freedom of expression, which is very important in the winemaking profession, can only be expressed through originality, i.e. the feeling that we are unique, original, like the terroir we wish to reveal.

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Terrasses de Lézignan, a soon to be Cru in Corbieres !

Plantier Vigne

A future is being built. Following the example of the famous Cru Boutenac, co-built with 30 neighboring winegrowers, we are working on the recognition of a new Cru within the Corbières appellation, a long-term vision. Château Coulon Terrasses de Lézignan has just been bottled, and should be on sale by the end of the year.

THE PROJECT

With an appellation area of 44,000 hectares, including 11,500 planted with vines, Corbières has been an AOC since 1985. Long-standing identities and vine-growing have led to the early identification of terroirs, now seeking official recognition as crus communaux. The Terrasses-de-Lézignan “complementary geographical denomination” (DGC) project was launched in 2018 by 5 estates and the Lézignan cooperative winery.
It now brings together 9 renowned estates and 2 cooperative wineries. The aim is to highlight the specific features of specific terroir in Corbieres appellation.

THE TERROIR

The terroir of Lézignan was identified very early on as one of the specific terroirs of the Corbières due to its ancient quaternary terraces (see Jacquinet 1991 study). The bioclimatic map was drawn up by the Chamber of Agriculture (strict Mediterranean climate zone, semi-arid with a mild climate), as was the pedological map. The terroir is one of those identified in the 1988 Supagro Montpellier engineering project.

SPECIFICATIONS

Maximum yield Number of communes, 100% red 40 hl / ha 11

VARIETIES

– Main grape variety: Syrah: between 60% and 80% – minimum vine age 4 years
– Complementary grape variety: Grenache minimum 20% – vines at least 4 years old
– Accessory grape varieties: mourvèdre, carignan (max 20% together or separately) – minimum age 7 years

AGEING

The wines are aged until at least December 31st of the year following the harvest, including at least 3 months in bottle.

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Lux rosé, the nature for conviction

Discover our latest addition to the range: Lux Rosé
1 (Phys.) Unit of measurement of light.
2 (Adj.) Character of what is refined.
3 (Fig.) Like the pink moon, our rosé reveals itself in spring.
4. (Wine) Lux de Luc rosé, an exceptional blend of cinsault, syrah and grenache.

A gourmet rosé, this AOP Languedoc blend of cinsault, syrah and grenache offers delicacy and complexity. Notes of peach, a tangy finish, minerality and freshness. A tribute to April’s pink moon, this cuvée marks nature’s return to life, let’s celebrate together!

Ecological commitments:

We have eco-designed Lux Rosé with particular attention to the packaging:

Cork: Nomacorc Select Green 100, the first carbon-neutral cork. Manufactured by Vinvention from plant-based polymers derived from renewable resources. Recyclable.

Label: First carbon-neutral label.
100% French paper with an old-fashioned feel.
FSC-certified, made from pulp from sustainably managed forests.
Bio-sourced with alternative fibers (20% bamboo).

We have chosen not to use caps, thus reducing waste and environmental impact.

An invitation to discovery, Lux Rosé embodies light and our commitment to sustainable viticulture that respects the environment.

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New warehouse at château de Luc

Luc’s residents have notices over the last months all the renovation and construction works made at Famille Fabre ! After (finally) re-roofing the château and the winery, we’re now building a new hangar to absorb the surplus orders from our growing business. We’d like to thank all the craftsmen who worked on the site, and look forward to moving in next month!

 

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Sheep again in our vineyard !

Having sheep in the vineyard has many advantages. Sheep grazing helps to keep vegetation under control in an environmentally-friendly way, reducing the need for herbicides and machinery.What’s more, sheep naturally fertilize the soil with their droppings, promoting soil health and biodiversity. Their presence also helps reduce the risk of fire by eliminating dry grass and maintaining a safer environment.

The return of the sheep to the Fabre family vineyards is a symbol of tradition and respect for the land. Using ancestral methods such as biodiversity and holistic management, they are restoring ecological balance while producing quality wines.This return testifies to their commitment to sustainable viticulture.