Technology ancient and modern in Roussillon

It is always fascinating to get some insights into the tremendous effort and innovation that goes into the bottles of wine that are so often consumed without a second thought. At Mas Amiel in Roussillon, makers of fine Vin Doux Naturel in the Maury appellation, I witnessed several such insights.

The first is very much modern technology: a stainless-steel fermenter – but not just any stainless-steel fermenter. This one has been bespoke made for Mas Amiel, and you can see from the photograph that it is trapezoid in shape, wider at the top than at the bottom.













































This assists the...