Behind the vine

Isabelle & Elise Balland - Domaine Jean-Paul Balland - Sancerre, France

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

IB: In reality, there was no, one special day which made me fall in love with wine. I was born into this world. The family house and the cellar are in the same building, so I grew up with the conviction that wine was a part of each member of our family. As children we would ride in the vineyards, play in the cellar and help our parents. As I got older I understood that my little hills of Sancerre were a fantastic door to the world. I love to present different people my work and helping them to create little moments of joy in their lives is a privilege!

EB: We grew up with wine, so for me it was so natural. Our family has been winemakers for over 6 generations. In 2001, Isabelle and I came back to work with our father Jean Paul. Isabelle is the winemaker with a degree in Oenology from Dijon, and I manage the trade, relationships and accountancy. We’re lucky that we are two sisters who have complementary skills and passions. I remember one particular moment in 1989 when the vintage was destroyed by hail. I saw my grandfather crying, and I understood in that moment that the job is complicated and sometimes unfair: you work a lot, for a long and it can be swept away in a couple of minutes. In that moment, I understood that nature is more powerful than anything.

What story does your wine tell?

IB: I am particularly talkative so it tells a lot of stories! I hope when people are drinking it they are thinking about all of their little joys from daily life: a dinner with friends, a family lunch, a date with your lover. The wine invites you to appreciate a peaceful moment.

EB: It tells a beautiful story of a family. It talks to the terroir of the beautiful region of Sancerre. Now that Isabelle vinifies our wines, I think they are more feminine and delicate in taste.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

IB: All of them. First, people have to trust themselves. I see a lot of people saying ‘I am not able to taste, I don’t know anything about wine’. Wine is not an elitist object, it is a friendly object. When you are tasting a wine for the first time, you just have to ask yourself if you wish to share it with people you love. That’s all you need to know. Trust yourself.

EB: I totally agree with Isabelle, wine is about pleasure. If you don’t have the words for tasting, you mustn’t be ashamed, it’s not important. What is important is to discover and have fun!

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

IB: There is a sentence which is my mantra: ‘Wine is the child of 3: Earth, Sky and People’. Earth is the terroir - the vine is a plant with very strong roots which go deep into the soil and undersoil, searching for elements within them to make their grapes so unique. Sky is all that weather and nature can offer to us, the good things and sometimes the bad things, too. People because you need to remember that wine is the result of a controlled transformation. A savage vine would not be able to offer wine. It needs the care of people, their passion in the vineyard and in the cellar. In short, wine is the result of nature and human passion.

EB: It’s about the pleasure you get when you taste and share wine with other people. All wines are different which adds to the richness of the experience. For me, the history of wine is also important. Wine is a part of culture, development and it is the witness of history.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

IB: It is a big world! You just have to find where your passion is driving you.

EB: To be free is to love what we do, if you want to work in this convivial world of wine, go for it! Wine helps you to travel in a glass and also in work. You can meet wonderful people in this business.

Who is a woman that inspired you?

IB: Perhaps the Pommery and Cliquot widows who lent their names to history, showing there is egality between men and women in the passion for wine. In my own life, I have a profound respect for my professor in the wine faculty in Dijon, Dominique Peyron - a specialist in the composition of wine. She taught with such enthusiasm that everything was easy to understand.

EB: I am French so for me this is Veuve Cliquot, one of the first women in wine, a precursor without any doubt!

Where can women find your wine?

You can visit the cellar in Sancerre, and find a list of importers on the site.

In the UK, you can buy from Vinoramica or Highbury Vintners in London, Quercus, Corks in Bristol, and Harrogate Fine Wine.