Vineyard Visit

From Tuoa, a tiny atoll, we set sail for the largest and best-known atoll in the region, Rangiroa. Entering the Tiputa pass was thrilling – with turbulent waters and dolphins jettisoning themselves every which way, all senses were entranced. Rob and Louis navigated us safely through the pass, while Nick and I were on watch at the bow, supposedly for bommies, but secretly on dolphin watch!

Irish Blessing invited us to join them for dinner at Josephine’s on our first night, we accepted enthusiastically. On the patio at this homestyle restaurant we saw a magnificent display of sizable black tip sharks feeding. Next day the boys all went diving, they swam with dolphins, barracudas, shark, huge napoleon wrasse and a rainbow array of reef fish. I went diving the following afternoon with my own private one-on-one instructor, Martín, to the so-called aquarium – a mere 4 meters deep with an astonishing assortment of reef fish.

We keep remarking on how clean the environment is here in French Polynesia. The pride taken in their surroundings is a lesson to us all. We continue to fly the Oceanic Society Blue habits flag (#Bluehabits) and are constantly asked about the organization and its ethos – exactly as we had hoped.

On the eve of Nick’s departure, we dined at the glamorous Kia Ora hotel, mixing with honeymoon couples, and elderly couples served by waiters all very in touch with their feminine side. Nick left us on the 27^th April, from Rangiroa airport, bound for Pape’ete, Tahiti, and then on home to Wiltshire. We shall miss Enda and Nick, we had become a happy little family!

John Hunter-Holmes told us about a vineyard in Rangiroa, the only one in French Polynesia, and we were eager to learn more and explore. We booked a taxi, made a reservation at the Domain Dominique Auroy tasting room, grabbed our friend, Stu, from Makara, and set off. The caves are small, but impressive, a very professional operation that has been in business for 25 years. The 3 grape varietals, Carignan Red, Italia and Muscat de Hambourg, are grown on a vineyard some 5 kilometers away. The grapes are brought by boat, after harvesting, to these caves, where wine maker Sebastien Thepenier works his magic to create 4 well respected wines – Blanc de Corail, Clos de Récif, Rosé Nacaret and Monamona. The grapes are only pressed once, rather than the more common 2 or 3 pressings, the concentrated juice mixed into wine, again travels by sea to Pape’ete, Tahiti, is allowed to rest for 2 weeks before being bottled and labeled and sent to be savored throughout French Polynesia and increasingly all over the world. Having seen videos of the vineyards presented by Sebastian, whose passion for his work is infectious, we were intrigued to explore more.  I asked Sebastian if it might be possible to visit the terroir where these grapes are grown. He said “mais bien sûr”, as long as we could make our own way there in a “petit bateau”. He sent me a google photo of the tiny little quay that accessed the vineyard and put me in touch with vineyard manager, Jacqueline, he sadly, would not be able to join us himself. Next day at cock crow (everywhere in French Polynesia there are roosters crowing to welcome each morning!), we set off in a westerly direction on Irene IV with Michael and Donna from Seabird on a great adventure. The sea state was somewhat inclement but unperturbed we anchored as close as we could to the as yet invisible quay. Due to the wild wind and oscillating ocean Rob kindly stayed aboard. Louis, Michael, Donna and I, like intrepid adventurers, cast off on the tender into the unknown. The charming quay, a grandiose term for a few broken sticks marking a channel to a rickety wooden jetty, after 2.5 nautical miles through bumpy seas, came into view. The only reason we were sure it was the correct spot was the sight of the boat moored alongside that we had thankfully noticed in one of the videos the day before. Stepping ashore was like being transported to the original Secret Garden of Eden! The first screen shot captured a sugar cane plantation peeking through the palm and fir trees, fringed with grasses grown for the perfume in their roots, followed by an 8-hectare vineyard as healthy as any in the Napa Valley, beautifully maintained, and majestically framed by tall wafting coconut palms. After subsequent perambulations we happened upon a sizable vegetable plot, with pineapple, tomatoes, courgettes, herbs, melons, flanked by citrus groves, papaya, banana, and breadfruit trees. A pure paradise! Jacqueline lives on the property with her husband and 3 children – her husband and eldest son work along with her. Her other 2 children go to school on the atoll, one by day, the other boarding. She introduced us to the additional 9 vineyard workers, and we shared some conversation, photos, and flapjacks (Irish cookies), baked the previous day. Jacqueline was gracious and extraordinarily generous, she left the ”vendage” (it is harvest here, of which there are 2 per year) and toured us around the grounds, answering our many questions, and gave us bag loads of fruit and vegetables. Donna and I were lucky to join in the vendage, Jacqueline in her typically Polynesian colorful clothing, taught us how to cut the stems without harming the vine or the grapes. Louis and Michael, in an heroic effort, harvested a breadfruit, by yielding a very long bamboo pole with a sharp knife attached at its end (Michael) and attempted to catch it as it fell (Louis). Michael succeeded, Louis failed, but the breadfruit was rescued, albeit bruised and leaking a milky sap. We departed the quay, having rinsed all the produce in sea water, to rid it of fire ants, beetles, and any other wildlife, full to the brim with the delights of the morning expedition. The way back to the boat was hilarious! Head to wind and waves, we got completely soaked to the skin. We sang sea shanties, as well as Irish, Australian and Canadian folk songs to ease the pain, accompanied by peals of riotous laughter. Rob was met, aboard Irene IV, by four drowned but happy rats. We returned to port, had a jovial lunch of baguettes and French cheeses, swilled down with chilled Vin de Tahiti Rosé – all was well with the world.