As throughout the world, there’s always been a direct link between water and the wine regions of France. As one follows the flow of water, one can understand how wine regions were formed centuries ago. Vineyards have always be affected by water, from the coast and from the rivers and lakes lying within. Water has a direct impact on temperature and climate, determining which grape varieties can be cultivated and thrive in a particular environment as well as the styles of wine that can be crafted.
For example, looking from the east, due north of Montpellier to the west in direction of Bordeaux, the Ariège, Tarn, and other tributaries (orange) rejoin the Garonne river and the Atlantic Ocean. In the Pyrenees Piedmont, tributaries meet up with the Adour river (green) and travel all the way to Bayonne and the coast, just north of Biarritz and not far from the Spanish border.
Taken together, as the water flows (green and orange), you have what’s close to a perfect presentation of the vineyard of Southwest France!
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Jay Clifton - 柯傑
Jay Clifton was born a few years ago in Atlanta, Georgia and has been a naturalized French Citizen since 1995. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a double major in Political Science and French, he would later obtain a MBA in 2002 at the Ecole National des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris.
Between 2005 and the end of 2010, Jay was deputy general manager for an international relocation services firm in Beijing, China, so he also speaks functional Mandarin Chinese.
Upon returning to France, he decided to settle down in Southwest France.
A life long lover, and consumer, of French wine, Jay started his transition to this noble sector with a one-year experience sponsored by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and a winemaker located in the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, followed by specialized coursework in wine management and marketing at the Toulouse Business School. More recently, Jay completed his oenological training with the two Wine and Spirits Education Trust certifications.
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