Arising from ashes

Coal mining in northern France ended nearly three decades ago, but it left an unexpected legacy for wines.

Three hundred years’ worth of industrial mining slag heaps, of various heights and shapes, dot the landscape in an east-west line just south of the France-Belgium border. The tallest is about 1,500 metres high and is shaped like a pyramid. Others are spread out long— and in some the peak has collapsed, creating a reservoir.

These “terrils” have undergone a makeover, courtesy of Mother Nature. Lichen was first to appear, followed shortly afterwards by hardy shrubs and then—depending on age of the hill—extensive birch forests. A short while after their uniqueness was recognized by UNESCO, locals began to reclaim their black hills. Some of these nearly 300 hills were first used in road construction. And then a goat farmer discovered that his animals thrive on the fibrous shrubs growing in the black soil.

On one of the earliest hills, a small vineyard has blossomed. (In the earlier mines, manual extraction of coal left behind elements of carbon and minerals that newer technology would now deposit in a slag heap.) Because vines thrive in challenging soil types where there is sufficient minerals, an interesting wine has arisen from the ashes, in what must be the most northern vineyard in France. First planted in 2011, its first harvest produced 150 bottles of chardonnay in 2013—and the number doubled in 2014. Cheekily called charbonnay to reflect its origins, this labour of love apparently displays true chardonnay citrus notes.

THIS WEEK’S PICK

I recently tasted the 2014 Huff Rosé wine, made exclusively from Prince Edward County cabernet franc grapes. A shade of washed dusty rose is tempting, while aromas of ripe strawberries, red currant and tomato jam beckon. This wine is a bouquet of red fruit, wrapped around County minerality, for your enjoyment.

It is much more than a normal sipping rosé; it is a wine fashioned to complement food. Created in the traditional method by resident winemaker Frédéric Picard, it is available for purchase at the winery for $19 a bottle. Huff is located on County Road 1 just west of Highway 62.