Summary
Bégrolles comes from the Latin word gracula, meaning "crow". Combined with the prefix be, this refers to the uneven terrain resembling a crow's beak. The vineyards belong to the Domaine de Begrolles, and are located in the commune of La Haye Fouassière, on steep slopes bordering the Sèvre River in the heart of the Muscadet region. The 17-hectare vineyard in a single block in and around the place named Bégrolles, but as the current owner of the vines has no facility to make the wines, they are made in the Saumur based Cooperative- Alliance Loire facility.
The Melon de Bourgogne vines grow on a remarkable terroir: sandy soil overlaying orthogneiss, or magmatic parent rock. The vines are an average age of 45 years. Planted on a plain, they take advantage of the warm microclimate to grow ripe grapes. The village of La Haye Fouassière has very diverse soils. In fact, there are five distinct types, from gneiss to granite. This rich diversity motivated seven local winegrowers to create an appellation now known worldwide: Muscadet.