At the APVSA wine tasting in Washington, DC, we met Régis Moulin from Domaine de la Croix Blanche. The winery produces Cognac and an Elixir spirit wine. The Elixir was available for tasting at APVSA. 

The Elixir is produced with Cognac.

The Elixir by Domaine de la Croix Blanche had 36% alcohol. The dark gold amber wine had multiple columns of tiny bubbles. It was deliciously sweet and very smooth. The smoothness of the mouthfeel with the high alcohol makes this a wine to sip slowly, enjoy and stand up slowly. This is a very unique wine product that should be available for wine drinking consumers.

Next to the Elixir a display sheet noted, “The Elixir has no history per se, indeed this spirit drink is unique. It is the fruit of the Domaine de la Croix Blanche and comes from a simple relection: how to make the Cognac more accessible!” Continuing on, “Our Elixir is a carbonated spirit drink made from Cognac.”

We discovered the Elixir to be wonderful and the wine appeared  to be well priced for many people. Unfortunately Domaine de la Croix Blanche does not have a distributor in the United States. This is where you a consumer can step in and hopefully make a difference. Go to your favorite wine shop and start by asking for the Elixir and suggesting that wine shop contact their distributors about Domaine de la Croix Blanche.

Régis Moulin from Domaine de la Croix Blanche

Online Interview with Régis Moulin, owner and winemaker at Domaine de la Croix

Wine Trail Traveler: What are your most enjoyable aspects of owning a winery, vineyards, and producing your own wines?

Régis Moulin: The value of being a harvester lies in having complete control over the production chain, from the young vineyard foot just planted, passing from its establishment to its production by living at its sides through the seasons. 

Then comes the harvest and the winemaking, which are important phases in this trade and which will determine whether if we made good strategic choices, this gives this profession a constant questioning and reflection. 

These aspects make our lives exciting, despite the struggles that any entrepreneur may encounter. Finally, going from the beginning to the end of this process is humanly rewarding because what better recognition than to see the customer congratulating us on our efforts and who greatly appreciates our products. 

Wine Trail Traveler: How long has the property of Domaine de la Croix Blanche been in your family? Was the property a vineyard and winery before your family owned it?

Régis Moulin: Our family started the business in 1934. A tiny farm at first (less than 1 hectare of vineyard). With the hard work of Marius Moulin, the farm was built little by little until Claude Moulin took over to enlarge the vineyard up to 12 hectares. During the Cognac crisis of the 1970s, Claude mill made the decision to create his own brand of bottle, being until then only delivery of spirits for Hennessy. 

At last when I arrived after my studies, Me, Régis Moulin, has evolved the company to 30 hectares. Today the building structure has been moved, the old one no longer corresponding to the needs of the exploitation. And it was at this moment, in 1992, that the company Moulin became “Domaine de la Croix Blanche” 

Wine Trail Traveler: Domaine de la Croix Blanche has 27 hectares of vineyards. What are the grape varieties growing in your vineyards?

Régis Moulin: Today Domaine de la Croix Blanche as grown up and our vineyard counts now 30 hectares, which are composed by a lot of grape varieties : 

1 Ha. Of GAMAY for Rosé, 1 Ha. Of Saubignon Blanc for white wine, 2 Ha. Of Merlot for red wines, 1 Ha. Of Merlot and 1 Ha ; of Cabernet Franc for the conception of the red « Pineau des charentes », and then 24 Ha. Of Ugni Blanc, which is grown to be distilled for Cognac, and for the conception of the white « Pineau des Charentes. » 

The unique Elixir

Wine Trail Traveler: We tasted your delicious Elixir wine. When and why did Domaine de la Croix Blanche begin making the Elixir? What food pairings do you suggest for the Elixir?

Régis Moulin: The Elixir was born from a long societal observation, indeed, How to make a woman, who would be afraid to taste a strong alcohol, love and consume cognac,. How to arouse the interest of a product that culturally, at least in our country is intended for male consumption ? The idea of Elixir was born. 

This product can be associated with many things, but always after a night in the freezer. It will then offer all quintessence with caviar toast, smoked salmon or poured with a pear sorbet and hot black chocolate coulis. Of course it will also be the greatest partner as a digestive at the end of a good meal. 

Wine Trail Traveler: Currently where are the winery’s wines available?

Régis Moulin: For now, Domaine de la Croix Blanche is looking for distributors and importers, this is the first time our company has set foot on the American continent. Thanks to APVSA, we have been able to participate in all these tastings across the country, which have enabled us to have many positive contacts, so we are currently organizing all this in order to finalize the distribution of our products on the American continent 

Wine Trail Traveler: What would you like the public to know about Domaine de la Croix?

Régis Moulin: We would like people to know that we are an evolutionary company while retaining its human size, our semi-artisanal operation, respectful of its customers as well as the quality of our products. 

The customer relationship as well as conviviality are the keys of our company that we want to bring to the greatest number, and always in the will to bring to people new horizons by the rarity of some of our products. 

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Wine Trail Traveler hopes that distributors will discover the unique Elixir that Regis Moulin produces at Domaine de la Croix Blanche.