From Grand Tourisme Veloce to Grand Terroir Viognier

A classic Viognier with sufficient freshness. Apricot, peach, yellow kiwi, and honey greet your nose, followed by anise, mint, cream, and flowers. A soft, creamy wine that never gets boring. We love it. Simply a very beautiful, high-quality, and balanced wine!
Le Plan Vermeersch GT-V Viognier is a white wine from the Rhône by a remarkable winemaker. Do you know the story of the Belgian racing driver who became a winegrower in France? Dirk Vermeersch successfully traded the race car for the vineyard! All Vermeersch wines feature a reference to motor racing on the label or in the name. A checkered flag, or, as with this Viognier, the name itself. Here, GT-V does not stand for ‘Grand Tourisme Veloce’ but for ‘Grand Terroir Viognier’. A wine that deserves the top spot on the podium!

Delicious oak-aged and organic Viognier

The GT-V is made from 100% Viognier. The wine is full-bodied and intense in flavor, with aromas of exotic fruit and, naturally, the typical floral notes associated with the Viognier grape. The wine possesses great freshness and elegance. The aroma features tropical fruits such as mango, lychee, and banana, with light notes of raisins and honey. The taste is full-bodied and juicy with ripe exotic fruit, light spiciness, and an attractive hint of walnut or almond bitterness in the finish.

The wine is organically produced (certified by Ecocert) and the grapes are picked entirely by hand. The wine is not filtered in order to retain as much matter as possible.

On the bottle of 'Vin de France' in the bottle of Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse

The wine comes from vineyards in the region. Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse, but are downgraded as ‘Vin de France’ because the AOP does not allow wines based on a single grape variety. Winemakers sometimes choose to give a wine a low classification in order to have the freedom to produce a special wine outside the strict rules of the appellation. The fact that the bottle of this beautiful oak-aged Viognier only bears the French table wine label therefore says nothing about the quality; on the contrary!

The story of Dirk Vermeersch

Incredibly enthusiastic but without a diploma and with no prospect of a decent job, Dirk Vermeersch, as a young taxi driver, dreams of a career in motorsport. Barely two years after starting local races with a street-legal car, he wins the 24 Hours of Zolder, and in that same year, 1977, he is the reserve driver for the victory car at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. From that moment on, he becomes a professional racing driver.

After a long and successful career in motorsport, a serious rally accident in 1986 brought an end to his racing activities. Dirk took a step back and started operating a petrol station, where he simultaneously dealt in used cars. Three years later, his secret wish to become a dealer for a top-tier car brand came true. Dirk officially became a Lancia and Maserati dealer in Schilde, near Antwerp.

In 1999, he manages to sell the dealership for a good price. Retirement beckons, but Dirk cannot sit still. First, he acquires a ruin in the South of France, and subsequently, he starts a construction company to renovate the wreck into one of the most beautiful and largest buildings in the region. A third dream comes true: Dirk, his charming wife Hélène, and daughter Ann start running a B&B together in Provence. It is a bit like the story of Chateau Meiland, but without the TV series.

Next to the ruins lies a small plot with old Carignan vines. Dirk begins pruning and plowing enthusiastically like a seasoned autodidact. Before his family knows it, he is a full-time winemaker. His first LePlan-Vermeersch GT-S 2003 is awarded 2 stars in the Hachette Guide des Vins, and Robert Parker, the famous American Wine Advocate, gives his LePlan-Vermeersch GT-1 Chateauneuf-du-Pape 94/100 points. The rest is history…