How I became a winemaker in France
Before...
After a business degree, I worked between France and the USA for a textile company.
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and after...
I first came to Roanne for work as it was one the main cities producing textile in France. This is when I heard about this small vineyard called La Côte Roannaise. As the textile industry was living its last years, I decided to change life and become a winemaker in France, what I had always dreamed of!
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A few dates:
1988 First time in Roanne as export salesmanager for an international textile company.
1989 Thinking about the possibilty of changing job and fulfill a dream: becoming a winemaker.
1990 First vintage from various parcels of vines on the Côte Roannaise. I was lucky to start with an easy one! Vinification at a colleague's place.
1990/91 Degree at Davayé (Mâcon).
1991 The Domaine du Fontenay was bought. Wine had been produced until 1965. We re-planted the vines around the Domaine.
1992 3 hectares was planted.
1993 First article in Le Monde. "L'Anglais fou des Côtes Roannaises" was born.
1997 The harvesting machine arrived in The Côte Roannaise, another trick of the Englishman! Everybody talks about it and a lot of spectators stop to watch this new phenomenom.
2000 Plantation of the "Satellite vines". Apparently, the first time in the World that GPS is used to plant vines. Local newspaper, then national radios and TV and the BBC talk about it!
2005 Plantation of Gamay and Viognier at St Sulpice, a specific granit terroir where the 1st vines were grown in the area in 966.
2006 First vintage of 7, a pink sparkling wine.
2007 Chardonnay is planted at St Sulpice. Total surface of vines: 11 hectares.
2010 First vintage of Viognier 2008 and Chardonnay 2009.
2011 20th anniversary of the Domaine
1989 Thinking about the possibilty of changing job and fulfill a dream: becoming a winemaker.
1990 First vintage from various parcels of vines on the Côte Roannaise. I was lucky to start with an easy one! Vinification at a colleague's place.
1990/91 Degree at Davayé (Mâcon).
1991 The Domaine du Fontenay was bought. Wine had been produced until 1965. We re-planted the vines around the Domaine.
1992 3 hectares was planted.
1993 First article in Le Monde. "L'Anglais fou des Côtes Roannaises" was born.
1997 The harvesting machine arrived in The Côte Roannaise, another trick of the Englishman! Everybody talks about it and a lot of spectators stop to watch this new phenomenom.
2000 Plantation of the "Satellite vines". Apparently, the first time in the World that GPS is used to plant vines. Local newspaper, then national radios and TV and the BBC talk about it!
2005 Plantation of Gamay and Viognier at St Sulpice, a specific granit terroir where the 1st vines were grown in the area in 966.
2006 First vintage of 7, a pink sparkling wine.
2007 Chardonnay is planted at St Sulpice. Total surface of vines: 11 hectares.
2010 First vintage of Viognier 2008 and Chardonnay 2009.
2011 20th anniversary of the Domaine