Domaine de Juchepie

When, in 1985, my wife and myself, discovered a "longère", a traditionnal farmstyle house, on top of a hill planted with old vines, we had not the slightest idea where this would eventualy lead us to. It was supposed to become our beloved holydayhome, and far from us was any thought of exploiting a vineyard here some day.

Of course, the choice of the place was not entirely random. Our passion of wine had lead us to "Juchepie" , a beautiful slope at the heart of the "Coteaux du Layon", where very reputed noblesweet wines had been made for centuries. Even when we heard that also a small vineyard belonged to the property, we only found this to be a merely pleasurable detail.

The property had no infrastructure for winegrowing whatsoever. And still, very soon, matured the idea that we wanted more from our 0.35 ha vineyard, than a tasty wine made by some befriended winegrowers. So we took already the decision, at that early stage, to switch, when I would be 50 (in 2001) our activity in de hardwaretrade for a life as winegrowers in France.

This gave us about 15 years time to establish a patrimony and a small structure. And so, on the 1st of October 2001, we moved permanentely to Juchepie, hoping to add,on the, in the meantime 6 ha, of excellent vines, a new chapter to the "Coteaux du Layon - Faye" story.

When, in 1985, my wife and myself, discovered a "longère", a traditionnal farmstyle house, on top of a hill planted with old vines, we had not the slightest idea where this would eventualy lead us to. It was supposed to become our beloved holydayhome, and far from us was any thought of exploiting a vineyard here some day.

Of course, the choice of the place was not entirely random. Our passion of wine had lead us to "Juchepie" , a beautiful slope at the heart of the "Coteaux du Layon", where very reputed noblesweet wines had been made for centuries. Even when we heard that also a small vineyard belonged to the property, we only found this to be a merely pleasurable detail.

The property had no infrastructure for winegrowing whatsoever. And still, very soon, matured the idea that we wanted more from our 0.35 ha vineyard, than a tasty wine made by some befriended winegrowers. So we took already the decision, at that early stage, to switch, when I would be 50 (in 2001) our activity in de hardwaretrade for a life as winegrowers in France.

This gave us about 15 years time to establish a patrimony and a small structure. And so, on the 1st of October 2001, we moved permanentely to Juchepie, hoping to add,on the, in the meantime 6 ha, of excellent vines, a new chapter to the "Coteaux du Layon - Faye" story.

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