I grew up in the village of Saulcet (population 800), surrounded by vineyards. This village is the heart of our wine region; it has the largest vineyard area and the highest number of winemakers.
I don't come from a farming or winemaking family, but I always wanted to do this job. It's difficult to establish yourself outside of a family context, which is why I did it gradually, working two jobs from 2015 to 2022.

In 2015, I took over 40 hectares of crops after a neighbor retired. Little by little, I expanded, and in 2021, I acquired 2 hectares of vines, not up to standard.

Indeed, our vineyard is undergoing a major restructuring with the introduction of the AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) specifications in 2009, and transitional measures until 2045 to increase the planting density to 4,000 vines per hectare.

I therefore began a restructuring and new planting plan on owned land over several years, in order to build up my production capacity. Since 2022, I have been planting 1 hectare of vines per year.

Initially, I made wine in a neighbor's premises under a customs exemption. I encountered quite a few administrative complications obtaining a building permit after a six-year wait (a complicated modification of the local urban development plan). Currently, I make wine in a former auto body shop in town that my wife and I bought in 2024 (the customs exemption to work at my neighbor's property expired), but I've just started building my new winery! Never lose hope.

The vines I acquired were destined for a cooperative winery and were cultivated conventionally. I started the organic conversion process immediately, but I also acquired other vines that were conventionally farmed, which is delaying the completion of my conversion.
The majority of my vines are located on clay-limestone soils, with excellent east-facing exposure.

My appellation is booming thanks to climate change and generational shifts, which have improved the quality of the wines. It's one of the oldest vineyards in France!
My goal is to produce on approximately 8 hectares, yielding an annual output of 35,000-40,000 bottles, currently between 15,000 and 20,000 bottles.
I want to market my wines primarily through professional networks because I work alone and don't necessarily have much time for sales, hence my desire to develop exports (shipping only on pallets).