Claude Quenard & Fils : the generational organic spirit
The Domaine Claude Quenard & Fils, also known as Domaine de la Gerbelle, is located in the commune of Chignin, in the Savoie region of France. It originated from an old farm belonging to the Carthusian order. During the separation of Church and State in 1905, the Quenard ancestor, who was a farmer for the Carthusian Fathers, purchased the estate from them at an auction in Chignin. He diversified into mixed farming, livestock rearing, and planted some vineyards.
In the 1960s, the estate specialized in viticulture under the leadership of Claude Quenard. His two sons, André and Guy, joined the project in the late 1980s.
In the 1990s, after several vineyard plantings and acquisitions, the property expanded to 14 hectares. They implemented a strategy for reducing the use of vineyard treatment products, ultimately eliminating them from the soils in 2000 and obtaining official organic certification.
In 2007, the entire operation was converted to organic farming, making Domaine Claude Quenard & Fils one of the pioneers of ethical viticulture in the region.
The objective is to stimulate the vine’s natural defenses so that it is strong against various parasites. To achieve this, they use plants, seaweeds, and mineral elements. They also work on the soil’s microbial life with applications of small quantities of liquid compost. These methods naturally opened their minds to the principles of biodynamics, and they obtained the DEMETER certification in 2016.
Today, the entire vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic, covering 20 hectares of vines spread over two municipalities with terroirs of rocky scree soils. At an altitude of 350 meters, the vines are planted on the steep slopes of the southern face of the mountain “La Savoyarde,” the first foothill of the Bauges massif. All these conditions are ideal for the cultivation of the typical grape varieties of this terroir: Altesse (or Roussette de Savoie), Roussanne, Jacquère, Chardonnay, Gamay, Mondeuse, Persan, as well as Pinot Noir.