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20/01/2023
On the occasion of Louis Pasteur’s bicentenary, the oldest House in Bourgogne pays tribute to his work on wine, in collaboration with the Pasteur Institute.
Founded in 1720, Maison Champy is the oldest wine house in Bourgogne. Six generations of the same family succeeded each other at its head before the XXth century. Initially specialised in wine trading and barrel making, it became the first « négociant » in the region by purchasing land and vines during the French Revolution. Throughout the XIXth century, it experienced significant commercial growth in the region, in France country and internationally.
As a defender of the terroirs, Louis Pasteur turned to the winegrowers of the Jura and Burgundy regions, and inspired Maison Champy in Beaune, which was known for its ever growing desire to improve the quality of its wines. The scientist took an interest in wine diseases, which he studied, before coming to the conclusion that they were due to oxygen and pathogenic agents contained in the air.
An invention will directly result from Louis Pasteur’s research and will bring this method to winegrowers: the pasteuriser.
Two centuries after the birth of this great scientist, Maison Champy, which was awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label in 2021, the only estate to have such a distinction in Bourgogne to date, pays tribute to the inventor, who was also an active supporter of Bourgogne wines.
Press Contact :
Camille JUILLARD
camille.juillard@maisonchampy.com - 06 20 50 35 49
As a winegrower with 21 hectares of vines on the Côte de Beaune from Volnay to the hill of Corton, Maison Champy has retained its craftsman dimension. The management of the vineyard under the leadership of Dimitri Bazas, technical director for more than 20 years, has been balanced between organic farming and HVE certification. The historical site, rue du Grenier à Sel, is the living proof of this renewed heritage, since the wines of the House are vinified, matured and bottled on this site and in the 15th, century cellars, formerly affiliated to the Jacobine convent of the town. MAISON CHAMPY is the last wine company to have maintained its activity in the old town of Beaune.