La Famille Quenard
by Jane Augustine
La Famille Quenard
by Jane Augustine
The Quenard family’s long history in the Savoie doesn’t begin with André, but his arrival at the domaine in 1944 marks a turning point in the family’s legacy. When André took over their polyculture farm in the village of Chignin, the wines were still sold only by the barrel to café owners. Around 1960, with a deep-seated belief in the quality of his terroir—before Chignin’s AOC designation in 1976—he began bottling his own wines, championing the steep scree slopes of Torméry, and helping to establish the reputation of an entire winegrowing region along the way. By 1976, his son Michel arrived, and as a duo they were unstoppable, finessing their vineyard work, expanding their holdings, and fine-tuning every detail to produce perfumed and textured whites, robust and nuanced reds. Thirty years later, Michel’s son Guillaume joined the adventure, and for fifteen years the three men worked side-by-side, in whichever ways their various skills permitted. In March of this year, André passed away at the age of ninety-eight. Looking at photos of him harvesting his beloved Bergeron vines well into his silver years, it’s easy to see joy radiating from behind his kind gaze and to glean a sense of fulfillment due, at least in part, to a métier he was so passionate about.
Wines In The Collection
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
The epitome of an Alpine white—a brisk mineral lick of Jacquère, crackling with freshness and crystalline purity.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Few things are more satisfying as an apéritif than a chilled glass of this Alpine elixir made from 70-year-old vines.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
With notes of mixed black and red fruit and a spine of minerality, Quenard’s Gamay is crunchier, more aromatic, and more succulent than most bottles you’d find in Beaujolais.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
If any Pinot Noir on these pages is built for the Parisian bistro or Lyonnais bouchon, it is this one.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
A wonderfully dry, fresh, sparkling wine from one of the most beautiful regions of France.
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This red conveys loads of juicy, brambly berries with floral and gamey nuances.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Travel no further than Chignin, where the Quenard family bottles a Roussanne (dubbed Bergeron in these parts) that will exceed your wildest expectations.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This medium-bodied white evokes peaches, honey, and pine resin. Perfect for winter nights and dishes like hearty, Savoie-inspired fish chowder.
A. & M. Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
It has often been likened to a cross between Pinot Noir and Syrah: bright, elegant, and floral, with suggestions of wild fruit, blood, and minerals.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Grown on near-vertical limestone scree slopes, Bergeron reaches incredible heights, yielding a blanc flavors of peach, tangerine, and pine resin.
Guillaume Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
The 2024 Voie Royale was aged entirely in foudre, and the result is an utterly distinctive, perfumed, and stony rouge evoking freshly pressed grapes, tart fruit, and violets.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
The epitome of an Alpine white—a brisk mineral lick of Jacquère, crackling with freshness and crystalline purity.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Few things are more satisfying as an apéritif than a chilled glass of this Alpine elixir made from 70-year-old vines.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
With notes of mixed black and red fruit and a spine of minerality, Quenard’s Gamay is crunchier, more aromatic, and more succulent than most bottles you’d find in Beaujolais.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
If any Pinot Noir on these pages is built for the Parisian bistro or Lyonnais bouchon, it is this one.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
A wonderfully dry, fresh, sparkling wine from one of the most beautiful regions of France.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This red conveys loads of juicy, brambly berries with floral and gamey nuances.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Travel no further than Chignin, where the Quenard family bottles a Roussanne (dubbed Bergeron in these parts) that will exceed your wildest expectations.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This medium-bodied white evokes peaches, honey, and pine resin. Perfect for winter nights and dishes like hearty, Savoie-inspired fish chowder.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
It has often been likened to a cross between Pinot Noir and Syrah: bright, elegant, and floral, with suggestions of wild fruit, blood, and minerals.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Grown on near-vertical limestone scree slopes, Bergeron reaches incredible heights, yielding a blanc flavors of peach, tangerine, and pine resin.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
The 2024 Voie Royale was aged entirely in foudre, and the result is an utterly distinctive, perfumed, and stony rouge evoking freshly pressed grapes, tart fruit, and violets.
More Collections
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Celebrating Ten Years of Sardinia
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April Showers Bring…New Arrivals!
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The Extraordinary Hospitality of Punta Crena
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Pairing Pinots in Spring
Coming upon Chris Lee’s Wild Salmon Baked in Fig Leaves with Rosé Butter, I thought, what could be more appropriate right now? The recipe appears a few times across our sixteen-year archive, and the suggested pairings change every time, ranging from lush whites to juicy, light reds, and crisp, mineral rosés in between. For such a simple dish, the possibilities seemed endless. In revisiting, I wanted that same versatility in the glass, and only one word came to mind: Pinot…
Arthur Ostertag
Arthur’s wines were the revelation of the trip. For months after, in the group chat with everyone on the tour, my screen would light up with shots of his wines—those incomparably elegant bottles with the stunning labels—standing tall atop the tables of every restaurant the other growers were dining in, in their hometowns or around the world. Arthur was officially the breakout star of the trip...
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.
