The 1972 grape harvest with René Fayot..

The family estate has been based in the hamlet of Le Vissoux since the 17^th century.

Vissoux is also, Eugénie, Pierre-Marie Chermette’s mother’s maiden name. Pierre-Marie’s father, Maurice Chermette, was born in the hamlet of Collonges, in Le Bois d’Oingt. He stewarded Domaine du Vissoux and notably planted a lot of new vines. At that time he sold his wine in bulk to brokers. His cellar already boasted a good reputation.

Pierre-Marie Chermette took over the family estate in 1982. As soon as he did, he decided that he would sell his wine in bottles. He has been committed to quality from the start and is very attached to managing the entire process of winemaking, from the vines to sales, himself.

In 1986, the fashion was for yeasted Beaujolais Nouveau with banana flavours. The estate was a forerunner in the region in choosing a different direction: that of a Cuvée Traditionnelle, vinified using grapes from old vines to pure Beaujolais tradition. Non-chaptalised and not seeded with yeast, this wine is bottled in the spring. It is for this wine that Martine and Pierre-Marie brought the old burgundy bottle into the Beaujolais region. Thus clothed, it entered society in Paris wine bars and took them by storm. All the estate’s wines are now made following the same principles.

Maurice Chermette on the press during the 1972 grape harvest.

In 1988, Martine and Pierre-Marie Chermette took up a challenge, alongside Les Caves Legrand, one of Paris’s best wine cellars, of launching non-chaptalised Beaujolais Nouveau vieilles vignes. This Beaujolais Nouveau has become one of the estate’s leading wines.

In 1990, Martine left Laboratoires Boiron and gave herself over to full time work on the estate to develop sales in and outside France.

At that time, Martine and Pierre-Marie were among the first vinegrower-winemakers in southern Beaujolais to get interested in the Crus, buying vines in Fleurie and Moulin à Vent in 1994 and 1996.

In 2002, they bought their La Rochelle plot in Moulin à Vent and, in 2006, the one in Pierreux in the Brouilly appellation area.

In 2009, they joined forces with a friend vinegrower-winemaker to craft their - low sugar dose Crémant de Bourgogne. This marks the arrival of the first bubbles at Domaine du Vissoux!