Vidal-Fleury recently celebrated its 230th birthday. And yet it is one of the most modern wineries in the whole Rhône Valley, with a new cellar equipped with all manner of technical innovations. It was officially opened in 2008, the building work having cost the princely sum of 20 million euros. This impressive masterpiece is open to visitors, though you have to book your visit in advance.
Vidal-Fleury is known to be the oldest wine house in Ampuis, and even in the whole Rhône Valley. Its origins date back to the period before the French Revolution: to be precise, to 1781, when it was founded by Joseph André Vidal. Its history is peppered with triumphs and special high points. One true and delightful fact is that the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from this company was stated to be the favourite wine of the great German composer Richard Wagner. The Vidal-Fleury family maintained very close connections to the United States. Thomas Jefferson, a future president who was at that time the ambassador to France, visited the winery in 1787. The heirs decided to sell the business in 1984. Since then, Vidal-Fleury has been in the hands of a famous winemaking dynasty, the family of the legendary Etienne Guigal. The property is managed by Guigal SA, represented by the director and oenologist of Vidal-Fleury, Guy Sarton de Jonchay.
Guy Sarton du Jonchay
Director and oenologist
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