Rhône ValleyDomaine Georges Vernay

Georges Vernay, the uncontested saviour of the Condrieu appellation, created his family estate in 1953 with 1,5 ha of AOC Condrieu “Coteau du Vernon” vineyards. Today, the estate spreads over 16 ha: 7 ha of Condrieu, 3 of Côte Rôtie and 1,5 of Saint Joseph.

Around 10 km from Vienne, the vineyard, mostly composed of old vines, hangs over the right bank of the Rhône River. The granitic terraces “en chaillées” (steep and uneven terraces supported by stone walls) are exposed to the East and South-East.

An exquisite incomparable white wine, Condrieu, comes exclusively from the Viognier vine. Red wines are all produced with the Syrah grape variety. Vines “en échalas” (vines on stake) are manually kept by an experienced and meticulous team. Neither residual herbicide, nor insecticide are used. Yields are particularly low, between 20 and 37 hl/ha.

Christine Vernay has now followed in the footsteps of her father, the figure-head who has made Condrieu, one the smallest appellations (around 100 ha), one of the Norhern Rhône’s premier white-wine appellations. Like her father, Christine Vernay, nicknamed “la reine du Condrieu”, has only one credo: respect for the terroir. The Domaine Georges Vernay produces wines which fully express their terroir and their soil, always delicious and of the highest quality.