An estate of passion and terroirs
Welcome to Valérie and Gaël Dupont's,
a wine-growing and agricultural estate anchored in the heart of Champagne
The love of champagne and its terroirs
Coming from two families of farmers and winegrowers, we inherited valuable expertise from our respective parents. Since our childhood, we have been immersed in this world where passion for the vine blends with respect for the terroir and Champagne traditions.
Today, we cultivate 6 hectares of vines spread from North to South of the Marne, in ten different villages:
- Saudoy, Broyes, and Allemant in the coteaux du Sézannais ;
- Baye, Vert-la-Gravelle, Toulon-la-Montagne and Etoges in the coteaux du Petit Morin ;
- Chambrecy and Savigny-sur-Ardres in the vallée de l’Ardre ;
- Brimont in the massif de Saint-Thierry.
The diversity of soils, exposures, and microclimates is quite exceptional. It contributes to the aromatic complexity and elegance of our champagnes.
Our activity is not limited to viticulture. We also cultivate plots of large-scale crops, in which we diversify production (wheat, barley, rapeseed, alfalfa, lentils, field beans, soybeans, etc.).
Respect for the earth and for people
Over the past 10 years, we have been evolving our practices towards agroecology, to protect our environment and further enhance our products, whether wine or other products.
We didn’t make this transition alone. Cynthia, Renald, and Dylan, our three employees, support us daily. They share our vision, accept its constraints, and contribute significantly to the evolution of our practices. We are very grateful for their involvement and commitment, which make this adventure possible!
A closer look at our story
"I grew up in a family of winegrowers in Vert-Toulon. Initially farmers, my grandparents, Odette and Marc Mathieu, planted the family's first vines there in the 1950s. Along with other winegrowers in the village, they founded the Vert-Toulon cooperative in the same decade. My parents, Annick and Claude, took over in the 1970s, expanding the sale of their Champagne bottles and expanding the vineyard. In the 2000s, when I had just finished my studies, they began transferring plots of land to my brother and me. It was while tending my vines on weekends and during my holidays, alongside my outdoor work, that I developed a passion for this profession."
"I also come from a family of farmers and winegrowers: my mother's parents were farmer-livestock farmers, and my father's were market gardeners. My father, Claude Dupont, started out as a vineyard worker. In the 1980s, he bought his grandfather's small plot of vines in Broyes. With my mother, Marie-Claude, they gradually expanded the operation by acquiring and renting vineyards in neighboring villages, then further north, in Savigny-sur-Ardres and Brimont. They developed the business, marketing their champagne, which they produced within the Baye-Talus cooperative. My father became involved in the cooperative and served as its president for nearly 30 years. In 2006, after obtaining my BTS (Higher National Diploma in Agriculture), I first settled on my maternal grandparents' land, growing large-scale crops (cereals, rapeseed, beets, etc.). At the same time, I am developing a service provision business in wine-growing work, which allows me to equip myself with various wine-growing equipment.
After two years together, Valérie stopped working outside the home and joined Gaël on the farm. We then worked together on a daily basis. The farm expanded, we improved the farmhouse facilities and evolved cultivation methods in both the fields and the vineyards. Our respective parents slowed down their activities, gradually entrusting us with their vineyard work.
In 2018, Gaël’s parents retired, and we decided to resume selling Champagne. We then stopped providing winemaking services to devote ourselves fully to our own farm and further develop all the ideas we had in mind!