Yann Pernuit was born in Paris, moved to Normandy during his youth, then ended up with his family down near the French Alps. When you meet him, see his tall athletic build, wrap-around sunglasses, and shaven arms and legs, you could be easily be mistaken in thinking you were talking to a cyclist instead of a winemaker. Well actually he was, and a prettry good one too by all accounts, racing for the French national youth team. But after scandals that rocked the world of cycling in the early 2000s and his disillusionment with the sport he loved, he turned his hand to something new and started on the path that would leading him to where he is today.

That path was long and took him first to Beaune in 2000 for his viti-oeno winemaking degree, then via the village of Arbin in the Savoie regoin of France and home to some of the best expressions of the Mondeuse grape, where he spent ten years making wines with a biodynamic/natural edge. Finally, Yann found a location in Ayse, at the foot of the Mole mountain, where he could make wine and plant his own vines while being able to work with someone who would become his good friend and mentor, Dominique Belluard.

Yann works in parallel, during weekends, evenings and days-off, he is both planting for his future in the shape of vineyards that will bear fruit in the years to come and making his own négoce wines. Yann bought Jacquère grapes for the 2019 vintage from a grower-friend in Savoie with which he put his winemaking knoweldge to good use and we’re proud to have his first wine available in the US.

Looking to the future, Yann has planted four parcels of his own that make just over 1.5 hectares of vines with a mix of Gringet, Altesse, Mondeuse and Etraire de la Dhuy.

Finally, to complete the cycling story, we’re happy to say he’s back in the saddle and enjoying the open roads again, but just for fun. After all, he does have wine to make!

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