Consult the following History pages:

The Wine and Vineyard of Joigny
Once upon a time, there was Joigny's Vin Gris
Joigny's Vin Gris and King Louis XIV
Michel Lorain and his family
History of the Michel Lorain SCEV

 

It was in 1990 that Michel Lorain, a great chef with three stars in the Michelin Guide, decided to revitalize the Joigny Vineyard which, before phylloxera, covered 540 hectares and produced mainly a quality Red and a Vin Gris.  After buying up 20 hectares of fallow land in the appellation d'origine contrôlée area, he surrounded himself with wine specialists to study the soil and subsoil, to choose the best stock and varieties, wanting to create a quality wine that would give new life to the land of Joigny.

As a native son and a passionate fan of this city of art and history, he wanted one day to obtain a Bourgogne Joigny appellation. The vineyard is now 14 years old and well-rooted in its flinty argilo-calcareous soil on the ideally east-west exposed hillsides.  As Joigny had never produced white wine, his first planting was of Chardonnay, covering five hectares. He then planted Pinot Gris in order to produce the famous Vin Gris de Joigny that was mainly responsible for its reputation, then 1.5 hectares of Pinot Noir to finish up the tricolour line. 

In 1996 the National Institute of Controlled Appellations authorized him on an experimental basis to plant the varieties that previously had gone into Joigny's Vin Gris: Sauvignon, Malbec and Tressot accompanied by Pinot Gris. This rare wine is produced in small quantities; it recalls Tradition and delights those who are nostalgic for the past.