In 1990 Michel Lorain, Michelin three-star chef, decided to revitalize the Joigny vineyard. Before they were ravaged by phylooxera in the late 19th century, the vines spread over 540 hectares and produced mainly a renowned Bourgogne Rouge and a Vin gris.

After buying 20 hectares of fallow land within the appellation d'origine contrôlée area, he surrounded himself with wine specialists to study the soil and subsoil and choose the best stock and varieties. Above all, he wanted to make quality wines that would be a credit to the terroir of Joigny. Thus was born the Michel Lorain Société Civile d’Exploitation Viticole (SCEV), encompassing some sixty partners.

The vineyard is now 16 years old. Well-rooted in its flint-flecked sedimentary clay soil, it is planted on ideally exposed hillsides.

Joigny had never produced White Burgundy; the first plantings, 5 hectares, were reserved for Chardonnay. This is the variety that produces the magnificent white wines of Burgundy (Montrachet and Meurseault). A small part of the harvest is used to make a Crémant Blanc de Blanc according to the méthode champenoise.

Next, Michel Lorain decided to reproduce the famous Vin Gris de Joigny Côte Saint-Jacques that made the reputation of the city's wines, especially at the Court of King Louis XIV. The Institut National des Appellations Contrôlées gave its authorization to plant on an experimental basis the varieties that used to make up the Vin Gris: Sauvignon, Malbec, Tressot and Pinot Noir. The Michel Lorain Vin Gris is produced in very small quantities. It recalls the tradition of the Sun King and enchants those who are nostalgic for the past.

Finally, to complete the SCEV's line of wine colours, two hectares of Pinot Noir enhanced the vineyard. This variety is the noble vine that produces all the great reds of Burgundy.