Winemaking at Château La Varière dates back to the 15th century. Situated besides the village of Brissac-Quincé in Anjou, it was originally built as a seigneury in the Middle Ages. The estate was purchased by the Beaujeau family in 1850 and, seven generations later, Jacques Beaujeau is at its helm. Today Château La Varière’s 110 hectares of vineyards encompass most of the appellations of the Anjou region.
Jacques believes that terroir is at the heart of the winemaking process. “We are not magicians,” he has said, “You can be the best vine-grower and winemaker, but without good terroir you will never make a great wine”. Still, he believes in putting as much care and attention as possible into both the vine growing process and the vinification of the grapes. This has paid off, as Jacques was nominated for the prestigious French Winemaker of the Year award at the London International Wine and Spirit competition in 2003.