Saving a Family Estate in Burgundy with Organic Viniculture

How a family came together to restore and save their inherited château in the rolling, vineyard-clad hills of Chablis, Burgundy.

In 2005, Athénaïs de Béru was living in Paris and building a career in banking. She had little reason to look back, yet a family legacy—spanning four centuries—was calling her home.

Home was more than a place; it was also her family name—Béru. Béru is a tiny hamlet in Burgundy’s Chablis wine region. The family’s Château de Béru, where Athénaïs grew up, has belonged to the Bérus since the 17th century. Even during the French Revolution, when noble estates were often ransacked, the Bérus’ respected ties with the local community protected their home. 

The family’s connection to the community was tied to the vineyards surrounding their home. For over 400 years, generations of Bérus produced wines celebrated for the distinctive mineral qualities of the Chablis terroir—until the 1800s, when the phylloxera epidemic devastated their vineyards.

The vines lay in dormancy until the 1980s, when Athénaïs’s father, Count Éric de Béru, replanted the vineyard. However, due to health issues, the family relocated to Paris, and the vineyards were leased to a tenant. Over time, the family wondered if their tradition might be lost.

In 2003, an unexpected call changed everything. The tenant announced early retirement, leaving the family with a difficult choice. With Count Éric’s passing in 2004, Athénaïs, her brother, and her mother, Laurence, each leading separate lives, now faced the vineyard’s uncertain future. 

At the time, Athénaïs had a growing interest in sustainable agriculture. After the call, she took a sabbatical to work on an organic farm in Central America. She was inspired by its natural methods, and upon her return, Athénaïs decided to take over the family vineyards—but with one condition: she would produce only organic wine. 

So Athénaïs left her banking career in Paris and returned to Béru, where she began the challenging task of introducing natural viticulture to the land, and in the process, continuing the family tradition.

Organic farming requires more labor and a deeper understanding of the vineyard’s natural ecosystem. Without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, Athénaïs implemented natural composting, cover cropping, and manual weed control, closely observing the vineyard’s cycles. In the cellar, she used natural yeasts, minimal additives, and neutral oak barrels to bring out the wine’s true flavors.

Meanwhile, Laurence took on the extensive task of restoring the château for public visits. The château had always been a part of daily life for the Bérus, but Laurence focused on restoring historical furniture stored away when the family modernized the main rooms—a common practice in noble households. Alongside these artifacts, she researched the family’s history, drawing from years of combing through family records and archives.

In October, Laurence led me on a tour of the estate, proudly showing the results of her and Athénaïs’s work. The château’s entrance alone revealed the depth of Laurence’s dedication to preserving the family’s story. Artifacts like walking sticks with concealed blades, once used by nobles for self-defense, sit alongside 17th-century portraits of hunting dogs by Alexandre Desportes, reflecting the family’s traditions and the regional importance of hunting. 

As we moved through each room, I saw furniture styles evolve from the Baroque period under Louis XIV to the Napoleonic Empire, while military uniforms from Béru ancestors traced the arc of French history, from Napoleonic campaigns to the two World Wars. Through Laurence’s stories, I came to appreciate the Bérus’ history—and France’s—through the generations of her family. 

Laurence is proud of what she and Athénaïs have achieved: the domaine earned organic certification in 2006 and biodynamic certification in 2009. Today, they host tours, tastings, seasonal events like a pop-up bar, and offer a small Airbnb on the property—all inviting others to experience the estate’s legacy in fresh, engaging ways.

Despite initial skepticism from the wine community, their approach has gained respect. “The organic process was very difficult and widely criticized,” Laurence admitted. “It’s change. Nobody believed in it.” But over time, the quality of their wine won people over, and it is now celebrated for its purity, flavor, and sustainability.

“This land has always been a bridge between past and future,” Laurence reflects, pointing to the family crest of two eagles’ heads—one looking forward, one looking back. She views the family’s traditions not as limitations but as a foundation for growth. “Our traditions are what they are, but they evolve with new movements,” she says. “We are not bound by the past.”

For Laurence and Athénaïs, the 15-hectare Château de Béru is both a family estate and a small vineyard in the world of viticulture. Yet the pride in their family and land’s resilience and transformation is immense—and a legacy they hope will endure well into the future.

Find out more: www.chateaudeberu.com