One story, two families
As is often the case in Burgundy, the history of the Gavignet-Béthanie estate is first and foremost a family story. On one side are the Gavignets, winegrowers in Nuits-Saint-Georges for three generations, and on the other, the Béthanies, who have been established in the region for over 70 years.
In the 1970s, Christian Gavignet initially worked with his father, “Gaby,” manager of the Hospices de Nuits, and his brother in the family vineyard.
When Christian decided to strike out on his own, at the Béthanie estate, “Pépé Marcel,” who was fast approaching retirement, entrusted the few hectares of vines he had purchased with his savings as an employee to his daughter Michèle.
Michèle and Christian’s marriage gave birth to the Gavignet-Béthanie estate. In 1968, Christine arrived, and five years later, it was Claire’s turn to expand the Gavignet-Béthanie family.
The vintages followed, the daughters grew up, and Christine was already old enough to attend the Beaune wine school. It was the 1980s, and she felt very alone among all these winegrowers’ sons! With her viticulture and oenology diploma, she tried to find her place alongside her father.
First in the vineyard, where locals were surprised to see her on a tractor even though she didn’t have a license, then in the cellar… where, little by little, she found her feet. Not to mention the work in the cellar: in 1985, the Gavignet-Béthanies were among the first to open a business. And the least we can say is that customers are lining up at the door: Parisians returning from vacation don’t hesitate to stop by Nuits-Saint-Georges, and locals are delighted with the welcome they receive.
These individuals, also encountered at the numerous trade shows attended by the family, will constitute the core of the estate’s clientele.
A new beginning
With Claire’s arrival at the estate a few years later, Christian eased up… while remaining present with his trademark character. Little by little, the girls immersed themselves in the life of the estate and gently began their own little revolution. Perched on the straddle tractor or behind the wheel of the tractor, Christine and Claire made a name for themselves. Surprised to see women performing these tasks, some even stopped to take their pictures! They enjoyed it… and moved forward together no matter what, convinced that their partnership was a guarantee of consistency and stability for the estate’s future.
New team, new start, new outlook: the estate took a turn in the 1990s. Renamed Gavignet-Béthanie Christian et Filles, it was given a new lease of life. Their first green harvest? Christine and Claire would do it in secret! Just like thinning out, which allows for evenly distributed vegetation on the vines and beautiful grape clusters. After a few vintages, they finally managed to convince their father of the benefits of certain practices, particularly leaf removal. Phew! Because Christine and Claire have only one thing in mind: the pursuit of quality.
Team spirit
At the end of 2003, Christian Gavignet passed away after a long illness. Michèle relinquished the reins of the winemaking department to focus exclusively on marketing the estate’s wines. From then on, the two sisters were the sole managers.
The team, already strengthened by the arrival of Jean-Noël, Claire’s husband, was closer than ever. Even Christine’s husband, Didier, who pursued a professional career in sports, participated in the strategic decisions of the family business. And there was no shortage of help from neighbors and other winegrowers in the village. The girls’ daily lives were now punctuated by the life of the estate: mornings in the vineyards, afternoons in the office managing administrative tasks and customer requests.
Christine and Claire are now women of experience: since their first winemaking in 2001, they have continued to bring the estate up to date, without, however, putting tradition aside. You only have to see the atmosphere during the harvest at Gavignet-Béthanie to be sure!
