Quenard: Capturing the Exuberant Alps
by Tom Wolf
Quenard: Capturing the Exuberant Alps
by Tom Wolf
It must be bittersweet to show up on your first day as a harvester at Domaine André & Michel Quenard. On the one hand, the land you have come to work is majestic: looking up, vineyards cascade down the steep Coteau de Torméry, and when you gaze southeast on the horizon, the view of the surprisingly close Alps is sublime. On the other hand, the moment you begin to climb these slopes, where vines cling to not much more than limestone rubble, you might start to question your choices—and fitness level. This will probably be the most backbreaking work of your life.
When the vendangeurs taste the fruit of their labor, however—a sip of brisk and invigorating Jacquère at lunch or a glass of grand Bergeron at harvest dinners—any lingering aches and pains surely fade away. André and Michel Quenard’s wines, after all, are as beautiful expressions of this land as you can find. The range of their cuvées is remarkable too. At apéro hour, alongside some smoked salmon bites or gougères, you might start with one of their ethereal Jacquères, which are as pure and refreshing as one of the nearby snowmelt streams, but also full of minerality, orchard fruit, and citrus notes.
At dinner, alongside fish chowder, roast chicken, or a Savoie-inspired melted cheese dish—like cauliflower gratin or the classic raclette—turn to the family’s regal Bergerons (known as Roussanne in the Rhône Valley). Les Terrasses, Les Roches Blanches, and Côteau des Ducs brim with notes of peach, tangerine, and pine but their opulence remains in check. Their most sumptuous blanc, Le Grand Rebossan, boasts pitch-perfect acidity while radiating with a golden hue and lush, honeyed notes.
While the region may be better known for its whites, the Quenards produce elegant, characterful reds too. Their brambly, peppery, and floral Mondeuses pair seamlessly with a pot roast or polenta topped with sautéed mushrooms. Meanwhile, their alpine expressions of Gamay and Pinot Noir offer fresh, exuberant takes on grape varieties that everyone at your holiday table will love.
Wines In The Collection
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
A wonderfully dry, fresh, sparkling wine from one of the most beautiful regions of France.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Les Abymes is the epitome of an Alpine white—an invigorating mineral lick of Jacquère, crackling with freshness and crystalline purity.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This Jacquère grown on Savoie’s limestone mountainsides may be the crispest beverage to ever grace your palate.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Few things are more satisfying as an apéritif than a chilled glass of this Alpine elixir made from 70-year-old vines.
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Grown on near-vertical limestone scree slopes, Bergeron reaches incredible heights here, yielding a blanc full of character and flavors of peach, tangerine, and pine resin.
André et Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This medium-bodied white evokes peaches, honey, and pine resin. Perfect for winter nights and dishes like hearty, Savoie-inspired fish chowder.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Travel no further than Chignin, where the Quenard family bottles a Roussanne (dubbed Bergeron in these parts) that will exceed your wildest expectations.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This red conveys loads of juicy, brambly berries with floral and gamey nuances.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
It has often been likened to a cross between Pinot Noir and Syrah: bright, elegant, and floral, with suggestions of wild fruit, blood, and minerals.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
With notes of mixed black and red fruit and a spine of minerality, Quenard’s Gamay is crunchier, more aromatic, and more succulent than most bottles you’d find in Beaujolais.
André & Michel Quenard France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
If any Pinot Noir on these pages is built for the Parisian bistro or Lyonnais bouchon, it is this one from the hills of Chignin, in Savoie.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
A wonderfully dry, fresh, sparkling wine from one of the most beautiful regions of France.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Les Abymes is the epitome of an Alpine white—an invigorating mineral lick of Jacquère, crackling with freshness and crystalline purity.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This Jacquère grown on Savoie’s limestone mountainsides may be the crispest beverage to ever grace your palate.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Few things are more satisfying as an apéritif than a chilled glass of this Alpine elixir made from 70-year-old vines.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Grown on near-vertical limestone scree slopes, Bergeron reaches incredible heights here, yielding a blanc full of character and flavors of peach, tangerine, and pine resin.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Lychee and ripe citrus wrapped in beeswax. You might think there are a bunch of busy benevolent bees whiling away inside your glass.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This medium-bodied white evokes peaches, honey, and pine resin. Perfect for winter nights and dishes like hearty, Savoie-inspired fish chowder.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Travel no further than Chignin, where the Quenard family bottles a Roussanne (dubbed Bergeron in these parts) that will exceed your wildest expectations.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
This red conveys loads of juicy, brambly berries with floral and gamey nuances.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
It has often been likened to a cross between Pinot Noir and Syrah: bright, elegant, and floral, with suggestions of wild fruit, blood, and minerals.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
With notes of mixed black and red fruit and a spine of minerality, Quenard’s Gamay is crunchier, more aromatic, and more succulent than most bottles you’d find in Beaujolais.
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
If any Pinot Noir on these pages is built for the Parisian bistro or Lyonnais bouchon, it is this one from the hills of Chignin, in Savoie.
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