Domaine Gayda: the success story of neo-winemakers, 20 years on
Every year, there are stories about new winegrowers that delight the editorial staff. Regularly, mine would ask me to find new ones, young and/or amateurs and/or investors and/or those undergoing professional conversion; those we hadn’t yet heard of, touching in their ignorance or even naivety about the world of wine.
My portraits are full of dreams and passion, in the joyful excitement of creation. But I never followed up. So when the opportunity arose to visit Domaine Gayda, I was curious to see what had become of it almost 20 years later.
Photo Domaine Gayda in Brugairolles
In 2003, three friends who had been working in South Africa decided to set up a winery together in Brugairolles, a village in the west of the Aude region where one of the three was originally from. Tim Ford, general manager, Vincent Chansault, winemaker, and David Chardron, sales manager, set up their project on a 20-hectare field of sunflowers, which they will gradually replace with vines. From the outset, they were committed to organic farming. They are making a name for themselves with an original partnership project. They propose the participative purchase of vines at 10 to 20 ares per share. The group of co-owners has advantages on wine purchases and visits to the estate. Over time, Tim recognizes that it’s a complex and time-consuming process, but one that has kick-started their cash flow. In 2004, they bought 6 ha of old vines in the AOC Minervois La Livinière. In 2006, they opened a restaurant and gîtes. In 2007, they released their first cuvée “Chemin de Moscou”, named after their address...
