Writers’ Retreat
at Château de Ferrand

Few weeks ago, Château de Ferrand Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé had the pleasure of welcoming writers and journalists for a literary retreat among the vines. Curated in collaboration with Wine Lister, this event was a wonderful opportunity to bring together personalities from different spheres of wine writing – print media, digital press, tourism publications – united by a love of wine and words.

The first edition gathered Georgina Hindle (Decanter), Charlie Geogehan (Berry Brothers), Hannah Crosbie (Influenceur, The Dalston Wine Club), Lisse Garnett (Wine Anorak/The Spectator), Wendy Narby (Insider Tasting), Judy O’Kane (World of Fine Wine, Irish Times), Aaron Rowlands (Cult Wines), Red Stevens (Honest Grapes) and Sophie Thorpe (Fine+Rare).

A beautiful and meaningful project for Château de Ferrand, a property that has always been inextricably linked to the art of writing. Indeed, the estate’s original owner, the nobleman and politician Élie de Bétoulaud, was well-known locally for his poetry and his links to the 17th-century Parisian literary set known as the précieuses. The estate’s current owners are the heirs of Baron Bich, founder of the BIC Group – responsible for manufacturing one of the most trusted implements in a writer’s toolkit.

Friday, October 7^th – Beginning of the Writers Retreat

Once arrived at Château de Ferrand, writers and journalists were able to get to know each other over a cocktail, followed by a dinner in the Orangery. The evening was highlighted by an horizontal tasting of the 2018 vintage: six well-known wines from France, Italy or even Australia, all tasted blind. A nice moment of sharing aroung wine!

Saturday, October 8^th – Focusing on Château de Ferran and Cabernet Franc

Saturday morning started with a discussion session led by Georgina Hindle and Charlie Geoghegan, about the challenges and issues of wine writing today. Then followed a tour of the property and the vineyard, a vertical tasting of Château de Ferrand Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé (vintages 2016 to 2020), before heading to the park for a lunch under the 300 hundred years oaks.

In the afternoon, guests were invited to the BIC tasting room for a masterclass onCabernet Franc led by consultant oenologist Axel Marchal, who has been working with Château de Ferrand for several years. A great opportunity to taste different batches of Cabernets Francs, in order to better understand the subtleties of this promising grape variety. Relatively to this, guests were able to enjoy a gastronomic dinner in the dining room paired with various French famous wines, recognized for the quality of their Cabernets Francs.

Sunday, October 9^th – Visiting Saint-Emilion

On Sunday morning, guests discovered the medieval city of Saint-Emilion, its narrow streets, the unique architecture but and the emblematic wine properties. A key stop to end this inspiring weekend in the Bordeaux region!