V-ZUG Inspirations Magazine - Magazine - Page 94
NOTES FROM FÉCHY
Previous The village of
Féchy lies on the hills
of La Côte Vaudoise overlooking Lake Geneva.
Right The estate cultivates several parcels,
each defined by its own
distinct character.
92
The sudden return of cold, persistent rain, and heatwaves.
Decisions taken or deliberately postponed in the vineyard.
The harvest. Taking notes on the weather and key events is
something farmers have traditionally done to understand
what happened, why, and how to improve. Usually, these notes
are nothing more than working tools: they are sometimes kept
at the bottom of a drawer, never shared, and are considered
unimportant compared to another kind of wine storytelling
that focuses on tasting notes, aromas, and serving temperature. That’s not what happens at Domaine La Colombe. “My
grandfather had a calendar for himself. He would write things
like ‘the cherries are blooming in the garden,’ or note when
it was raining,” says Laura Paccot, fourth generation at the
helm of the winery. “Then my parents started publishing a
summary, and I continued. I think it’s nice to remember even
the small details – it adds something deeper to the story of
the wine.”
Domaine La Colombe was founded by Jules Paccot, son of a
Savoyard seasonal worker, who went on to acquire the first
vineyard plots in Féchy. His son Roger founded the winery in
1961, choosing the dove, found in the family’s coat of arms, as
its emblem. Later, Raymond Paccot, Laura’s father, expanded
the estate and began converting it to biodynamic farming
in 1999. The process took years and was initially marked by
doubts and resistance, but it was guided by a clear intention:
to let the vineyards express themselves. Raymond Paccot is
now considered a pioneer of biodynamic winemaking in Switzerland. “It was a choice driven by the idea of making better
wines,” Laura explains. “At the beginning, it was not easy. He
had to acquire all the knowledge himself, because there was
nobody around here who could teach him. He conducted his
research with some friends, but neighbours were not happy,
and consumers were not ready. What encouraged him was
that he began to see real results.”
Laura returned to Féchy in 2017, at 27, to find herself responsible for the estate she had grown up in, on the gentle slopes
above Lake Geneva in Switzerland’s Canton of Vaud. She had
moved across different areas of the wine world – hospitality
and management studies, restaurants, wine bars – before
stepping into a role that rarely comes at such a young age.
“My parents were very open-minded. They trusted me,” she
says. The transition was gradual. Then, during one harvest,
something shifted. Laura realised she could hold the entire
estate in her head, all at once: every parcel, every grape variety, every tank in the cellar. “It was like learning to drive,” she
remembers. “At some point, you just know how to do it and
where you’re going.”
Today, Laura describes her own role as that of a serviteur of
the terroir: “We say we drink Féchy.” To her, the land remains
the starting point, something to take care of, knowing it will
outlast you and be passed on to the next generation. It’s something she experiences every day in the vineyards themselves:
while old vines are gradually replaced, young plants begin to
grow beside vines that are sixty years old. She likes to think
that what happens in the field mirrors what happens among
people, where older generations make space for the younger
ones, and help them express their potential with care and trust.
In turn, the younger learn from the old notes, continuing to
write down their own. ●
