Fabrice Brunel: From LVMH to the Rhône Vineyards

After spending ten years in Paris working in consulting, Fabrice Brunel decided to return to the family estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to take over from his father at Domaine Les Cailloux. At 35, he describes himself as an apprentice winemaker (“.

Fabrice Brunel: From Consultant for Lafarge & LVMH to Winemaker at Domaine Les Cailloux

I started my career in Paris, working in production management consulting. For many years, I worked for major corporations like Lafarge, LVMH, and others. But I’m an only child, and there came a point when my father had no choice. At age 65, he called me and said, “Listen, would you be interested in coming back to the estate to take over? If not, I’ll have to find a buyer…” My decision was immediate.

I had the “typical” life of a thirty-something consultant in Paris: I worked late, went out, and felt like I was going around in circles… It was the perfect time to return to the estate. Making wine is, after all, about the pride of producing something real, something alive… It’s a whole different ballgame from creating Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint slides!

Fabrice Brunel, a Parisian in the vineyards of the Rhône Valley

I spent my childhood on the estate. My earliest memories are of the grape harvest and the distinctive smell of the fermenting vats. I used to help my father in the vineyard during the holidays… but from a distance.

Especially since I’m not exactly the handy type. When I returned to the estate three years ago, I found myself sitting behind the wheel of a tractor, and it was pretty funny. I was a true Parisian—I barely knew how to change a light bulb! Making wine also means learning to create something with your own hands, and that’s incredibly rewarding.

What I love about the Rhône Valley is the sunshine! It’s sunny every day! And then there’s that authentic feel of the Provençal countryside—that sense of calm that I love and that’s so different from the capital. It almost makes you want to pull over to the side of the road and just take a nap.

Fabrice draws inspiration from his father, André Brunel, who has been a winemaker at Domaine Les Cailloux for 40 years

When you work in the vineyard, you don’t necessarily know what you’re going to produce. The rhythm is dictated by the land, by the vines. A fifteen-minute hailstorm can easily ruin a year’s work. When you come from a corporate background like I do, with its clear and orderly processes, that’s a difficult aspect to get used to. But I try to take inspiration from my father, who, after 40 years of experience in the vineyard, is much more laid-back than I am!

The first vintage I’ll be producing will definitely be the 2016. Personally, I’m a big fan of wines from the Loire and Burgundy. That’s why at Domaine Les Cailloux, we don’t try to make wines that are overly rich, but rather balanced and fruit-forward. We want to produce elegant wines that simply make you want to finish the bottle! It’s now up to me to uphold the quality of the wines that have been produced at the estate for so long. From now on, my future is being written here.