Evelyne de Pontbriand, a former French teacher who transformed her family's winery in the Loire Valley into a leading example of organic viniculture, passed away on November 5 in Angers, France, at the age of 73. Her husband, Gaël de Pontbriand, reported that her death was due to cancer.
In 2001, Mrs. de Pontbriand took over Domaine du Closel and its vineyard, Château des Vaults, after her mother retired. At that time, she was living in Paris and working for a nonprofit organization. Despite her lack of formal winemaking experience, she accepted the role, continuing a family tradition of women managing the winery.
Under her leadership, Domaine du Closel embraced biodynamic farming practices, which included eliminating chemicals and allowing grass to grow as ground cover. These methods enhanced the quality of the grapes and allowed them to better reflect the terroir of the region.
Mrs. de Pontbriand became a prominent advocate for biodynamic winemaking, leveraging her fluency in English and public relations skills to promote the Savennières appellation. She opened the winery to visitors, hosting dinners, music festivals, and tours.
In 2008, she was elected president of the Savennières appellation, a position she held for eight years, during which the global reputation of Savennières wines significantly improved. She traveled extensively to promote chenin blanc wines and biodynamic farming practices across various continents.
In 2017, she co-founded the Academie du Chenin to foster research and interest in the grape. Two years later, she organized the inaugural Chenin Blanc International Congress, which aimed to unite wine growers and makers to share best practices.
At the time of her death, she was serving another term as president of the Savennières appellation and was planning the next international congress for 2025.
Mrs. de Pontbriand was known for her blend of traditional wine culture and progressive winemaking ideas. She was born on November 23, 1950, in Paris and spent much of her childhood near Angers, where her family owned Domaine du Closel. Although she was not raised to enter the family business, she developed a passion for wine from an early age.
She studied comparative literature at the Sorbonne and fine arts at the Ecole du Louvre, graduating in 1972. After marrying Gaël de Pontbriand in 1973, the couple lived in Philadelphia and Frankfurt before returning to Paris in 1985.
She is survived by her husband and their four children, as well as six grandchildren. The future leadership of Domaine du Closel remains uncertain.
Mrs. de Pontbriand viewed her commitment to biodynamic winemaking as a return to traditional farming methods, criticizing modern techniques for straying from these practices. She believed that conventional wines should be labeled to indicate the use of chemicals, advocating for transparency in the wine industry.