{"id":202509,"date":"2025-06-21T12:22:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T12:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/202509\/"},"modified":"2025-06-21T12:22:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T12:22:14","slug":"how-a-mumbai-architect-rebuilt-a-vineyard-in-frances-rhone-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/202509\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Mumbai architect rebuilt a vineyard in France\u2019s Rh\u00f4ne Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a visit to the Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel in France years ago, the first thing that struck me was how wellintegrated it was with its surroundings, how minimalistic. It is deliberately so. As Charles Perrin, fifth generation co-owner, Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel, explains, \u201cBeaucastel\u2019s identity is rooted in two things: respect for the land and quiet, patient innovation.\u201d The reimagined Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel, which was inaugurated in May after an extensive renovation by Mumbai-based architect Bijoy Jain, is still rooted in that philosophy of sustainability. Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel is the flagship winery of the Perrin family, located in Courth\u00e9zon in southern Rh\u00f4ne in the appellation of Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape.<\/p>\n

The \u201cnew palace of the pope\u201d, as the name translates, was France\u2019s first wine appellation (which is like a tag or label to identify the region a wine originates from) given at a time when the papal seat moved from Rome to southern France from 1309-77. Famous for their discerning palates and extensive cellars, the popes sought quality and found that the rugged terroir of the region produced extraordinary, powerful wines. Besides their own extensive wine estates that include Beaucastel (since 1909) and La Vieille Ferme, the Perrins have partnered with Brad Pitt to produce super-brands Ch\u00e2teau Miraval, Champagne Fleur de Miraval and Gardener gin. But Beaucastel remains closest to their hearts.<\/p>\n

The Perrins\u2019 commitment to organic viticulture is well-documented with Jacques Perrin being one of the earliest adopters of organic farming in 1950, and biodynamic viticulture from 1974. As the Perrins\u2019 business grew, so did Beaucastel\u2019s reputation and it needed a structure that would accommodate the practical requirements of future expansion. So, in 2018, the family announced an international competition to select an architect for the renovation of the Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel winery.<\/p>\n

They received 1,200 entries from architects of 32 nationalities. In the end, Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai was awarded the project. Working with him would be former colleague Louis-Antoine Gr\u00e9go of Studio M\u00e9dit\u00e9rran\u00e9e, France. \u201cGr\u00e9go was at Studio Mumbai working with us on the renovation of a 16th century convent in Nice, in the south of France…. It seemed a natural progression to make a proposal for Beaucastel with this group who shared in the same sentiments towards the making of things, spaces, materials, landscapes,\u201d says Jain.<\/p>\n

Also read: From kebabs to cocktails, k\u014dji finds a new home in modern Indian dining<\/a><\/p>\n

ROOTED IN HISTORY<\/p>\n

The key factor for the renewed winery was to synthesise the idea of \u201cterroir\u201d, the French word that encapsulates the environment in which a wine\u2019s quality is determined. Perrin\u2019s brief to the architects was simple: \u201cBuild with what the earth gives us. Let the elements handle the energy load. Invite dialogue, not ostentation.\u201d The new winery had to co-exist with parts of the old structure, including the original manor house constructed in the 17th century.<\/p>\n

For Jain, the challenge was to design a structure that would pay homage to the wine itself. Photo: Nicolas Facenda <\/p>\n

Perrin explains, \u201cOur earlier chai (the barrel room) was a workhorse but energy-hungry and too small for parcel precision (storing wines from individual plots separately before the final blending). The new wing doubles capacity yet is 80% underground, so from a distance you see vineyards and the ochre-coloured courtyard walls that mirror the old stone.\u201d The russet boundary walls enclose the ch\u00e2teau that sits amidst the vineyards. It is constructed using the rammed earth technique\u2014known as pis\u00e9 in French\u2014of compressed red clay mixed with recycled limestone and rubble from old Beaucastel sheds.<\/p>\n

The walls were compacted layer by layer\u2014the veins and pebbles visible\u2014thus fulfilling Perrin\u2019s brief: \u201cThe new winery must grow out of the same soil that nourishes our vines.\u201d Close to 90% of the structure was made from materials found on-site\u2014initially from a pit 50×50 metres and 15m-deep. When the gravel ran out, rubble from old buildings was added\u2014so the new structure was literally \u201cpressed\u201d from Beaucastel\u2019s terroir without any concrete or iron, using construction techniques dating back to ancient Egypt and China. \u201cIt was a mere displacement of landscape. No truck came in or left,\u201d explains Jain. Gr\u00e9go says, \u201cWe took terroir, which is essentially flat and made it vertical\u2014you can see its veins in the walls. We deconstructed parts of the old buildings that were not required, crushed the concrete into gravel, and added it to the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Jain, the challenge was to design a structure that would pay homage to the wine itself. He recalls, \u201cThe ground, soil, wind, rain, sun were resources available in the immediacy of the landscape. We needed to use this abundance to create architecture made from the physical environment to provide a quiet resting space for the wine to evolve and achieve its full potential.\u201d This genius loci as Jain calls it, became the vision for Beaucastel.<\/p>\n

On the energy front, electricity is generated from multiple rooftop solar panels, while cooling comes from the mighty mistral wind of the Rh\u00f4ne Valley, which is channelled through underground galleries via inbuilt wind towers and over an underground cistern holding gallons of water collected from the rooftops. \u201cWater is the basis of life so the cistern is the project\u2019s foundation and acts as a cradle for the wine,\u201d explains Jain. \u201cThe mistral is drawn deep into the ground and circulates above the water\u2019s surface, dropping the temperature in the cellar to an even 12 degrees centigrade through the year.\u201d The cooled air is then distributed to the cellar spaces, while the water supplies most of the winery\u2019s needs. \u201cThis is an integrated structure free of any mechanical device or industrial material,\u201d says Jain.<\/p>\n

Also read: Weekend food plan: Get a taste of South East Asian cuisine at these pop-ups<\/a><\/p>\n

Winemaking capacity was optimised. Perrin explains, \u201cWe insisted on gravityflow reception, individual fermenters sized to our 13 c\u00e9pages (a specific blend of grapes) and 70 parcels and circulation paths that future generations can adapt without demolition. The design incorporates 91 small concrete vats, clay jars from Impruneta in Italy and larger wooden tanks that allow each plot and varietal to be vinified separately into the classic Beaucastel blend\u2014an old dream finally realised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the commencement, the Perrin family had taken Jain on a road trip to Burgundy to visit three wineries, the last being the iconic Domaine de la Roman\u00e9e Conti. \u201cIt was a misty morning at the Domaine, and we stood on a slope in the vineyards, looking down the large stone cross that symbolises the famous winery. In the distance I could see a group of people walking towards it\u2014as if they were on a pilgrimage. It was magical, like a painting. Then we walked deep into the cellars. I remember the walls, a rock with water trickling over its surface, a gravel floor and a barrel serving as a tasting table. Bottles of DRC were opened… This experience changed me, gave me an insight into the potential of wine through the mechanics of taste. The penny dropped,\u201d says Jain.<\/p>\n

The space is a continuing the dialogue between culture, craft and terroir. Photo: Nicolas FacendaPIONEERING PROJECT<\/p>\n

For Gr\u00e9go, the \u20ac16 million project was a huge learning. \u201cWe had never built a winery before like this one. We studied for three years before starting construction\u2014 that took another three-and-a-half years. Longer than expected, but this was pioneering work.\u201d Finally, the result was a collaboration of individual skill sets, says Jain, preferring to describe Studio Mumbai as one of many collaborators.<\/p>\n

Engineer Philippe Clement of French company Batiserf was, in his view, pivotal to the project. \u201cHe ensured the material dissolves into pure architecture, while landscape artist Tom Stuart Smith was intuitive in his interpretation of the gardens, planting indigenous shrubs and trees that needed little water\u2026 The builders, masons, carpenters\u2014each one claimed ownership of the project.\u201d For Perrin, the project\u2019s results exceeded expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cVisitors tell us the place feels timeless, as though it had always been there. But the renovation is a milestone, not an end…. In the new tasting cloisters, we plan to host artist and scientist residencies\u2014continuing the dialogue between culture, craft and terroir that began when an Indian studio helped a Rh\u00f4ne family re-imagine its home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruma Singh is a Bengaluru-based wine and travel writer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a visit to the Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel in France years ago, the first thing that struck me…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202510,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5309],"tags":[81685,81684,81680,81683,2000,299,36,81681,81687,81682,21921,81686],"class_list":{"0":"post-202509","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-france","8":"tag-bijoy-jain","9":"tag-charles-perrin","10":"tag-chateau-de-beaucastel","11":"tag-chateauneuf-du-pape","12":"tag-eu","13":"tag-europe","14":"tag-france","15":"tag-organic-viticulture","16":"tag-perrins","17":"tag-rhone-valley","18":"tag-sustainable-architecture","19":"tag-vineyard"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114721334457325460","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}