I am Christophe Jaume, and with my sister Hélène and brother Sébastien, we represent the seventh generation of winemakers in the family. Our vineyard was established in 1826 by our ancestor, Mathieu Jaume. At that time, the land could only be worked with horses, so the cultivated areas were smaller. We joined our parents Alain and Odile Jaume on the family farm in 2003 after studying viticulture and oenology in France and then doing internships in the USA, New Zealand and England. It seems, as the French saying goes, that "travel trains the youth"! Since then, we have seen ourselves somewhat as "craftspeople" at the service of the great terroirs of the Rhône Valley. Our ambition is to produce authentic wines that express their terroir of origin. This philosophy was crucial as in 2008 we decided to cultivate all the vines organically. We believe we must respect our heritage and preserve the environment. Each of us has found their place within the company: Hélène participates in the commercial development as well as in wine tourism: we have created the "Table d’Alain Jaume" to welcome customers to a gastronomic lunch while providing a wide tasting of wines and an explanation of the terroirs and their local characteristics. Sébastien monitors the cultivated plots, the cellar and the bottling: in general, the bottling extends from February to the beginning of September, just before the harvest. For my part, I devote myself to the commercial part as a whole: tastings with French wine merchants and restaurants and trips abroad to participate in fairs such as Vinexpo and Prowein. All three of us have the same passion and desire to promote our wines. The wines are exported to many European countries as well as to North America and Asia (China, Singapore, Taiwan, etc.). This is why the choice of CrowdFarming seemed obvious to us. It is a new way to introduce our expertise and share our values with like-minded people.

Since 1826, many generations of our family have worked as winegrowers in Châteauneuf du Pape, a famous village in the Vaucluse near Avignon. The Popes built a castle there in the 13th century and used it as a summer residence. They then allowed a vineyard to be developed. Although located in the Rhône Valley, the landscapes and culture are Provençal: thyme, lavender and scrubland with holm oaks and olive trees are all among the biotope present on the edge of the vineyard plots. Although time passes and technology pushes us towards modernity, we have been able to preserve some ancient practices, practices linked to common sense and field observation. We apply the same logic to our different fields, regardless of the level of prestige. Our vineyards are geographically spread over a number of different appellations: Domaine Grand Veneur in Châteauneuf du Pape (15.5 hectares), the Côtes du Rhône location "Les Champauvins" (35 hectares) and Château Mazane in Vacqueyras (10.5 hectares). Organic cultivation has existed at the vineyard for more than 20 years. Nevertheless, we didn't feel the need to claim it until 2008. In that year, we asked ourselves this question: "Why not obtain official certification and guarantee to our customers that what we were explaining to them about Organic Farming is really what we have been doing for several years?". So, all the vines were certified as "BIO" (=organically produced) from 2011. This commitment is applied in different ways: the soils are maintained exclusively by superficial ploughing and supported by plant compost. For example, we pile the pruned vine shoots in the centre of the rows and grind them into small pieces. This organic matter supports the maintenance of the soil's microbiological activity. It is the same with superficial mechanical ploughing of the soil, which buries weeds (natural grasses) in the soil. The vineyard production is sustained exclusively with authorised natural products while taking into account phytosanitary risks, Yields are low and controlled, if necessary, by "green harvesting". This summertime manual intervention allows, in addition to a quantitative selection, a qualitative selection of the bunches by choosing those which are best exposed. To ensure that the bunches receive enough air and light, we practice manual leaf stripping in the periphery of the grapes. Following ageing in concrete vats and barrels, the wines are slightly clarified in order to respect the character given by the terroir. To preserve their qualities, our wines are minimally filtered. A natural deposit may appear, guaranteeing their richness and vitality. Today, about fifteen collaborators accompany us in order to ensure the proper functioning of the fields: administration, viticulture, cellar, etc. all the positions complement each other and ensure a good cohesion on a "human level". The spirit of the family farm is always present to assure you of our commitment to your satisfaction.