Béru is a small village near Chablis in Burgundy, France. Monks were already producing wine at nearby Fontenay Abbey in the twelfth century. It was also monks who built the wine cellar of what later became the château, as well as the walls around the vineyard known as “Clos” Béru. Athénaïs enjoyed a happy, nature-loving childhood. Her parents loved to entertain family and friends at the château. “The place was always full of people. As a child, I thought I had 30 brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles.”

Athénaïs moved to Paris to study. She became a successful banker. For six years, she worked day and night and was always on the go. She increasingly became a Parisian and only visited her home in Béru for family vacations.

But then her life changed unexpectedly in 2006 when the vineyard leaseholder terminated his contract prematurely – a situation that rarely occurs. Athénaïs didn’t think for long: within hours, she had decided to abandon her privileged life and well-paid job in Paris and to make a radical change in her life, taking on the vineyard – together with an uncertain future and an ancestral home which had seen better days. “I made a lot of mistakes, but that’s the only way to learn – experimenting and doing things your own way,” she reminisces, laughing.

Right from the start, Athénaïs decided to avoid chemicals and chose to sustainably protect the environment, the soil, and people. Step by step, she familiarized herself with the basics of biodynamic viticulture. This was a highly unusual approach in this traditional wine-growing region and the local winegrowers had plenty of advice for her. “I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but I did precisely the opposite of everything they told me,” relates Athénaïs dryly.

The château’s main entrance features something rather special, namely one of the last remaining lunar calendars in Europe. It dates back to the 15th century and was highly significant to agriculture back then. Athénaïs likewise draws on the power of the moon and explains: “We are simply doing what winegrowers have been doing for centuries.”

Château de Béru is an historic place which effuses a great deal of positive energy. It is home to many old paintings and pieces of furniture dating as far back as the times of Marie Antoinette. An original document from 1687 is especially interesting, as it is signed by the Sun King, Louis XIV, and endorses the family coat of arms. “We nevertheless live and work like normal people,” says the lady of the château, “just like all the generations before us. And naturally, we use the building for wine tastings, tourism, and events, too.”

For Athénaïs, Birkenstocks are the ideal leisure and gardening shoes, and she had her first pair back when she was based in Paris. “I always had just one pair that I would wear to death,” she explains. “Here in the damp wine cellar, I obviously wear rubber boots. But out there in the vineyard, Birkenstocks are the most natural shoe for me to wear. I am always active. So I need shoes that can keep up with my activity. Birkenstocks are simply incredibly comfortable.”

Athénaïs’s tenacity and her decision never to compromise paid off – Château de Béru wines are now to be found in some of the world’s best restaurants, including noma in Copenhagen.

Athénaïs de Béru is aware that her life is extraordinary. “I'm not happy about getting up at six in the morning every day, but I am very happy to be enjoying this adventure every day. I have also learned about humility, because looking at the big picture, I recognize that my contribution is ultimately a small one. At the end of the day, all we are doing is producing a bottle of wine. But I believe that sharing a glass of wine is the best way for people all over the world to connect.”

Info: http://www.chateaudeberu.com/