All roads lead to the smallest appellation of Bordeaux, nestled in the heart of Graves. To go and taste a bottle of cerons, the sweet wine lover has the choice between the train, the car, the bike and even the boat. “The station is a few meters away, the Garonne too,” guides the owner of the Château de Cérons. Caroline Perromat and her husband…
All roads lead to the smallest appellation of Bordeaux, nestled in the heart of Graves. To go and taste a bottle of cerons, the sweet wine lover has the choice between the train, the car, the bike and even the boat. “The station is a few meters away, the Garonne too,” guides the owner of the Château de Cérons. Caroline Perromat and her husband Xavier took the reins of the old family property in 2012, located in the heart of the village, opposite the 12th century church.
The wine property has taken a big turn since this date: organic conversion of 30 hectares (50% red, 40 white and 10% sweet), expansion of the range (special mention for the original “La Quille”) new markets (Denmark, Sweden, Germany and even Mexico), wine tourism projects, etc. “We never get bored,” admits the winemaker. “The wine crisis is upon us, we are fighting. We have ideas and a young, competent and motivated team to support us. »
Caroline Perromat lets a British buyer taste the property’s wines.
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XXL works
Major works were launched to save the building. “It’s the project of a lifetime, a gift,” summarizes Caroline Perromat. The investment amounts to several hundred thousand euros. Guest rooms will be open to the public in 2025, along with a small museum on the architect Roger-Henri Expert. “We are extremely attached to this house. It was entrusted to us, it’s a big responsibility. We are giving everything to save her. It’s a bit like Notre-Dame de Paris for us,” smiles the hostess.
Caroline and Xavier Perromat took the reins of the family property in 2012.
Cérons Castle
At the same time, “we are carrying out an innovative 4-hectare renaturation project in the heart of the village which is undergoing rapid densification, by creating a well of biodiversity. We plant local species of fruit trees, hedges, flower seedlings and cereals. » “The Presqu’île”, that’s its nickname, is bordered by the Garonne, the Saint-Cricq stream, and the Gargalle. “The Château de Cérons completes its conversion. 2024 will be the property’s first vintage in organic farming. »
The wine tourism map in depth
The workers are currently in the old barrel cellar. Objective: create a visual animation and offer a new offer to visitors. “The emblematic cellar, the one which has been breeding its precious wines for three hundred years, will come alive with a play of light and shadow and will take us on a journey over the water and through the centuries,” presents Caroline Perromat. The inauguration is scheduled for May 30.
The castle of Cérons East present in the Bulles Vertes cataloget on the Graves-Sauternes wine route circuit. It relies heavily on wine tourism to attract new wine lovers. “We have to play this card to the fullest, this is the economy of the 21st century. We have great assets with the visit to the house, the immersion in the old cellar, the discovery of the Presqu’île and the guest rooms. » The last: the presence in the subsoil of plates of limestone covered with alluvial gravel. “This is why our sweet wines are so different at Cérons,” concludes Caroline Perromat.
