Our Story
We lived a fairly international life before settling in the Médoc to Saint-Estèphe. We spent 23 years on the East Coast of the United States, where we initially moved for work. After more than two decades in America, we lived near Zurich in Switzerland for three years, then spent six years in Spain near Madrid. When it came time to return to France in 2021, we chose the Bordeaux region because it offers easy connections to Paris and London, where Jacques still has to go from time to time for work. We love being so close to Atlantic beaches. Although neither of us are originally from this region, we quickly fell in love with the Médoc and its vineyards.
The Vines
During our search for a house in the Bordeaux region, we instantly fell in love with the Château Papounan. A major deciding factor was the vineyard of the 20 ares that came with the property – we could not resist the opportunity to try our hand at vine cultivation.
To preserve the spirit of the home, we are pleased to carry on the home’s tradition of hosting guests as a bed and breakfasts . It is a wonderful opportunity to share our new home with travelers from all over the world. We bought the house in October 2022 and welcomed our first guests just three months later for New Year's Eve.
Since then, we have learned the rhythm of hospitality and viticulture, from winter pruning to the September harvest, when our grapes join those of the local cooperative to produce the "« Marquis of Saint-Estèphe. »
Akyra & Amarok
We share our home with two adorable dogs with very distinct personalities. Akyra is our Patou 7 years old (Pyrenean Mountain Dog), and she is a pure joy – sweet, kind and wonderfully cuddly.
Her only "flaw," if you can call it that, is her instinct to bark to let people know they should move along - it's simply in her genes as a breed that traditionally protects sheep from wolves in the mountains.
Our latest companion is a Alaskan malamute His name is Amarok. He is 3 years old and a sociable dog who loves people and other dogs — sometimes a little too enthusiastic! He won't hesitate to shower you with licks to show you how happy he is to meet you.
Although they live on our side of the house, our two dogs are always delighted to welcome visitors who wish to meet them. They love their daily walks in the vineyards and, in winter, when the tourists have deserted the region, their frenzied runs on the beach.