{"id":516,"date":"2025-09-25T22:15:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T20:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diskstation.leisys.com:8443\/?page_id=516"},"modified":"2026-01-13T21:59:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:59:32","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/notre-histoire\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"516\" class=\"elementor elementor-516\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35db086 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"35db086\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd7c8f1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bd7c8f1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2b6689 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c2b6689\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Our Story<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8081b1f elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8081b1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We lived a fairly international life before settling in the\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">M\u00e9doc to\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\"><a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mairie-saint-estephe.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Saint-Est\u00e8phe<\/a><\/span>. 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\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Bordeaux region<\/span>\u00a0because 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\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\"><a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.medoc-atlantique.com\/patrimoine\/les-spots-incontournables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Atlantic beaches<\/a><\/span>. Although none of us are originally from this region, we quickly fell in love with the M\u00e9doc, its vineyards, its beaches and its diverse landscapes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f6580 e-con-full e-transform e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"42f6580\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_transform_rotateZ_effect&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:2,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;_transform_rotateZ_effect_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;deg&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;_transform_rotateZ_effect_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;deg&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5d285e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a5d285e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-sylvaine-et-jacques-1-768x636.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-806\" alt=\"Gourmet meal on the terrace in Andernos, facing the Arcachon Basin, with seafood and a warm atmosphere, the guests of Ch\u00e2teau Papounan, charming bed and breakfast in Saint-Est\u00e8phe in the M\u00e9doc.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-sylvaine-et-jacques-1-768x636.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-sylvaine-et-jacques-1-300x248.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-sylvaine-et-jacques-1-14x12.jpeg 14w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-sylvaine-et-jacques-1.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Lunch on the Arcachon Bay<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-219192a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"219192a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1d6bd3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f1d6bd3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b8afbd elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3b8afbd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Vines<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29944fc elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29944fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>During our search for a house in the Bordeaux region, we instantly fell in love with the\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\"><a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"\/en\/history-of-the-castle\/\" target=\"_self\">Ch\u00e2teau Papounan<\/a><\/span>. A major deciding factor was the\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">vineyard<\/span> of the 20 ares that came with the property \u2013 we could not resist the opportunity to try our hand at vine cultivation and to participate in the winemaking tradition of the M\u00e9doc.<\/p><p>To preserve the spirit of the home, we are pleased to carry on the home\u2019s tradition of hosting guests as a\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\"><a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"\/en\/domeyne-room\/\" target=\"_self\">bed and breakfasts<\/a><\/span>\u00a0. 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.\u00a0<\/p><p>Since then, we have been learning the rhythm of hospitality and viticulture, from winter pruning to the <a href=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/2025-harvest-at-chateau-papounan\/\">grape harvest<\/a> in September, when our grapes join those of the local cooperative to produce the &quot;\u00ab\u00a0<span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\"><a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marquis-saint-estephe.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marquis of Saint-Est\u00e8phe<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ecd561f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ecd561f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf56381 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cf56381\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-exterieur-vigne-4-1-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-879\" alt=\"Bunch of ripe black grapes in the vineyards of Ch\u00e2teau Papounan in Saint-Est\u00e8phe, gravelly soils of the M\u00e9doc, Bordeaux.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-exterieur-vigne-4-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-exterieur-vigne-4-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-exterieur-vigne-4-1-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-exterieur-vigne-4-1.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b353115 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b353115\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d983cb5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d983cb5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31f83cb elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31f83cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Akyra &amp; Amarok<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8bee8ec elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8bee8ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_7 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">We share our home with two adorable dogs with very distinct personalities. Akyra is our\u00a0<a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chien_de_montagne_des_Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Patou<\/a>\u00a07 years old (Pyrenean Mountain Dog), and she is a pure joy \u2013 sweet, kind and wonderfully cuddly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p class=\"font_7 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71344a6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"71344a6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-804\" alt=\"Akyra, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, faithful companion at Ch\u00e2teau Papounan, a charming bed and breakfast in the heart of the Saint-Est\u00e8phe vineyards in the M\u00e9doc.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-akyra-berger-des-pyrenees-patou-1.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9becf64 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9becf64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d76957 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"1d76957\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"Amarok\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40e612a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"40e612a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-805\" alt=\"Amarok, an Alaskan malamute dog, is the companion of the guests at Ch\u00e2teau Papounan, a charming bed and breakfast located in Saint-Est\u00e8phe in the M\u00e9doc region.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chateau-papounan-photos-amarok-malamute-d-alaska1.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6823045 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6823045\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_7 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Our latest companion is a\u00a0<a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malamute_de_l%27Alaska\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alaskan malamute<\/a> His name is Amarok. He is 3 years old and a sociable dog who loves people and other dogs \u2014 sometimes a little too enthusiastic! He won&#039;t hesitate to shower you with licks to show you how happy he is to meet you.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"font_7 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">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\u00a0<a class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.medoc-atlantique.com\/sit\/plage-surveillee-du-pin-sec-7124616\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">on the beach<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17e772b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"17e772b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Notre Histoire Nous avons v\u00e9cu une vie assez internationale avant de nous installer dans le\u00a0M\u00e9doc \u00e0\u00a0Saint-Est\u00e8phe. Nous avons pass\u00e9 23 ans sur la c\u00f4te Est des \u00c9tats-Unis, o\u00f9 nous avions d\u00e9m\u00e9nag\u00e9 initialement pour le travail. Apr\u00e8s plus de deux d\u00e9cennies en Am\u00e9rique, nous avons v\u00e9cu pr\u00e8s de Zurich en Suisse pendant trois ans, puis nous [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-516","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chateaupapounan.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}