OUR STORY
Heritage and transmission
of know-hows from father to son
If the Quintard family acquired the estate in Chadenac in 1936, their origins were deeply rooted in the vineyard well before that. Indeed, Emile Quintard, great-grandfather of Bastien and Thomas, owned vineyards in Saint-Jean-d’Angély in the north-eastern part of Charente-Maritime, but the operation was too modest for this visionary man. He looked for other lands to acquire and found them in Chadenac, in Charente-Maritime, 20 kilometers from Cognac. From there, begins a family story which will be perpetuated through several generations, each having in common a limitless passion for the vine and the transmission of a heritage and know-how from father to son.
1936
In 1936, when Emile bought the land in Chadenac, it was then operated by a Mr. Frolet. The estate was made up of meadows, cereal fields, marshes and a farmhouse.
Emile is an ambitious entrepreneur and has a long-term vision. In addition to growing cereals and breeding on the farm, he bought vines and set up a nursery on the estate. At that time, the family lands extended over approximately 40 hectares, including 5 hectares of vines. He developed the vine plants and then became an important nurseryman in the region.
In parallel with his work on the farm, in the cereal fields, in the vineyards and in the nursery, Emile ensures the transmission of his know-how to his son, Claude.
1961
In 1961, Emile dies suddenly and leaves his place to his son. Prudent in nature, Claude does not take out loans and develops the property with his own means. He acquires a little more than 3 hectares of vines in the early 1970s and develops cereal cultivation, the nursery activity having ceased upon Emile’s death.
Then, Cognac goes through a major crisis following the first oil shock. Consequently, the economic activity of the sector collapses and the context does not allow winegrowers to make further investments. Claude is the father of two children, his son Jean-Claude and his daughter Dany.
1977
In 1977, Jean-Claude, 25, who had become a family helper after his agricultural studies, married and joined his father on the estate in Chadenac. He conditions his arrival by asking his father to stop breeding to devote themselves to cereals and vines, which Claude accepts.
In the 1980s, Jean-Claude hesitated to plant kiwi trees in order to diversify the activity. Eventually, he chose to cultivate grapes while doing outside agricultural work for additional income.
1988
Claude retires in 1988. He divides his lands between his two children a few months later. Thus, Jean-Claude becomes sole owner of the estate. He then continued the activity with a few employees and was keen to pass on his know-how to his two sons, Bastien and Thomas.
A donation from his in-laws will allow him to acquire nearly 10 hectares of vines. This vineyard is located in the neighboring town of Jarnac-Champagne. The family’s property then included 17 hectares of vines and 30 hectares of cereals.
At that time, a new major crisis hits Cognac with the fall of the Japanese market. Many Cognac wine growers are then forced to uproot their vines to survive. Jean-Claude refuses to do so and wants to perpetuate his family heritage. In the midst of the crisis, he bought a little more than one hectare of additional vines. He held out until the end of the 1990s with the arrival on the estate of his eldest son, Bastien.
1999
In 1999, young Bastien, aged 20, arrived on the farm alongside his father. Thanks to grants given to young farmers, he was able to buy his first vines and invested in agricultural and wine-growing equipment. To make ends meet, Bastien provides services by carrying out agricultural work on other farms. Jean-Claude’s youngest son, Thomas, does not wish to join the family business at this time and works on another farm on the Ile d’Oléron.
2008
It was in 2008 that Thomas was finally convinced to join his brother on the estate. Jean-Claude then retired.
Bastien and Thomas are determined to honor their family history and the know-hows passed down to them. From then on, they considerably developed the winegrowing activity, expanding the vineyard, investing in equipment and installing a Charentais still on the estate in 2009. That still enables them to distill their wines and sell them on to leading Cognac merchants. They also immediately launched their own Cognac brand, “Cognac Du Frolet”, in homage to the land where they grew up. The very first bottle of Cognac was shipped to Lithuania.
Over the following years, Bastien and Thomas developed Cognac and Pineau des Charentes, but not only. They chose to plant PGI vines and focus on the production of Charentais wines.
2022
The fifth generation joins the family business with the arrival of Bastien’s son Tom in the summer of 2022.
The estate comprises 60 hectares of vines planted with 7 different grape varieties in the villages of Chadenac, Jarnac-Champagne and Marignac. The growth has been made possible by the hard work and determination of Bastien and Thomas, and spurred on by the good health of the Cognac sector and the development of PGI wines.
Today
In 2024, Bastien and Thomas decided to group all their cognacs, wines and Pineau des Charentes under the “Quintard Frères” brand to pay tribute to the generations that preceded them. Today, accompanied by their team composed of Tom, Florianne and Elodie, they oversee the destiny of that family heritage.
Tomorrow, it may be the turn of Maïlys, Enzo, Nino, Perrine or Juliette to write the rest of the story.
ABOUT US
In Chadenac in Charente-Maritime, Bastien and Thomas Quintard produce wines, Pineau des Charentes and Cognac, blending tradition and innovation.