your hosts
NICOLE and xavier
Hello and welcome to our home.
When my husband Xavier discovered this secret hideaway, it was a complete ruin, overgrown with brambles like sleeping beauty’s castle, with neither water nor electricity. With the help of our family, we dedicated over a decade to meticulously restoring every aspect of it to enhance its natural beauty, pouring our heart, soul and savings into the adventure of our life.
In the process we began to uncover the remarkable potential of the vineyard to produce grapes of Grand Cru calibre. This in turn shifted our focus to making wine that captured the exceptional potential of the vineyard, and so Chene Bleu was born. Now with the wines on their own thrilling journey we have come full circle to share with guests from everywhere our excitement about this very special place, its wines and more.
During the last 1000 years, despite its seclusion, La Verrière has been a place of work, rest and healing for a wide range of occupants; Romans, Knights Templar, Celto-Ligurian pilgrims, shepherds, pilgrims, glassblowers, vintners and wine makers. Today, its heartbeat is carried forward through the resolve of our family and team, eager to build on the traditions, practices and knowledge that its forefathers would have shared. Coming from local villages as well as lands afar, we aspire to using our combined skills and passion to create experiences that go well beyond the traditional definitions and expectations of hospitality and viticulture.
I for one fell under the spell of the estate’s fascinating history and made it my mission, alongside my family, to bring it back to life. I travelled extensively in my youth, growing up in a multicultural, multilingual, family, and nothing in my previous career in international finance, business and think tanks prepared me for the existential joys of becoming a guardian of this ancient land and historic estate, wishing to leave it better for the next generation and sharing it with fellow travellers.
Xavier grew up in France and is a man of the land, however his studies and career took him abroad and on the road until this place caught his heart and beckoned him back to his roots. We share a deep appreciation of nature, culture, wine and gastronomy, guided by our motto, “Non Mihi, Non Tibi, Sed Nobis” which means “not mine, not yours, but ours.” The Romans thus expressed the greater value and meaning of things shared. Everyone here seeks to live by those values.
Beyond hospitality, we wanted to create a sanctuary where we and our guests, in spite of busy over-committed lives, can reconnect with the parts of ourselves that want to be at our best, to surpass ourselves, to question things, to learn as much as we can, or to just be.
We hope to welcome you as part of the family. You are welcome to chat in the kitchen with our chef or head for the vegetable garden to pick vegetables and fruit for supper. Equally, spend some time with the gardener to find out how we are seeking to spearhead sustainable practices, whether composting or beekeeping, to stay in harmony with this rich natural environment, at the heart of the UNESCO biosphere.
La Verrière is not just about the house, the hospitality, the food and the wine. It’s about creating a seamless integration between hospitality, viticulture, and the special circumstances of the surrounding nature; between history and ecology and twenty first century comforts and luxury.
I’d now like to introduce some of the team members who will be taking care of you when you come and visit. On behalf of all of us, we look forward to your visit!
Nicole
KAREN
The director of hospitality Karen Glennon, has been managing La Verrière for over a decade with her trademark cheery style. She is also executive director of the renowned wine courses, including Extreme Wine experience, which wine enthusiasts from around the world attend once a year. She facilitates weekly rentals.
GREGORY
House Manager
Gregory studied in Lyon, the Gastronomic epicentre of France. Since 2007 he has been working in Front of House and Managerial positions in a number of top fine dining establishments, including Sofitel Bellecour and Le Gourmet de Sèce. We are very happy that he has moved to Provence to join our team at La Verrière.
SHARON
Hospitality Coordinator Sharon is an American who has always loved Europe. She taught Spanish in the US and then made an abrupt career change, gaining an MBA and moving to work in Financial Management and Information Systems. In 2009 she decided to realize her life-long dream and moved to live in France.
SYLVIE
Accountant
“I was inspired to join Chêne Bleu after being interviewed by Nicole in 2007. She explained the Domaine’s project and philosophy to me with such enthusiasm that I immediately knew I wanted to be part of the team.”
Sylvie’s accounting role at Chêne Bleu involves a lot of facts and figures, and the project has evolved considerably in the years since she joined. She is passionate about both wine and gastronomy, and it gives her great pleasure to witness them coming together at Chêne Bleu.
Benedicte and Jean-Louis
Xavier’s sister, Bénédicte is our talented and tireless viticulturalist. Her gifted winemaker husband, Jean-Louis Gallucci, today runs the winery. Their dynamic duo provide as welcoming year-round presence, managing the property and vineyard with uncompromising concern for quality. Several of our respective children have taken an interest in the project and enjoy helping out. Though dedicated to Chêne Bleu, Jean Louis is Acting General Manager of La Verriere when needed.
If you visit our Chêne Bleu tasting room, you will meet our wonderful wine team.
Now that you’ve met most of the team, we look forward to seeing you soon.
Bon voyage!
Nicole and Xavier
