Patrick & Julien ABBE 

This is the story of Julien, a son, and Patrick Abbe, a father, who share a passion for viticulture – but that’s not all… Their 13-hectare estate, half of which they own and the other half they lease, is situated in the villages of Choully and Bourdigny. Together, they grow a range of grape varieties there, including Gamay, Garanoir, Gamaret, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling Silvaner, Muscat and Viognier. Julien and Patrick do not just grow vines; they also cultivate arable crops.

‘We’re not always with our noses to the grindstone!’

Whilst they are certainly passionate about their work and their independence, they equally enjoy getting away from it all and making the most of life! Going out with friends, skiing, football: that’s their way of taking their minds off things and having fun. Football, incidentally, runs in the family. Patrick and Julien both play, as does one of Julien’s sisters, Caroline, who is captain of the Swiss women’s football team.

On the same wavelength…

Our two passionate winemakers, who are a tad reserved, confide that they find it a little difficult to talk about themselves and describe who they are. However, they are in complete agreement that being a good winemaker means being persistent and innovative. Indeed, innovation and the ability to make and implement their own decisions represent, for them, the independence that they particularly value.

Julien and Patrick are once again in agreement, telling us that harvest time is a time of year they love, just as they love spring and summer for the variety of colours nature has to offer.

The next generation is all set

Patrick, a caring and protective father to his family, is gently approaching retirement. In three years’ time, Julien will take over the reins of the mixed-use estate. Patrick began by training as a car mechanic, before returning to his father’s estate in 1979. It was at this time that they began developing and cultivating the vineyard for La Cave de Genève, alongside their cattle farming.​

Julien, for his part, studied at the school of mechanical engineering as part of an apprenticeship, and then at the agricultural college in Marcelin. He has also been working on the estate for about five years.

1 father + 1 son = 2 favourites

For Julien, it’s La Cave’s Merlot that takes the crown, whilst for Patrick, it would be the Pinot Noir. In both cases, they like to pair their favourite wines with a good steak or a fine entrecôte.