Inner Intuition
FLY FISHING CHAMPION
For Eric Fimbel, pulling the plug from the socket now and then is crucial to reconnecting with himself and nature. The perfect experience to stay within his limits is fly fishing. Eric is so good at it that he became French Champion twice with national gold. During those fishing competitions, he also hooked his great love Lydia, a disarming woman and the sweetest mother of their three children, Nina, Nils, and Lola.
FAMILY HOUILLON
Lydia Houillon comes from a classic family consisting of mother Anna, father Claude, and eight children. Good food is essential, but wine is the focus. The entire Houillon family is a regular at their legendary uncle Pierre Overnoy's, where they all helped or worked. Emmanuel is now the worthy successor and wields the wand. If you say that you are a friend of Pierre, the doors will automatically open for you.
BROTHERS AND SISTERS
Sister Adeline and brother Aurélien have gone their way to make an international splash with their wines. Their spurs with Uncle Pierre and Brother Emmanuel have been more than earned. Adeline and her husband Renaud make the most beautiful wines around the corner from Pierre in Pupillin, and after a tour in Switzerland, Aurélien has also found his place. High in the mountains of the magical Ventoux, together with his Charlotte, sizzlingly exciting wines are created with, how could it be otherwise, that Overnoy touch? The 'Overnoy touch' refers to the unique winemaking techniques and philosophies passed down from their uncle Pierre, which they have incorporated into their winemaking.
SPARK
And, as always, blood is thicker than water. Lydia and Eric are also eager to tell the wine world about that one dream about passion and excelling in making pure wine. Eric has travelled a lot for his work. Lydia enjoyed helping her brother Jean-Michel Houillon in his Restaurant, Le Chavot in Ornans, where the spark between Lydia and Eric ignited. It was love at first sight back in 2006. Eric happened to be in Ornans for fly fishing, and Lydia had an evening off because all of France was watching Zidane's headbutt during the World Cup final. This unique love story is intertwined with their winemaking journey, as it was during this time that they discovered their shared passion for wine and began making plans for their future in the industry.
ADAM AND EVA
Like Adam and Eva, Eric and Lydia's love knows no fear and have carefully started their life's work. In 2017, they officially said yes to each other in church. The following year, in 2019, Eric followed the Viticulture and Oenology course in Beaune and obtained his BTS. To top it all off, they found a great house with a cellar in Grozon, and an extra hectare of vineyard came their way, half with young savagnin vines and the other half with old poulsard and trousseau vines. And there is even a plot with Chardonnay.
EXCEPTIONAL INTUITION
Like many natural winemakers, Lydia and Eric are as committed to the quality of their wines as they are to their freedom. When we first met last year in March 2023, an immediate connection came about almost automatically, making our introduction very natural. We saw two sincere people with a unique life mission full of enthusiasm and passion, a strong temperament, and high expectations regarding honesty, sincerity, and generosity—two people with exceptional intuition who set just as high standards for themselves as they do for their wines.
Eric and Lydia's wines have quickly gained recognition, a testament to their exceptional intuition and unwavering commitment to quality. The Poulssard Genese, a true masterpiece with beautiful salty acids and a promising future, and the surprising mix of Ploussard, Trousseau, Gamay, Savagnin, and Chardonnay in Nos Petites Vignes sold out immediately. Their immediate success is a testament to the quality and uniqueness of their wines, leaving the audience intrigued and eager to try them.
