For Audrey-Laure Marchand, becoming the owner of a vineyard had never been part of the plan. Life, however, led her into the agri-food sector a few years ago, when she, her partner, her brothers, and her father decided to purchase a dairy farm. Audrey-Laure then began working full time in the field, and it wasn’t long before another project presented itself.
Indeed, her brother and uncle shared a dream of creating and marketing their own traditional Swiss alcohol to honor their roots. While searching for the perfect place to bring this idea to life, they came across Vignoble Les Côtes du Gavet in Tingwick, which was for sale at the time. Completely charmed, the two men set their original project aside and presented a new opportunity to the rest of the family: purchasing the vineyard. “My uncle and my brother asked us if we wanted to join them. We didn’t know exactly what we were getting into, but we knew we were capable of working hard and investing the time,” Audrey-Laure recalls.
In the end, seven people took the leap and became co-owners: Audrey-Laure, her brothers, her sister-in-law, her uncle, her father, and a family friend. The acquisition process, which began in 2021, went relatively smoothly. It started with the development of a financial plan with the help of their financial advisor. Since the family was already immersed in the agricultural sector, securing financing was easier than it had been when they purchased the dairy farm a few years earlier. Next came long-term planning to ensure that all co-owners shared the same vision and agreed on each person’s role. Once everyone was aligned, they submitted their purchase offer to the former owners. Deeply attached to the vineyard, the latter did not wish to leave immediately. The decision was therefore made to carry out a gradual transition over a two-year period, allowing the new team to learn the ins and outs of the business and receive valuable advice from the former owners. Another factor that greatly facilitated the process was the inclusion of the liquor license in the purchase, sparing the new owners lengthy administrative procedures.
Now solely at the helm of the business for the past two years, Audrey-Laure and her family are moving full steam ahead. Between the dairy farm, the vineyard, and the weekday jobs some of them hold, the team is accustomed to working seven days a week. Each person contributes their specific strengths to form a multidisciplinary team. While Audrey-Laure focuses on customer service, communications, the boutique, and event planning, her partners handle viticulture, production, recipe development, and other administrative aspects. “Being a group means the workload is shared. It’s less stressful, and we go further because we have more ideas!” Audrey-Laure explains.
These ideas have led them to restructure the company’s offering. While the former owners focused on selling products through local retailers, the new owners aim to attract customers directly to the vineyard. This vision has resulted in several innovations, including the development of the outdoor space, a new tasting format that can accommodate more guests at once, and the addition of restrooms and a bar in the tasting room. The most standout idea, however, is undoubtedly their popular pizza nights, which draw large crowds and for which they built a wood-fired oven.
With the vineyard’s 25th anniversary coming up this year, even more new developments are on the horizon. And as a successor, Audrey-Laure continues to grow as well: “You grow so much as a person through an experience like this. The person I was five years ago has nothing to do with who I am today!”
