Domaine Saint-André de Figuière, Combard family: originating from Bordeaux, but Provencal at heart

Family heritage:   François is an artist. A graduate in Fine-Arts, he dedicated his early adult years to painting and sculpture. In 1997, his father, Alain suggested working with him in his wine growing business. "François jumped at the chance: producing wine is a form of art. My brother discovered the strong creative side of wine-making which has always appealed to him", said Magali. Seven years later, Magali and her other sister, Delphine arrived at Domaine Saint-André de Figuière to lend a hand to their family. Over a period of ten years, the three Combard siblings learnt the art of vinification with their father. When he died, François, Magali and Delphine decided to continue the family heritage and joined forces. François is involved with the vines and Delphine manages the administrative part. Magali deals with sales and marketing of the bottles and promoting the estate. "I am from the marketing world in the tourism-sales sector. Delphine has 15 years experience as an administrative manager in major holiday clubs. So our three profiles complement one another perfectly", she emphasises.   From Burgundy to Provence:   Located in the muncipality of La Londe-des-Maures, approximately ten kilometres away from the town of Hyères, Domaine Saint-André de Figuière has an unusual characteristic of being owned by former inhabitants of Burgundy. "Our parents owned a wine growing estate in Chablis for 20 years, called Domaine Laroche. That is where our father made his first steps into the world of wine", explains Magali. Both originating from Provence, Alain Combard and his wife felt the desire to return to their original region. So in 1992, the couple decided to sell the Burgundy estate and look for a wine growing business to buy in Provence. "It was a risky gamble because, in the 90s there was a slump in Provence's wine growing reputation and production. But our father had faith: he set his heart on the terroir of La Londe, which reminded him of Chablis. That is what convinced him to move here. He therefore became the Burgundy winemaker established in Provence. He injected a new type of white wine into the region, infused with the minerality and freshness of Chablis. This allowed him to pull it off and make a name for himself", continued Magali. Read the full article