Before the skin is wrapped in a wine bath, there is the vine. A vine stock, a granite hillside, a hand at harvest. To understand what makes the grape so precious, nothing beats a detour by way of those who grow it.
The wine spa celebrates the grape as a treatment. But the grape is first and foremost a fruit of the terroir, shaped by a climate, a soil and real know-how. Head for the Beaujolais, one of the most beautiful vineyards in France, to meet a house that defends its very soul: Maison Bugnazet.
One vineyard, two perspectives
Maison Bugnazet is no anonymous cellar. It is a human-scale house, carried by two complementary sensibilities. In the vineyard, Emilien watches over the parcels, reads the vintage in the vines and signs off on the winemaking. On the selection and storytelling side, Maximilien introduces each cuvée the way you would introduce a friend. From this meeting between the winegrower's hand and the editor's eye comes a genuine range, far removed from industrial standards.
Gamay in every guise
The Beaujolais is above all gamay, a red grape variety that is both generous and deep, capable of finesse as much as intensity. Maison Bugnazet expresses it through the crus and appellations that made the region's reputation.
- Premier Rendez-Vous, a Moulin-à-Vent, the most structured cuvée, built for cellaring.
- Morgon de Toi, a Morgon, all depth and black fruit.
- Bouquet Fleurie, a Fleurie, floral and delicate just as its name suggests.
- Rendez-Vous, a red Beaujolais-Villages, both straightforward and convivial.
- Vent de Tendresse, a white Beaujolais-Villages from chardonnay, rarer, all about freshness.
Each cuvée carries a name that says something about an emotion rather than a technique. That is the house signature: speaking to the heart as much as to the palate.
From glass to bath, the same substance
What links a great Beaujolais to a vinotherapy treatment is the grape. The polyphenols that give gamay its color and structure are the very ones that vinotherapy puts to work for the skin. Drinking a wine of the terroir and treating yourself to a wine bath are two ways of celebrating the same vine. The Beaujolais is also home to some lovely estate wine spas, where you can extend the pleasure of the cru with that of the treatment.
Discover the house
If this journey through gamay has left you thirsty for terroir, the best next step is still tasting. Maison Bugnazet presents its cuvées and its work on its website.
