The Wine-Loving Brewers, the Grape Ale & the Château Hand
La BAB is a brasserie unlike any other — an organic craft brewery born from the conviction that beer and wine are not rivals but complements, nestled within the historic walls of Château de Chamilly in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise. Founded by two partners, amateurs de bons vins, La BAB produces its beers avec rigueur et passion on the estate of a 17th-century château that has been in the Desfontaine family since the early 19th century. Surrounded by 32 hectares of organic and biodynamic vineyards — Mercurey, Montagny, Bouzeron, Bourgogne Aligoté, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay — La BAB exists at the crossroads of Burgundian wine tradition and artisanal brewing innovation. Their Grape Ale — a beer-wine hybrid fermented with grape must — is a liquid manifesto of this philosophy. And their presence alongside the great natural wine producers of France at fairs like Les Zinzins du Comptoir is proof that, in Burgundy, the boundary between the vine and the grain has never been more porous.
The Two Partners, the Wine Lovers & the Brewing Hand
La BAB — Brasserie Artisanale de Bourgogne — is the fruit of an association between two partners united by a shared conviction: that the world of great wine and the world of craft beer are not separate kingdoms but complementary expressions of terroir, fermentation, and human craft. Both partners are amateurs de bons vins — wine lovers first — and it is from this perspective that they approach brewing: not as an escape from wine, but as an extension of the same sensory and agricultural philosophy. They are convinced of the complémentarité de la bière et du vin — the complementarity of beer and wine — and they have built La BAB as a living laboratory for this belief.
The brewery is located at Château de Chamilly in the village of Chamilly, 71510, in the northern Côte Chalonnaise, just 20 minutes south of Beaune. The château itself is a 17th-century edifice built by Noël Bouton — lieutenant general of the armies of King Louis XIV, Governor of Strasbourg, and Marquis of Chamilly — on the foundations of a 14th-century fortified farm. The Desfontaine family acquired the estate and surrounding land at the beginning of the 19th century, and they have been its custodians ever since. In 1970, Louis Desfontaine made the bold decision to abandon cereal crops and livestock in favour of full-time viticulture. In 1981, he married Véronique, and together they propelled the estate to prominence in the Côte Chalonnaise. When Louis passed away unexpectedly in 1999, Véronique took the helm until her two sons, Xavier and Arnaud, returned in 2007 to join her in stewarding the estate.
Today, Château de Chamilly spans approximately 32 hectares of vineyards in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, and Montagny, with vines ranging from 25 to 80 years old, planted on limestone and clay soils. The estate has been fully organic since 2021 and practices biodynamic viticulture, with each "Climat" vinified, aged, and bottled separately to express its specific terroir. It is within this living, breathing wine estate — amid the vineyards, the historic courtyard, and the cellars — that La BAB has installed its brewery. The proximity is not merely geographical; it is philosophical. The brewers share the same agricultural calendar, the same respect for organic raw materials, and the same commitment to natural processes as the Desfontaine family. And their collaboration extends beyond coexistence: the open days at Château de Chamilly feature tastings of both the estate's wines and La BAB's beers, creating a unified experience of Burgundian fermentation that is unique in the region.
Note: La BAB is an organic craft brewery, not a wine domaine. It is included here because it participates in natural wine fairs and operates within the historic Château de Chamilly wine estate, embodying the same terroir-driven, low-intervention philosophy that defines the natural wine movement. Detailed historical records of the brewery's founding date and the partners' individual backgrounds remain limited in publicly available sources.
Chamilly, the Côte Chalonnaise & the Château Hand
The Côte Chalonnaise is the quiet, unshowy backbone of Burgundy — a stretch of hills between the glamorous Côte de Nuits and the Mâconnais, where the wines are honest, the prices are sane, and the tourists are fewer. Château de Chamilly sits in the northern part of this subregion, in a verdant valley 20 minutes south of Beaune and 20 minutes west of Chalon-sur-Saône. The estate's 32 hectares are planted across several appellations — Mercurey, Montagny, Bouzeron, and Bourgogne — on soils of limestone and clay that are the geological signature of great Burgundy. The vines range from 25 to 80 years old, and the estate's commitment to organic and biodynamic farming ensures that the fruit arrives in the cellar alive, complex, and expressive of its specific "Climat."
La BAB's brewery is physically installed within the château's buildings — in the courtyard, among the stone walls that have witnessed four centuries of Burgundian history. This is not a brewery in an industrial park; it is a brewery in a living wine estate, surrounded by the same vineyards, the same seasons, and the same microbial ecosystems that shape the wines of Château de Chamilly. The brewers draw their water from the same aquifers, breathe the same air, and observe the same lunar calendar as the winemakers. The result is a beer that is unmistakably Burgundian — not in imitation of wine, but in symbiosis with it.
The Grape Ale is the most direct expression of this symbiosis. Fermented with grape must from the estate's own vineyards — or from nearby organic growers in the Côte Chalonnaise — it is a beer-wine hybrid that carries the DNA of both worlds. The malt provides body and grainy complexity; the grape must provides acidity, fruit, and the specific mineral imprint of Burgundian limestone. It is a style that has ancient roots — grape ales were common in pre-industrial Europe — but that La BAB has revived with modern craft precision and organic rigour. For the brewers, the Grape Ale is not a gimmick; it is a philosophical statement: that beer and wine are two dialects of the same language, spoken by the same land.
Château de Chamilly is a 17th-century edifice built by Noël Bouton, lieutenant general of King Louis XIV's armies, on the foundations of a 14th-century fortified farm. The Desfontaine family acquired it in the early 19th century and has been its custodian ever since. In 1970, Louis Desfontaine converted the estate to full-time viticulture; in 1981, he married Véronique, and together they built the estate's reputation. Today, Véronique, Xavier, and Arnaud Desfontaine farm 32 hectares organically and biodynamically, producing Mercurey, Montagny, Bouzeron, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, and Bourgogne Chardonnay. For La BAB, the château is not merely a landlord but a creative partner — a place where the boundaries between brewing and winemaking dissolve in shared respect for terroir.
The Côte Chalonnaise is the stretch of Burgundy between the Côte de Nuits and the Mâconnais — less famous than its neighbours, but no less authentic. Here, the appellations of Mercurey, Montagny, Bouzeron, and Givry produce wines of honesty and precision from limestone and clay soils. For La BAB, this region is not a backdrop but a collaborator. The brewery's beers carry the same mineral freshness, the same continental climate, and the same agricultural rhythms as the wines of Château de Chamilly. The Côte Chalonnaise is a place where craft is valued over celebrity, and where a small brewery can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with great wine estates — not as an interloper, but as a kindred spirit.
Château de Chamilly transitioned to fully organic viticulture in 2021 and practices biodynamic farming across its 32 hectares. This commitment extends to La BAB's brewing philosophy: organic grains, organic hops, and organic grape must. No synthetic additives, no shortcuts, no industrial processes. The brewery shares the estate's respect for living soil, biodiversity, and the lunar calendar. This is not marketing; it is a shared agricultural ethic that binds the brewers and the winemakers in a common purpose: to produce fermented beverages that are honest, alive, and expressive of their specific place. For La BAB, organic brewing is not a trend but a necessity — the only way to honour the land on which they stand.
The Grape Ale is La BAB's signature creation and its most direct expression of the beer-wine complementarity philosophy. Fermented with grape must from Burgundian vineyards — either from Château de Chamilly or from nearby organic growers — it is a beer-wine hybrid that carries the DNA of both worlds. The malt provides body and grainy complexity; the grape must provides acidity, fruit, and the mineral imprint of limestone soils. This style has ancient European roots but has been revived by La BAB with modern craft precision. For the brewers, the Grape Ale is not a gimmick but a philosophical statement: that beer and wine are two dialects of the same language, spoken by the same land. It is the liquid bridge between the brewery and the vineyard.
Rigueur, Passion & the Organic Hand
La BAB's brewing philosophy is one of rigueur et passion — rigour and passion — the two words that define their approach to every batch. As wine lovers who became brewers, they bring to beer the same sensory expectations that guide their appreciation of wine: complexity, balance, terroir expression, and the ability to evolve in the glass. They do not brew to imitate industrial lagers or to chase trends; they brew to express the specific agricultural and microbial environment of Château de Chamilly — the water, the air, the yeast, and the grape must that make this place unique.
The brewing process is deliberately low-intervention and organic: organic grains, organic hops, natural fermentation, and no artificial additives. The brewery is small and artisanal, producing limited batches that are consumed locally and at the estate's open days, as well as distributed through a curated network of craft beer and natural wine specialists. The Grape Ale is the flagship — a beer-wine hybrid that changes with each vintage, reflecting the specific character of the grape must and the season. Other beers in the portfolio include a Blonde (a pale, refreshing ale), an IPA, and seasonal creations that experiment with local ingredients, herbs, and fermentation techniques.
What emerges is a portfolio of striking purity and Burgundian specificity. The Blonde is fresh, mineral, and digestible — a beer of terroir rather than a beer of generic refreshment. The Grape Ale is complex, acidic, and wine-like — a hybrid that challenges categorisation and rewards the same contemplative drinking as a good Aligoté or Montagny. The IPA is aromatic, hoppy, and expressive — but with a Burgundian restraint that prevents it from becoming a caricature of the style. All share a common thread: organic raw materials, natural fermentation, and a deep respect for the place in which they are made. This is brewing for truth, terroir, and the quiet dignity of the Côte Chalonnaise.
Rigueur, Passion & the Wine Lover's Covenant
The guiding principle of La BAB is that brewing is not a lesser art than winemaking — it is simply a different fermentation of the same land. The organic grains provide the same link to living soil as the organic grapes of Château de Chamilly. The natural yeast populations that drift between the vineyard and the brewery create a shared microbial ecosystem. The water from the Chamilly aquifer gives both beer and wine their mineral backbone. And the grape must in the Grape Ale is the literal bridge between the two worlds. The brewery is not a side project or a tourist attraction; it is a continuation of the estate's agricultural philosophy — a place where two wine-loving brewers apply the lessons of Burgundian terroir to produce beers that are unmistakably, quietly, defiantly Chamilly.
Grape Ale, Blonde, IPA & the Terroir Hand
The La BAB portfolio is a liquid map of Burgundian fermentation — each beer named for a specific style, a specific ingredient, or a specific philosophy, each bottle a document of the extraordinary agricultural environment that exists at Château de Chamilly. The beers span organic pale ales, hoppy IPAs, and the signature Grape Ale — a beer-wine hybrid fermented with grape must from the Côte Chalonnaise — all united by organic certification, natural fermentation, and a brewing philosophy that privileges terroir expression over industrial consistency. Production is small and artisanal — the brewery is a craft operation within a 32-hectare wine estate, and many batches are produced in limited quantities for local consumption, estate events, and curated distribution. The beers are available at Château de Chamilly's open days, at the Le BAB bar in Chalon-sur-Saône, and through a network of craft beer and natural wine specialists who understand that, in Burgundy, the grain and the grape are two sides of the same coin.
The Château, the Grape Ale & the Complementarity Hand
La BAB is not merely a brewery; it is a monument to the complementarity of beer and wine in the heart of Burgundy — a place where the 17th-century walls of Château de Chamilly echo with the sound of fermentation, where the Desfontaine family's 32 hectares of organic vines provide not just grapes but a philosophical model for brewing, and where two wine-loving partners have demonstrated that the most profound beers sometimes come from the same soil as the most profound wines. In an era when the craft beer world is increasingly dominated by industrial scale and flavour gimmicks, La BAB has shown that the best beer is made with the same patience, the same organic rigour, and the same respect for terroir as the best wine.
The legacy of La BAB is the legacy of the wine lover's hand in brewing. The two partners did not seek to create a beer empire; they sought to produce a bio beer of quality for a public adepte de bons vins — a public of wine lovers. They did not seek to compete with Château de Chamilly; they sought to complement it — to offer visitors a complete experience of Burgundian fermentation, from the Pinot Noir of Mercurey to the Grape Ale of the courtyard. Their presence at natural wine fairs alongside Château de Rougeon, Famille Puzelat, and Grégoire Kalt is not a category error; it is a category expansion — a reminder that the natural wine movement is not about grapes alone, but about a way of working with living materials that transcends the boundaries between wine and beer.
The future of the project is tied to the future of organic craft brewing in Burgundy — to the growing recognition that beer, like wine, is an agricultural product that deserves the same respect for terroir, the same commitment to organic farming, and the same rejection of industrial shortcuts. As the Grape Ale continues to prove that beer-wine hybrids can be wines of genuine complexity and pleasure, as the Blonde demonstrates that a pale ale can carry the mineral transparency of the Côte Chalonnaise, and as the IPA shows that hoppy beers can be Burgundian in their restraint, La BAB remains what its founders always intended it to be: a brasserie artisanale bio at Château de Chamilly — structured not by marketing or technology but by 17th-century stone, organic grain, grape must, mineral water, and the eternal reminder that beer and wine are not rivals but complements, and that the story of Burgundy is richer when both are told. The story of this brewery is the story of two wine lovers who looked at a vineyard and saw not just grapes, but possibility.
"La brasserie Bab est le fruit de l'association de deux associés, amateurs de bons vins, convaincus de la complémentarité de la bière et du vin."
— La BAB, Brasserie Artisanale de Bourgogne