Romain
des GrottesDomaine des Grottes
Neo-rural vigneron since 2002. Zero-added-sulfite Beaujolais from radical vineyards where half the rows have been uprooted for biodiversity. Creator of the iconic Brut de Cuve and the cult non-alcoholic L'Antidote.
From Paris to Beaujolais—liberated wines since 2002
Romain des Grottes is a neo-rural vigneron who landed in Beaujolais almost by accident. Born and raised in the Paris region, he met his wife Perrine and completed business school before his grandfather offered him a chance to manage part of the family vineyards at Château de Lacarelle in Saint-Étienne-des-Oullières.
In 2001, seeking roots in the countryside for his young family rather than urban life, Romain took over 6.5 hectares under lease. His first vintage in 2002 produced three cuvées—one for aging and two primeurs. Initially selling bulk wine to négociants while experimenting with sulfur-free "pure juice" bottles, he found his path when a merchant abandoned him in 2004, unable to handle wines so alive and unformatted.
Since 2005, every wine has been made with zero added sulfites, native yeasts, and no filtration. Certified organic and Demeter biodynamic since 2006 under the Nature & Progrès label, the domaine represents a radical vision of agriculture—diverse, experimental, and deeply connected to the granitic terroir of southern Beaujolais.
Un Jardin dans les Vignes—a garden in the vines
Romain's approach defies conventional viticulture. In 2003, noticing that a parcel where he'd uprooted vines performed better during catastrophic vintages, he began removing every other row across the entire domaine. Vine density dropped from 10,000-12,000 plants per hectare to roughly 5,000, with cereals planted in the spaces between.
"Yield per hectare doesn't mean anything anymore," Romain argues. "We should be talking about yield per plant. And then there's the yield for the work—this is not just more mechanizable, it's more human, too."
The vineyards are maintained with permanent grass cover—a wilderness that would make traditional vignerons blanch. Instead of copper treatments, Romain prefers herbal teas and fermented plant extracts. Since 2012, the domaine has shared its land with a biodynamic market gardener under the name "Un Jardin dans les Vignes"—a garden in the vines.
- 50% rows removed
- Zero added sulfites
- Herbal teas > copper
- Hybrid varieties
- Biodiversity corridors
- Hand-harvested
Brut de Cuve, Pet-Nats, and experimental cuvées
Romain's wines are characterized by four elements: fruit, acidity, bubbles, and low alcohol. His signature is bottling wines incredibly young—as primeurs—yet they possess an uncanny ability to age and evolve in bottle, gaining complexity while losing their initial volatility.
Brut de Cuve
Beaujolais-VillagesThe iconic cuvée that defines the domaine. Bottled essentially as a primeur after just 6-8 days semi-carbonic maceration and one month élevage. Angular and acid-driven in youth, it settles into something composed and remarkable with age. The 2005 vintage—his first sulfur-free year—remains vibrant and complex today.
Whole cluster, native yeast
Zero added SO2
Bottled unfiltered with residual CO2
Un Petit Coin de Paradis
Off-Dry SparklingMade from the first-pass harvest grapes—removed ten days before the main harvest to concentrate the remaining bunches. These early grapes are pressed immediately and fermented as a low-alcohol, slightly sweet pet-nat. Undisgorged, alive, and perfect for breakfast.
~6% alcohol
Off-dry, undisgorged
High acidity, apple-skin freshness
Amphoré
ExperimentalRomain experiments with Georgian qvevri buried in sand and Spanish amphorae with flat bottoms. These vessels offer a different expression of gamay—more textured, earthier, and constantly evolving as he learns to work with these ancient containers.
Extended skin contact
No added sulfites
Extremely limited quantities
Sumibu
Importer Cuvée (Holland)A "tisane" style wine created for Jan Van Roekel—half whole-cluster grapes, half fresh press juice, macerated together. The name comes from the Amsterdam rap group SMIB, pronounced with a Japanese accent. Peony-colored, vivacious, and wildly enjoyable.
Co-fermentation style
~10.5% alcohol
Exclusive micro-cuvée
Truc de Buve
Vin de FranceAn anagram of Brut de Cuve—"thing to drink." Born in 2018 when abundant harvests allowed two tanks of the same wine, picked and pressed a day apart. Light, juicy, fruity, and alive with just 10.8% alcohol. The epitome of glou-glou.
10.8% alcohol
Sans sulfites ajoutés
Glou-glou style
Future Hybrids
Disease-ResistantLooking toward climate adaptation, Romain experiments with hybrid grape varieties that resist spring frosts and high temperatures better than traditional gamay. These represent the next step for organic farming—less intervention, more resilience.
Experimental plots
Climate adaptation
Future releases
L'Antidote
The accidental phenomenon that outsells the wine. Created in 2010 as a non-alcoholic option for Romain to drink while staying clear-headed and to share with his children, L'Antidote has become a cult beverage across Paris, Copenhagen, and London.
A blend of Gamay juice, apple, ginger, and botanicals from the vineyards—herbs, flowers, and artemisias. Carbonated and tunnel-pasteurized to preserve delicate aromatics. Described as "the gamay version of root beer."
"I found it a compelling thought to blend the juice with the native flora. I just can't believe it."
— Romain des Grottes on L'Antidote's success