GUILLAUME OVERNOY
Beaufort-Orbagna
Jura
In 2014, Guillaume Overnoy, great-nephew of the legendary Pierre Overnoy, took over from his father Jean-Louis, who had founded the domaine back in 1982. Since then, he has converted the 5.5ha estate to organic farming and shifted the focus away from crémant and vins sous voile in favour of fresher, topped-up white wines.
In 2017, he also embarked on an exciting new venture in brewing. This came as a form of diversification following the devastating frost of that year, when the domaine lost around 90% of its own production.
The small-scale brewery, launched together with two other local winemakers, focuses on using regional cereals and often inoculating with the domaine own grape lees, producing beers that not only show distinctive character but also remain deeply rooted in their terroir.
Biére Blanche, Brise Glace
Ingredients Water, Malted Barley, Malted Wheat, Hops, Savagnin Lees
ABV 3.9%
Production Produced in a tiny converted cowshed brewery in the Jura, using a mash of roughly 50% malted barley and 50% malted wheat from the Franche-Comté region, it is boiled with only modest hops, then fermenting the cooled wort not just with brewer’s yeast but also with Savagnin lees from his cellar, whose native yeasts and microflora impart the beer’s distinctive vinous character, before conditioning at low alcohol, bottling in 330ml format, and releasing it as an organic, crisp, citrus-tinged blanche that echoes the freshness of Jura wines.
Tasting Notes Chamomile, hay, hint citrus, jasmine and toast.