FRANÇOIS DHUMES, Auvergne

After finishing his enology studies in Burgundy, Francois Dhumes spent five years working for a few traditional estates in the Rhone. During this experience, however, he realized the more he learned about conventional winemaking the less interested he became.

He decided to move back to his native Auvergne, where he met winemakers like Vincent Tricot, Patrick Bouju, and Stephane Majeune. He started to learn from them and develop a real understanding of how to make wine with no additives and a little sulphur at bottling.

Today, Francois leads a simple life in the mountains of Auvergne working his 3ha of vines on volcanic slopes. He grows Gamay and Chardonnay, and still spends time working for Tricot and Bouju to earn money to expand his estate.

As of 2013 he own 3ha of vines and produces 5,000 bottles of wine.