Le Chai Saint Olive, a winery in the heart of Lyon

Unusual winemakers came to visit Charlois facilities in Murlin. Grégoire and Franck Saint Olive have established Lyon’s first urban winery, in the heart of the city’s 6th arrondissement. An unusual place where they make their own wines from grapes purchased from neighbouring winegrowers. A winery in the city, offering a different approach to wine.

Brothers Grégoire and Franck Saint Olive are passionate about wine, terroirs and the world of winemaking in general, yet they are city dwellers. They came up with the idea of bringing these two worlds together by creating a winery right in the centre of Lyon.

Grégoire and Franck embarked on their adventure in 2014, when they created the Saint Olive Frères® brand. “When we started out, we made and bottled our wines directly at our partner producers’ wineries,” explains Grégoire. “Then we wanted to take things further. We came up with the idea of creating our own winery, the first in Lyon.”

The Chai Saint Olive was born in 2020. Marie Ody joined them as cellar master, bringing with her experience gained at an urban winery in Paris.

“We are winemakers without vineyards. None of us comes from a winemaking family, and we do not own an estate. What brings us together is our passion for wine and the way it is made.”

It is a passion they wanted to share with as wide an audience as possible. “In creating Chai Saint Olive, our ambition is to reconnect consumers with wine by keeping things simple, explaining them simply, and perhaps doing things differently. Our approach is educational and aimed at as many people as possible. Wine is not just a matter for experts or specialists. We are among those who believe that you can help people appreciate things by explaining how they are made and showing them the process with complete transparency.”

Demonstrating through example

At Chai Saint Olive, they make wine, but that is not all. Throughout the year, the Chai team organises events centred around the world of wine, including blending workshops, conferences and seminars. “The venue is, of course, open to the public, and it can also be privately hired for events. Everything takes place at the Chai, where we receive the grape juice, make the wine, bottle it and, of course, taste it.”

The premises extend over two levels. On the ground floor, there are stainless steel tanks, a terracotta amphora and around a dozen oak barrels from Tonnellerie Ermitage.

“We are firm believers in the use of oak to age our wines. It brings an extra dimension, finesse on the palate and a diversity of aromas depending on the toast level. This is what we explain to our visitors and customers. Each of our wines, even when made from the same vintage and grape variety, is aged both in oak barrels (cuvée 812) and in stainless steel tanks (cuvée 480), and we offer both for tasting. The difference is noticeable, even for beginners.”

At the source

“Coming here to Murlin is meaningful for our educational approach to wine and winemaking,” explains Marie, cellar master. “Oak is a major element in our winemaking process. By coming here, we discovered what goes on behind the scenes, from the forest to the barrel, including the production of stave wood. It is magical to see everything brought together in one place. We have gained knowledge here that will allow us to enrich what we share during visits and tastings. We will be able to talk even more knowledgeably about oak, the importance of its origins, the choice of grain and toast level, and the work of the cooper.”

For Franck, who is responsible for events at the Chai: “We do not come from the wine world. We are simply passionate about it to begin with. We learn a little more every day about wine and its world. Discovering cooperage in such conditions is unique. The forest is the icing on the cake. These are all things we will be able to add to what we already share during the visits we organise at Chai Saint Olive.”

Le Chai Saint-Olive 
34, rue Malesherbes
69 006 Lyon
French wines and local grape varieties
Five grape varieties: Syrah and Gamay for the reds, Chardonnay, Viognier and Marsanne for the whites.
Around ten cuvées, including:
La 480 (the length of the Saône in kilometres): aged in stainless steel tanks
La 812 (the length of the Rhône in kilometres): aged in oak barrels
More information here: https://chaisaintolive.com/