The 500-year-old Domaine de Chambord offers a blend of nature and architecture. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and an iconic feature of the French landscape, the estate is constantly reinventing itself and working for a better planet while safeguarding its heritage.

Chambord boasts a biodiversity that can be found nowhere else, and the estate is now keen to establish itself as a front-line player in the ecological transition. In concrete terms, this means conserving traditional species and undertaking research into sustainable development and a project to set up a diversified farm with permaculture vegetable gardens on six hectares at the foot of the monument. The aim of these various initiatives is to raise awareness among the public – especially the very young – through a series of events and workshops on the theme of our natural and architectural heritage. Visitors are also invited to take up the role of “locavores” throughout their visit to the estate – in other words, only eating products made in situ.

In line with this eco-responsible approach, a 14-hectare vineyard using integrated techniques has been created on the Ormetrou farm, based on this same idea of heritage conservation. Historic grape varieties have been re-introduced to this enormous plot that is less than two kilometres from the château. The grapes here are harvested by hand to produce and bottle the estate’s wines on the site. There are two cuvées: a single-varietal white made from Romorantin grapes, which is soon to have AOP recognition, and a red AOP made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay.

The old buildings of the much-vaunted hamlet of Ormetrou have also been spruced up. There is now a permanent wine storehouse with an incredible view of the château, where receptions and wine tastings will be held in 2022. The redevelopment also includes the gîte known as La Hannetière, the latest edition to the estate’s accommodation package, which already boasts three other gîtes: La Salamandre, Le Cerf and La Gabillière. Visitors may also opt for a stay at the 4* hotel Le Relais de Chambord, which has a spa and bistronomic restaurant showcasing products from the Domaine de Chambord.

Would you like to take this wonderful experience a stage further? Anyone adopting a vine will receive a batch of bottles at a preferential rate together with a nameplate and an adoption certificate!