The Fontaines Experimental Garden: A Project That Takes Time to Grow

As a reminder, La Ferme des Fontaines is not a separate estate. It is an integral part of Domaine Amirault—one family property where vineyards, biodiversity, market gardening and the transmission of knowledge come together.

Located between Touraine and Anjou, at the meeting point of two historic regions and two renowned wine-growing areas, La Ferme des Fontaines reflects the richness of this unique geographical setting. Here, two of the Loire Valley’s most emblematic grape varieties coexist: Cabernet Franc, the heart of our identity in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and Chenin Blanc, the iconic grape of Anjou, cultivated on our vineyards at La Ferme des Fontaines.

This singular location inspires our vision: a place where landscapes, traditions and cultures meet. A place where vineyards live alongside vegetable gardens, meadows, orchards and natural habitats, embracing a holistic approach to the living world.

A Garden to Reconnect People with Nature

The Fontaines Experimental Garden is envisioned as a place for discovery, experimentation and knowledge sharing.

A human-scale garden where visitors can slow down, observe the rhythms of nature, understand the journey of food from seed to plate, rediscover the authentic flavours of plants, and reconnect with the land in a more meaningful way.

It is imagined as a place open to every generation—where elders could pass on their knowledge and memories, children could discover the patience required by nature, and everyone could experience the simple joy of watching things grow, blossom, ripen and finally be harvested.

Because a garden is never simply a place of production.

It is also a place of connection, education, sharing and wonder.

A Living, Experimental and Generous Garden

The name “Experimental Garden” reflects our ambition: to experiment, observe, learn and pass knowledge on.

Rather than reproducing an existing model, we want to create a unique garden that belongs to this specific place, shaped by its history and its environment.

A garden where one day you might find:

• fruit trees forming the backbone of the landscape, valued for their blossom, shade and harvests;
• berry bushes and shrubs;
• heirloom and forgotten varieties;
• table grapes and vine varieties grown for purposes other than winemaking;
• aromatic, medicinal and dye plants;
• edible flowers;
• perennial vegetables and self-seeding plants;
• experimental plots exploring new plant combinations and ecological interactions.

Water would naturally play a central role.

The name “Les Fontaines” (“The Springs”) is no coincidence. It already tells the story of the site’s intimate relationship with water: natural springs, streams, ditches and historic water networks. Water would become the common thread of a visitor’s journey, helping to explain both the landscape and the history that shaped it.

A Project Designed to Welcome, Inspire and Share

In time, the garden could become the setting for many activities:

• educational workshops about plants, biodiversity and food;
• discovery programmes for schools and families;
• tasting experiences centred around flavour and seasonality;
• plant propagation workshops;
• demonstrations of traditional and modern plant transformations;
• peaceful spaces where visitors can reconnect with nature;
• inspiring green settings for groups, seminars and special events.

A place where people could learn, exchange ideas, taste, breathe and simply reconnect.

A place that naturally extends the philosophy we strive to cultivate every day at Domaine Amirault: caring for living ecosystems, understanding our environment and sharing the values that inspire our work.

A Vision That Requires Time… and Investment

Today, we also want to share the reality of this project with complete transparency.

The Fontaines Experimental Garden remains, for now, a vision in progress—a project we deeply believe in, but one whose realization must wait for more favourable circumstances.

Our priority today is to dedicate all our energy to what sustains the estate every day: our vineyards, our wines, our biodynamic farming practices, our customers, our partners, our business and, above all, the remarkable team whose dedication brings Domaine Amirault to life.

A wine estate is, first and foremost, a human adventure.

Before embarking on new developments, it is essential to strengthen what already exists, preserve our balance and continue moving forward responsibly.

Restoring Our Heritage: An Essential First Step

The Experimental Garden is also closely linked to another major undertaking: the restoration of the historic buildings at La Ferme des Fontaines.

These remarkable buildings are an invaluable part of our heritage, but restoring them requires considerable investment.

Until they have been carefully renovated and are able to welcome visitors under the best possible conditions, we believe it would be difficult to fully develop the garden and all the educational, cultural and experiential activities it could eventually host.

The garden and its historic buildings are inseparable.

One gives meaning to the other, and together they could one day tell a new chapter in the story of La Ferme des Fontaines.

Knowing When to Wait in Order to Build Well

Some projects first need to put down deep roots before they can truly flourish.

The Fontaines Experimental Garden is one of those long-term visions. It has not been abandoned—it is simply maturing.

Our ambition remains unchanged: to create a place dedicated to biodiversity, transmission, discovery and meaningful encounters.

Perhaps one day, thanks to the commitment of partners who share this vision—patrons, private companies, public institutions and organisations dedicated to preserving heritage, biodiversity and education—this dream will be able to grow into something even greater.

Until then, we remain fully committed to what matters most today: our land, our vineyards, our wines, and the women and men whose passion brings Domaine Amirault to life every single day.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Finally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to Patrick Genty, our gardener, poet and long-standing source of inspiration.

Patrick created the Garden of Aromas, which today welcomes visitors to Clos des Quarterons, and he is also the visionary behind the concept of the Experimental Garden.

Through his sensitive understanding of the plant world, his remarkable botanical knowledge and his ability to connect heritage, biodiversity and transmission, Patrick has enriched our reflections for many years and continues to inspire the future of this project.

Some dreams simply need time before they bloom.

But above all, they need women and men capable of nurturing them long before they become reality.

Thank you, Patrick, for patiently and generously planting the seeds of a future that we are convinced will continue to inspire the story of La Ferme des Fontaines.

After all, just like a vineyard, the finest projects often need time to develop deep roots before revealing the full beauty of their fruits. 🍃