History - Domaine du Petit Pérou

Jean Thevenet 1886 – 1958

The 4 hectares of Morgon were cultivated directly, vinified by Jean Thévenet, and sold to wine wholesalers.
The 4.5 hectares in Brouilly in the commune of Quincié were worked by a share-cropper; Jean Thévenet’s half share of the harvest was also sold to the wine wholesalers.

Jean Thévenet worked his property through two Wars. Under these conditions, it was very difficult to expand the operation. Life was hard. The families found it hard to make a living. Vine diseases (mildew/oidium), frost, and hail made it impossible to produce enough to live on. This was the time of cows, horses, pigs, chickens, rabbits, etc. The estate included fields for feeding the whole little farm.

Henri Thevenet 1920 – 1991

He did not feel the vocation to be a wine-grower. But the War put an end to his studies in pharmacy. After the War, he took over managing the Domaine du Petit Pérou in the late 1940s.

The 4.5 hectares of Brouilly were sold to the share-cropper who had been working them for a long time.
Naturally, Henri Thévenet, an only child, inherited the whole of the vineyards in the Morgon appellation, to which was added the inheritance from his parents-in-law, and some land bought up within the Morgon appellation. The property grew to 12 hectares. Around ten of these in the Morgon appellation and two in Beaujolais.

Henri Thévenet was a pioneer in bottle sales direct from the estate. Not really interested in working the vineyards, but a good manager, he passed on a property in a sound state, with already good potential for bottle sales. The property was divided between his three children.

Roger Thevenet 1948

Forty years of presence on the property, including thirty years selling into Paris and its suburbs.
The slump in sales in the 1970s forced him to follow the example of people from Auvergne in earlier times and go out and sell his own wine.
He built up a very good customer base. Supplier of Morgon to the best wine bars in Paris.
By 1977, inheritances meant he only had 3.5 hectares of vineyards left. The Domaine du Petit Pérou had to be rebuilt. In 1985 it grew to owning 10 hectares following various purchases with Laurent.
Since 1995, the whole of the production has been sold bottled. It’s hard to leave behind what you love, so despite retiring, he continues to play an active part at Domaine du Petit Pérou.

Laurent Thevenet 1969

Following his studies in wine-growing and œnology at the Avize wine-growing college in the Champagne region, Laurent came back to work with his father at Domaine du Petit Pérou.
After more than ten years of experience, he took over managing the property in 2005.

The Domaine has expanded and diversified.
The 18 hectares of producing vineyards grow a majority of Morgon, on 10 hectares, some white, through planting of the Chardonnay grape variety in 2003, some Beaujolais on around 2.5 hectares, and the latest newcomer, the “Syrah Désir”, following planting of the Syrah grape variety, on sale since the 2016 harvest.

The profession of wine-grower has changed enormously. While also managing the work in the vineyards, Laurent is most often out delivering in the Paris region, as well as other regions of France. In this way, we meet our customers and win their loyalty, with whom we forge links of friendship.

Hugo Thevenet 1995

Finished his studies in 2015. Vocational Diploma in Vineyards and Wine, then Higher Technical Diploma in Technical Sales for Wines & Spirits.

He started very young and is determined to perpetuate the values of the Domaine. In order to direct, organize, command, you need to be able to set an example, and hence pass through all the stages of the work on the estate.

Commerce is his passion, but the work in the vineyards is also very important to him. To produce a quality wine, you need healthy grapes. Hugo has taken up the torch of ploughing the estate’s vineyards; he looks after ploughing of all the Domaine’s land.