Vinzelles: Vineyards, Wine Culture and Architectural History

Vinzelles is shaped by winegrowing, Romanesque architecture and washhouses. These themes give your stay different focuses: the Église Saint-Georges represents religious architecture, the Pouilly-Vinzelles appellation is set in a distinctive wine-growing landscape, and the Les trois châteaux walking route passes through vineyards. You can tailor your trip to wine, architectural history or a walking route.

Church and Châteaux: Architectural History in Vinzelles

The Église Saint-Georges dates from the early 12th century and is a Romanesque building. The Domaine du château de Layé et du Vieux-Château comprises two châteaux: one dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, while the second, Château de Layé, was built in the 13th century. The church and châteaux therefore represent different medieval building periods. It is worth distinguishing the Romanesque church from the two châteaux: both the construction period and architectural style are specified for the church, while the centuries in which each château was built are highlighted.

Washhouses and Wine-Growing Landscape

The village’s features also include four washhouses: Les Pétaux, Buliat, Méziat and le lavoir du Bourg. All four are fed by local springs. Their names refer to individual washhouses; their shared water supply from springs is what connects them. They add another aspect to the village’s architectural history: its washhouses and their place in the local water landscape.

The Pouilly-Vinzelles appellation covers 50 hectares of an east-facing slope. The soils are clay-limestone and lie over Jurassic rocks. The aspect, subsoil and area describe the region in specific terms and connect the appellation name with a distinct landscape profile. Vinzelles is also known for its white wines made from the Chardonnay grape.

Another area figure refers to 30 hectares where Mâcon-Vinzelles, Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-Blanc and Crémant de Bourgogne are produced. The two figures refer to different things: 50 hectares for the Pouilly-Vinzelles appellation, and 30 hectares for the production of the four other wines. If you take a closer look at the wine-growing landscape, keep these figures separate rather than adding them together to obtain a total area.

Wine Tradition and Walking Route

The Cave de Vinzelles-Loché was founded in 1929 as an association of winegrowers from the neighboring villages of Vinzelles and Loché. Its founding story therefore involves winegrowers from both villages. The Cave offers a free immersive virtual tour of the wine cellar. If you plan to include this in your trip, please check availability before you travel.

The Les trois châteaux walking route passes through vineyards. It is 5.3 kilometers long, takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, is classed as easy, and has an elevation gain of 132 meters. Together, the distance, approximate walking time, difficulty rating and elevation gain give a more complete picture of the route than distance alone. Route details may be updated, so check them again before setting off.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Sennecey-Le-Grand, Demigny, Gigny-Sur-Saône, Morey, Anost, Vers, Coublanc, La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur

For the main travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.