Karim Vionnet

About Karim Vionnet

“Sex, Rock & Gamay,” a phrase on Karim Vionnet’s t-shirt, which unintentionally made a much larger statement about its wearer. Karim exudes an unapologetic, forthright, carefree spirit which manifests itself in various ways, including his wine. He drives three cars, none of them French. He owns three motorcycles but does not have a driver’s license. He is a fan of the heavy metal band AC/DC. He liberally sprinkles conversations with f-bombs. He has a weakness for beer.

But that attitude may have been indispensable for Karim’s success in the wine world. Karim was raised in Morgon, having been adopted by Marie and Josef Vionnet as a baby (he amusedly acknowledges the biblical parallel). He is of North African descent, a fact of little consequence locally; but it was a complicating factor when he started his winery because he was advised that use of his ethnic first name on labels would limit sales. He initially capitulated but quickly embraced his full identity and reverted to “Karim.”

Karim’s path has been lined with luminaries of the French winemaking world. He did not grow up in a winemaking family, but he was friends with the nephew of Marcel Lapierre since childhood. At the age of 10, he started working in the vineyards to make some pocket money. After service as a French paratrooper and a short stint as a baker, Karim worked for Jean Foillard. He has also trained under Guy Breton. Karim was granted a rare opportunity to farm a vineyard parcel owned by Jules Chauvet, father of the French natural wine movement, which is the basis for his “Du Beur Dans Les Pinards” Beaujolais-Villages. From his experiences around these winemakers, he knew from the time he decided to go into winemaking that he wanted to make his wines naturally. He started his own brand in 2006.

When Karim decided he wanted to start making wine, he realized it was impossible for him to find land, so he found parcels to source fruit from and leased space for which he could use to produce his wines. Today, he grows most of the fruit for his wines himself. He oversees the organic farming and vinification of 12 acres (5ha) around Beaujolais, most of which are home to 40 to 60-year-old vines. Karim’s vineyards are all bush vines. He prunes by hand because he loves clipping but relies on a tractor for turning soil and spraying on organic treatments. He is working to convince the growers who he purchases some fruit from to convert to organic farming.

Karim utilizes full carbonic maceration in fermentation, and he does not use oak barrels on any of his wines except for his Fleurie and Chiroubles. To ensure that his wines can be safely made with only a minimum amount of added sulphur, Karim keeps his tanks airtight during fermentation and maturation, only releasing the carbon dioxide moments before bottling. He feels that this, coupled with careful natural temperature control, preserves the fruit and purity of his Gamay grapes. Unnecessary intervention, both in the vineyard and during fermentation, are avoided, emphasizing high quality and terroir driven wines.

Many of Karim’s labels were designed by friend Michel Tolmer, author of the highly regarded wine tasting comic strip “Mimi, Fifi & Glouglou.” Another (for his Chiroubles) was conceived one night at a bar.

Karim’s passion for honest winemaking and his love for Beaujolais is evident in his hands-on approach to every aspect of his business, showing his commitment to producing the best wine he can.