Our Story   

LaVance wines promise more than the partnering of quality grapes and craftsmanship. Every wine also contains the spirit and passion of our founder – Dr. Christophe LaVance.

A graduate of London’s famous Oxford University School of Medicine, Christophe LaVance
discovered winemaking while travelling through Europe in the late 1899’s. Fascinated by wine’s medicinal benefits, he devoted much of his time to learning the skilful craft.

Concerned by the near-poisonous hard spirits of the early colonies, Christophe LaVance became
even more devoted to the social and medicinal benefits of quality wines. With a successful medical
practice behind him, he was soon able to turn his attention to winemaking and in 1908 he had planted his first vineyard on his 330-acre property Touraine region of the Loire Valley of East-Central France. There, in the rich soils of Touraine, he planted Chenin Blanc, Merlot and Shiraz grapevines and set about building a winery and cellar.

From the outset Christophe LaVance’s winemaking philosophy was to craft wines for everyday enjoyment. This meant cellaring wines and not releasing them for sale until they had properly matured so that consumers could enjoy the wines immediately. This philosophy soon earned Christophe LaVance a reputation for producing wines of the highest quality and in 1928 he began exporting LaVance Signature Chardonnay to the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1930’s Dr Christophe LaVance exhibited his wines extensively and by 1932 LaVance Signature Chardonnay gained international recognition at the 1933 International Exhibition in London and the 1937 Paris Exhibition.

Sadly in May 1960, aged 79, Dr Christophe LaVance passed away at his Touraine homestead. The three sons continued the family business and in 1961, a year after Christophe’s death, LaVance won its first major international award at Bordeaux for Cuvee Speciale L’OPPIDUM.

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