Rio Salado in Algeria : our Roots
The BOUR name originates from the Lorraine region. Our ancestor, Christophe BOUR, left his native village of Lening in Moselle at a young age to join the army and set off for Algeria in 1846. After 10 years of service, he was granted a land concession in Tlemcen, in northwest Algeria. His grandson, Paul, later settled in Rio Salado, a village renowned for its winemaking tradition, where he married Mathilde ROSELLO, who came from a Spanish winemaking family. Later, their son, Henri BOUR, married Odette ORSERO, of Italian and Provençal descent, who also came from a family in the wine business. Wine runs through all the roots of the BOUR family tree!
Arrival in the Drôme region
The BOUR family, now winegrowers for several generations, returned to France after the Independence of Algeria and settled in the Drôme Provençale region. In 1964, determined to pursue their vocation, they acquired Domaine de Grangeneuve in Roussas, a property that consisted of little more than oak woods and a few hectares of cereals. But Henri BOUR Sr. had set his sights on a terroir of remarkable quality. For many years, Grangeneuve was the site of a major groundwork project: clearing woodland, breaking up compacted soil, ploughing, deep soil cleaning … until the final goal was achieved – the planting of vines. But it would be another three years before the first harvest, and even longer before the grapes delivered their true quality potential.
Odette and Henri BOUR
Odette and Henri BOUR eventually built their own winery in 1974. They had originally intended to sell all their wine in bulk to négociants, but soon began bottling part of their production to have the fruits of their labour better appreciated. Encouraged by the positive reception the bottled wines received, they decided to continue down this route. As time went by, the BOUR family stepped up its commercial activities, taking part in wine fairs in France and abroad, welcoming visitors to the Domaine and developing direct sales to wine shops and restaurants.
Henri Sr. passed away in 1980, leaving his wife Odette, then 72, to continue the work they had begun together. With the support of her three daughters, she continued to develop Grangeneuve with dedication, tenacity and talent. She ran Grangeneuve until 1998, when their son Henri joined the Domaine to take over the reins.
Henri BOUR (Jr.) :
Recognition
After an extensive career with France’s leading wine and spirits group, Henri Bour (Jr.) took over the Domaine in 1998, fulfilling a promise made to his parents. This was the start of a new chapter in the BOUR story, which included the development of oak barrel ageing for the red wines, the planting of white grape varieties, and the creation of a comprehensive range of wines, including Côtes du Rhône. Now more than ever, every decision would be guided by a commitment to quality. The reputation of the Domaine and the recognition of the quality of Grangeneuve wines grew steadily, driven by a clearly defined and consistently executed strategy. With Nathalie, Henri’s eldest daughter, joining the Domaine in the late 2000s, the third generation is now proudly upholding the family legacy.
Nathalie BOUR : the third generation
With a background in luxury goods, export and marketing, Nathalie joined her family on the Domaine and became the third generation to continue the Domaines BOUR adventure. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to develop the wine range, both in terms of its presentation and overall direction. With the organoleptic knowledge she acquired in the perfume industry, and with cooking as part of her family culture, she already had all the ingredients she needed to succeed.
Today, her daughters Emma and Paola are already actively involved in the busy life of the Domaine.