Since May 2024, this 18th-century building has been hosting corporate seminars and other events in the heart of the Mâcon vineyards. A sign of the boom in wine tourism in Saône-et-Loire.
Just 15 minutes from Mâcon and 55 minutes from Lyon, Pauline Boussac has set up the project of a lifetime. For two years, this former marketing manager for major groups such as Elior and Compass nurtured the idea of an "event property", which finally saw the light of day in May 2024 in Leynes, a wine-growing community of 500 inhabitants nestled in the south of Burgundy. Situated close to the Saint-Véran appellation and not far from the Beaujolais crus, this 18th-century building has been awarded 5 stars by Atout France, making it the first meublé in Saône-et-Loire to earn this precious
stars.
A connoisseur of the region, Pauline Boussac was seduced by the tourism potential around wine and gastronomy. I've been a fan of Mâconnais and Beaujolais wines for a long time," she says, "and I wanted to showcase them to the customers we'd be accompanying. Since its opening, the venue has welcomed a dozen business clients, including teams from Danone, Granini, ITT and Obione, a Mâcon-based company specializing in animal welfare. "Seminars last an average of two days, and forms are flexible. Some companies prefer to come by the day," explains the founder.
the founder.
A strong gastronomic base
To develop her business, Pauline Boussac has built up a network of around thirty partners in the world of wine and gastronomy. 15 winegrowers, including 8 from the village of Leynes, introduce visitors to their wines and estates. "These are houses that don't necessarily open their doors to individuals," explains the venue's manager. Sommeliers and chefs are also available to lead wine tastings and offer catering services. Last but not least, local artists are invited to perform for companies or individuals who wish to do so.
Still in its infancy, Pauline Boussac's project is thinking bigger. "Eventually, I'd like to build a cultural hub to enable artists to come for residencies, for example, and meet people who wouldn't normally cross their paths, such as local residents or businesses. My aim is also to maintain the village's dynamism, as it's one of the few villages to have managed to keep its local shops," she says.
A dynamic sector
With her business, Pauline Boussac hopes to capitalize on the wine tourism trend. In Burgundy-Franche-Comté, over 800 service providers have been awarded the "Vignobles et découvertes" label, including 145 in Saône-et-Loire. This structuring has benefited historic Beaujolais institutions such as the Hameau Duboeuf, a museum managed by the Georges Duboeuf estate, whose attendance has doubled between 2021 and 2023, to 88,776. Meanwhile, the Cité des climats et des vins de Bourgogne in Mâcon, due to open in 2023, welcomed 7,000 visitors in one year.
