Fougère family,
owner since 1936

Michel Fougère and Marie-Cécile are the managers of the Château de Crain winery.

They are assisted by Annie, Michel’s wife and Pierre-Antoine, Marie-Cécile’s son. Michel and Annie are in charge of the winery management whereas Marie-Cécile and Pierre-Antoine are in charge of vineyard and wine management.

 

Michel et Annie Fougère

Agricultural engineer (Paris-Grignon, France)

 

Marie-Cécile Fougère

Doctor in Pharmacy, intern of the Poitiers Hospital

 

Pierre-Antoine Coperet Fougère

Student at Purpan ingeneer school : agriculture ingeneer

The history of the
Château de Crain

XIIIth century

The origins

The name of Crain appears for the first time in 1290, in a transaction made by the monks of the Sauve-Majeure abbey about the watermill of Crain.

Today only ruins of this mill remain, at the junction of two small rivers canalized by stone walls and surrounding the Château.

XVth and XVIth centuries

Segur and de Mellet Families

After Bertrand de Segur came his son Jean de Segur, and his grandson Bertrand de Segur, still alive in 1458, Eymeric de Segur and Gaston de Segur who in 1518 was named Lord of Crain and Lord of Francs. Then the traces of the Segur family vanish, and in 1536, Crain belongs to Louis de Mellet, Lord of Rochemores and his wife Guyonne de Chassaignes.

XIXth century

Darieux and Seignan Families

When the revolutionnary troubles disappeared, Bernard Brice Darieux, real estate agent in Bordeaux, bought the Château, and his son Germain Maurice Darieux sold it in 1845 to Auguste Seignan, wine trader in Bordeaux.

He rearranged the Château, and this restoration masqued nearly totally the medieval age parts that could have been visible from the outside.

Today

Fougère family

After the different Barbier inheritance, it is now Michel Fougere, Maurice Barbier grandson, his wife Annie and his two daughters Anne and Marie-Cécile who own Château de Crain.

XIVth century

Daylan and Segur Families

An act of 1342 testifies the origin of the Château de Crain. At this date, the King of England Edouard III requests Bernard Daylan to enforce his people to carry stone and wood materials necessary for the reparation of his fortress of Crain located in the Entre-Deux-Mers district, and partially destroyed during the battles between French and English armies.

The Château de Crain then became the property of the Segur family, whom members were named Lords of Crain. The first of them was Bertrand de Segur in 1361.

XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries

De Belcier and Ducasse Families

Crain then belongs to the de Belcier, a rich family of Bordeaux parliament deputy who owned Crain until the French Revolution, and who liked to be named "de Belcier de Crain". The last member of the family, François de Belcier, was decapitated in 1789. The Château was then sold as a National asset the "17 floreal an V".

The domain of 279 journaux, including 94 journaux of vineyards, consisted in "a château, with its cellars, vats, and other exploitation buildings, gardens, water mill, Noulet share cropped farm, vines, meadows and land...". The whole was sold to Mister Ducasse.

XXth century

De Raynal, Barbier, Fougere Families

Auguste Seignan daughter, Marie Marguerite Seignan, known as Madame de Raynal, legated Crain to his son Georges Urbain de Raynal. He sold Crain in 1936 to Maurice Barbier, mushroom grower in Angouleme, who wanted to use the old stone carry under the Château for the culture of the Paris mushroom.

During WorldWar II, Crain was used as a headquarter by the German army, and some traces of the stay are still visible, such as names of German officers painted on the doors of a dining room.
After the War, the traditional wine making activity and the Paris mushrooms production in the stone carry occupied up to 50 people at Crain.

The mushroom activity stopped in 1981. In 1985, the wines of Crain started to be sold under the Château de Crain label directly at the Château.

XIIIth century

The origins

The name of Crain appears for the first time in 1290, in a transaction made by the monks of the Sauve-Majeure abbey about the watermill of Crain.

Today only ruins of this mill remain, at the junction of two small rivers canalized by stone walls and surrounding the Château.

XIVth century

Daylan and Segur Families

An act of 1342 testifies the origin of the Château de Crain. At this date, the King of England Edouard III requests Bernard Daylan to enforce his people to carry stone and wood materials necessary for the reparation of his fortress of Crain located in the Entre-Deux-Mers district, and partially destroyed during the battles between French and English armies.

The Château de Crain then became the property of the Segur family, whom members were named Lords of Crain. The first of them was Bertrand de Segur in 1361.

XVth and XVIth centuries

Segur and de Mellet Families

After Bertrand de Segur came his son Jean de Segur, and his grandson Bertrand de Segur, still alive in 1458, Eymeric de Segur and Gaston de Segur who in 1518 was named Lord of Crain and Lord of Francs. Then the traces of the Segur family vanish, and in 1536, Crain belongs to Louis de Mellet, Lord of Rochemores and his wife Guyonne de Chassaignes.

XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries

De Belcier and Ducasse Families

Crain then belongs to the de Belcier, a rich family of Bordeaux parliament deputy who owned Crain until the French Revolution, and who liked to be named "de Belcier de Crain". The last member of the family, François de Belcier, was decapitated in 1789. The Château was then sold as a National asset the "17 floreal an V".

The domain of 279 journaux, including 94 journaux of vineyards, consisted in "a château, with its cellars, vats, and other exploitation buildings, gardens, water mill, Noulet share cropped farm, vines, meadows and land...". The whole was sold to Mister Ducasse.

XIXth century

Darieux and Seignan Families

When the revolutionnary troubles disappeared, Bernard Brice Darieux, real estate agent in Bordeaux, bought the Château, and his son Germain Maurice Darieux sold it in 1845 to Auguste Seignan, wine trader in Bordeaux.

He rearranged the Château, and this restoration masqued nearly totally the medieval age parts that could have been visible from the outside.

XXth century

De Raynal, Barbier, Fougere Families

Auguste Seignan daughter, Marie Marguerite Seignan, known as Madame de Raynal, legated Crain to his son Georges Urbain de Raynal. He sold Crain in 1936 to Maurice Barbier, mushroom grower in Angouleme, who wanted to use the old stone carry under the Château for the culture of the Paris mushroom.

During WorldWar II, Crain was used as a headquarter by the German army, and some traces of the stay are still visible, such as names of German officers painted on the doors of a dining room.
After the War, the traditional wine making activity and the Paris mushrooms production in the stone carry occupied up to 50 people at Crain.

The mushroom activity stopped in 1981. In 1985, the wines of Crain started to be sold under the Château de Crain label directly at the Château.

Today

Fougère family

After the different Barbier inheritance, it is now Michel Fougere, Maurice Barbier grandson, his wife Annie and his two daughters Anne and Marie-Cécile who own Château de Crain.

Famille Fougère