✨ 20 Years at Château Feely ✨
Twenty years ago, we—Sean and Caro Feely—packed up our lives in Dublin and took a leap of faith: from city professionals to organic wine farmers in South West France. 🍇✨
What a ride it has been! From those first days in 2005 to today, we’ve poured our hearts into creating Château Feely: organic vineyards, wine tours and school, walking and yoga retreats, beautiful accommodation, and Caro’s books.
Most of all, we’re grateful—for every guest, student, wine lover, partner, and friend who has shared this journey with us. 💛 Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the next chapter! 🥂🌿
📖 A Brief Retrospective: 2005–2025
2005 – The Leap
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Bought a farm in liquidation in South West France.
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Renovated part of the farmhouse (today’s Wine Cottage) to make it habitable.
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Began farming organically.
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Launched Château Feely’s first online wine store—pioneering direct sales in Bergerac.
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First online sales go out for winter 2005.
2006 – First Harvest
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Produced our first vintage- the 2006.
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Finished renovating the house and opened The Wine Cottage to guests.
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Began the organic certification process.
2007 – Exploring Biodynamics
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Faced mildew challenges and turned to biodynamic methods.
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Offered our first Vine Share program.
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Bottled our first estate vintage.
2008 – Sharing Wine Knowledge
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Caro launched French Wine Adventures wine tours and education.
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Sean deepened natural farming practices, improving soil and vine health.
2009 – Certified Organic
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Achieved full organic certification and began biodynamic certification.
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Planted a new half-hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon that now produces Feely Vivacité summer red and Verité spicy barrel-aged red.
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Featured on Irish national TV (RTE Nationwide).
2010 – Growth & Big Dreams
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Welcomed 100 Vine Shareholders for harvest.
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Produced an outstanding vintage.
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With EU and provincial support, started building the Tasting room and Wine Lodge.
2011 – Certified Biodynamic
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Fully certified biodynamic.
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Opened the new Tasting room and Wine Lodge.
2012 – Education & First Book
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Became a certified WSET wine school.
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Caro’s first book, Grape Expectations, was published.
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Released our first no-sulfite wine, La Source 2010.
2013 – Recognition & Trees
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Won the Best of Wine Tourism Gold Trophy for environmental wine tours.
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Sean planted 100 oak trees to launch our reforestation efforts.
2014 – New Pool & More Books
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Opened a saltwater swimming pool for guests.
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Caro’s second book, Saving Our Skins, was published.
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Transitioned to 100% handpicking to support biodiversity and quality and respect our old vines.
2015 – Renovations & Natural Wines
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Fully renovated the Wine Cottage.
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Expanded our natural wine range.
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Caro’s Wine: An Essential Guide was published.
2016 – Looking Ahead
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Restored the farmhouse stone façade.
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Travel to South Africa inspired our 10-year vision: to be a haven that nourishes body and soul – through exceptional wines of terroir, health giving vital food, retreats with wine, yoga, art and writing, creating wellbeing for the land and our community including guests, partners and ourselves.
- 🌳Protect our natural zones and old vines to improve quality and respect our terroir
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🌳 Plant more trees and hedgerows
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🥗 Increase sustainability – grow more food for guests and family
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🌳 Be carbon positive through tree planting, green energy and light glass bottles
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🐦 Create a bird hide in the “wild zone” (still in planning 😉)
2017 – Awards & Sparkling Wine
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Won Best of Wine Tourism Gold Trophy for vineyard accommodation.
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Launched Feely Sparkling Brut Rosé.
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Caro’s third book Vineyard Confessions published.
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Feely wines received top ratings on JancisRobinson.com.
2018 – Roots & Reforestation
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Restored the oldest part of the house (14th-century lookout tower).
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Launched our client-supported tree planting program.
2019 – National Recognition
2020 – Going Virtual
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Introduced online wine courses, tours, and corporate team events.
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More great wine ratings on JancisRobinson.com.
2021 – Wine Club & Biodiversity
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Launched the Feely Family Wine Club.
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Attended a farm biodiversity course and expanded our hedgerow and tree planting vision.
2022 – Yoga Arrives at Chateau Feely
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Added yoga classes to complement wine, walking, and school experiences.
- Our old vine parcels (blocks) of Semillon and Merlot were registered with an international register for old vines.
2023 – Retreats & Writing
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Caro’s fourth Vineyard Series book, Cultivating Change, was published.
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Created yoga retreats and yoga and writing retreats.
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Planted more trees and hedgerows.
2024 – Recognition & New Release
- Château Feely listed in The Times Top 25 Places in the Dordogne.
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Released second edition of Feely Orange Wine Mille Fleurs.
- Caro’s Saving Sophia (Vineyard Series prequel) was launched.
- We thrived through a very challenging year of frost and hail (and eye surgeries for Caro) thanks to biodiversity and diversity and the resilience they bring.
2025 – 20 Years of Feely!
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Celebrated 20 years of Château Feely.
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All salads and chutneys for tasting room events were homegrown from Sean’s flourishing gardens.
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All wines bottled in lightweight bottles, recyled paper labels and no capsules to reduce waste.
- Above all: celebrated our guests, students, wine lovers, readers, wine club members, family, and friends. 💛
🌿 Thank You!
Château Feely exists because of the wonderful people who’ve supported us—from the first vine shareholders to our newest yoga retreat guests. We are grateful beyond words. Merci, thank you, and cheers to the next 20 years! 🥂✨
