Nicole Rolet

Nicole Rolet is a trailblazer in regenerative agriculture. Together with her husband, Xavier, and family, she restored an abandoned medieval estate into a pioneering site for experimental farming with minimal synthetic inputs. As a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, her research led her to assess the effects of synthetic pesticides and additives in wine.

This put her on a quest to champion awareness of the environmental impact of winemaking, and farming more generally, encouraging peers and consumers to make nature-friendly, biodiversity-supporting choices that prioritize long-term soil health and resilience.

At her award-winning wine estate, Chêne Bleu, Nicole, Xavier, and their passionate team produce wines made with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, and bee-friendly methods—demonstrating that the pursuit of sustainability and excellence can thrive together.

Founder and Director

“There are as many ways to make wine as people who make it. These are complex concepts, and vintners big and small are under all sorts of pressures in a beautiful but challenging business with low margins and high risk. They deserve our support and understanding, no matter how they produce their wines, but also our encouragement to transition to ever more sustainable and mindful ways of working the land and protecting the soil.

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something, and by educating ourseves and each other on best practices, we can all continue to improve, whether you make wine, review it, sell it, serve it or drink it”.