Gémozac and the Saintonge vineyards

Crossed by the Ocean road, between Saintes and Gémozac, on one of the ancient Roman trade routes linking Mediolanum (Saintes) to Novioregum (home to Le Fâ, a Gallo-Roman site), and later on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim trail leading to the Gironde estuary, the Saintonge vineyards & Gémozac are imbibed with history, Romanesque art and winegrowing traditions.

Their numerous jewels of Romanesque architecture stand watch over the viticultural landscape. The churches of Rioux, Thaims, Rétaud and Thézac illustrate the subtle nuances of Romanesque art in Saintonge, from the understated to the very ornate.

Much later on, before the phylloxera crisis, Gémozac became the prefecture of the largest winegrowing administrative region of both the Charente and Charente Maritime departments.

The magnificent buildings constructed by Cognac merchants in the 19^th century stand as a testimony to this.