Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de l'Éclair, located in the Beaujolais to the north of Liergues (Département du Rhône), is a neo-Gothic building built at the end of the 19th century. Originally named Château du Convert, it was surrounded by vines and belonged to the Guinon family, specialized in the coloration of Lyon silks based on picric acid. Its current name is associated with the Éclair-Vermorel, a sulfate can that was invented in 1884 to treat the vines, reflecting its historical link to viticulture.

In 1871, Mr.Guinon, Lyon chemist, completed the construction of the castle, while his brother acquired the neighbouring castle of Boisfranc. After the phylloxeric crisis, Victor Vermorel (1848–1927), inventor and researcher in viticulture, purchased the estate in 1891. He carries out innovative work on wine and cuvées, consolidating his reputation in the sector. The castle then changed its vocation: transformed into a house of convalescence in 1934, then into a hotel training centre in 1979 under the impulse of the Japanese Shizuo Tsuji.

Since 1993, the 19-hectare estate, managed by Yoshiki Tsuji, has been home to SICAREX Beaujolais, a wine research organisation producing nine wines (beaujolais, cremant, gamaret, etc.). Although private property and not open to the public, the castle embodies the alliance between architectural heritage, agricultural innovation and Lyon industrial heritage. Its history illustrates the economic changes of Beaujolais, from the 19th century to the present.

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