François Villard is a chef-turned-winemaker who grew up between Vienne and Grenoble in the French countryside. His fascination with wine drove him to purchase a plot of land in the spring of 1989, and in 1991 he released 400 bottles of his first Condrieu. Now, his wines come from 64 hectares of land, 40 of which he owns; he buys fruit from the remaining land. He makes a number of wines: Côte-Rôtie, Saint Peray, 4 Condrieu, 5 Saint-Joseph (red and white), 3 Crozes-Hermitage, 1 Cornas, and 4 Vin de France (Marsanne-Roussanne, Viognier, and 2 Syrah ).