Forteresse de Berrye takes seminars, company receptions, weddings and family meals for up to 150 seated guests in its great hall, the Aula, and up to 200 in the two reception rooms of the keep. The medieval fortress stands on a rocky outcrop at Berrie, in the north of the Vienne department, at the heart of a 13-hectare organic vineyard in the Saumur appellation. A gîte for ten guests and a suite are on site.
Seminars and company events
The Aula, a lord's hall of 155 square meters with a ceiling more than ten meters high and three stained-glass windows, seats 150 for a plenary session or a dinner. The office on its east side, furnished with tables and benches, suits a smaller group or breakout workshops. The Galerie des tableaux, 80 square meters in the west wing, seats 50 and works for a meeting, a seminar or a small event. The upper courtyard, enclosed by ramparts, can be booked as a whole. Wine activities are part of the offer. Trésor Master Grappe mixes escape game, team contests and treasure hunt around the heritage of Anjou and ends with a tasting. A 3D tasting workshop explores wine through intuitive, geo-sensory and analytical approaches, led with Frank Harreau, a former head sommelier of a starred Paris restaurant. With Sibylline Event, an agency from Anjou, teams can also play Le Dernier Royaume, a game of duels between kingdoms, or a timed treasure hunt on a mock archaeological dig.
Weddings and receptions
The fortress hosts weddings, christenings, family meals and receptions. The upper courtyard, which holds a 13th-century chapel and leads to the vines over an old drawbridge, can be reserved for the whole party. Dinner takes place in the Aula for 150 seated or in the keep for up to 200, and guests can sleep in the gîte and the suite.
Rooms and capacities
Aula: 155 square meters, 150 seated. Galerie des tableaux: 80 square meters, 50 seated. Donjon: two reception rooms, 200 seated together. Office: workshops and small groups. Upper courtyard: private hire.
Accommodation
The gîte, in an annex of the fortress, sleeps up to ten in four bedrooms, two with their own bathroom, plus a sofa bed in the study. The Suite prestige, inside the fortress, has its own bathroom, a kitchenette, a view over the vines and a separate entrance from the upper courtyard. A stay includes a visit of the fortress and a tasting of the estate's wines.
Catering
Kitchens for caterers are set up in the east wing of the Aula. The fortress does not name a caterer on its site, so the choice should be confirmed when booking. The estate's own wines can be served with the meal: Saumur white and red, Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame, Crémant de Loire and Cabernet d'Anjou rosé.
History and setting
Building began in the 12th century, and the square tower dates from that period. Dry moats and underground galleries surround the site, and the whole fortress is listed as a historic monument. The Colinet family, its current owners, started a restoration program spread over several years, with emergency works on the square tower, the south and east walls, the entrance room and the first floor from 2022. The vines grow Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The fortress also hosts concerts, recitals, a medieval banquet and the national heritage days.
Getting there
The address is 2 rue du Château, 86120 Berrie. The estate lies where the Vienne meets Anjou, inside the Saumur wine area. Visits with a tasting last about two hours and are arranged on request.
