The Domaine des Rueyres rents out its historic wine cellar for private and professional events of up to 30 seated or 45 standing guests. The estate is a family vineyard in Chardonne, in the Lavaux wine region on the hills above Lake Geneva, and the cellar sits below the main house. It suits a company aperitif, a team-building session, a client evening or a small celebration where the group stays together in one room.
Seminars and company events
The domaine names corporate aperitifs and team-buildings among the events it hosts, alongside birthdays and evenings with friends. The cellar is one space, so it works best for short formats: a welcome drink for a team, a tasting-led workshop, a dinner for a department or a client evening. There is no separate meeting room listed on the official site, so a full-day seminar with breakouts would need to be planned elsewhere, with the cellar kept for the evening.
Interior hire runs from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m., which leaves room for a morning start or a late finish. The caterer, the music and the running order are the organiser's choice.
Rooms and capacities
The historic cellar is on the basement level of the domaine's house. It was used for winemaking until 1991 and keeps exposed stone and cooperage. Inside it holds up to 30 people seated or 45 standing. The domaine's general page quotes 32 guests, so confirm the figure for your layout when you ask.
A terrace with a view of Lake Geneva adds space outdoors: 20 seated or 30 standing guests. Outdoor use runs until 10:00 p.m. About twenty parking places are available on site.
Access for guests with reduced mobility is possible but only partly adapted. The domaine recommends a visit before booking if this matters for your group.
Catering
The cellar includes a fitted kitchen with an oven, a ceramic hob, a dishwasher and crockery, so an outside caterer can work on site. The domaine can also propose a catering offer on request. Coffee comes from a capsule machine in the cellar.
Wine is supplied by the domaine from a cabinet in the cellar, and the bottles are counted after the event. Guests cannot bring their own wine. Mineral water and the estate's grape juice are available on request. The domaine can set up the room and clean it afterwards as options; without the cleaning option, the hirer leaves the cellar tidy.
History and setting
The Domaine des Rueyres has been a family estate since 1957 and is now in its third generation, run by Laurent Cossy. The vineyard covers about 6.5 hectares between Chardonne and Saint-Saphorin, within the Lavaux area listed by UNESCO. The domaine makes around fifteen wines, white, rosé, red and sparkling, along with spirits and a few products from its own harvest.
A group can add a tasting of these wines to the event, which suits visitors who want to understand what they are drinking.
Booking
Requests go to the domaine by phone, by e-mail or through the form on its cellar page. The hire is by the day. A visit beforehand is possible and recommended for events with specific layout or access needs.
