Nestling in a bend of the Seine at the edge of Fontainebleau forest, the little village of Thomery owes its fame to the chasselas doré grape. You can still see over 300 kilometres of grape walls, the "long furrows" on which the vineyards were cultivated until the mid-twentieth century. The port and the banks of the Seine inspired the Impressionists. The artist Rosa Bonheur fell under Thomery's spell and moved into By château, surrounded by a verdant setting far from the bustling city, where she could paint her favourite subjects: animals.