Nowadays the making of Armagnac brandy is no longer restricted to men. In Occitania, among many passionate winemakers, Caroline and Sophie Rozès apply their sensitivity to a craft handed down over generations. 

There is a world of difference between perfumes and spirits. Yet it’s these two areas which Caroline Rozès decided to explore after having worked for a decade in the perfume business in Paris. The youngest daughter of a family from the Gers region, Caroline began producing a most beautiful fragrance, that of her family’s Armagnac brandy, by taking over two properties at Cassaigne in the Gers region: the Chateau de Léberon and the Domaine d’Aurensan. 

Joining her in this project is her sister Sophie, a vet by training, who, alongside her father, Bernard, is involved in the conversion of the vineyard to organic agriculture. A geological engineer, Bernard learnt the secrets of Armagnac production from his grandfather, and then his father.      

The vintages, true to the purest Armagnac tradition, are sold at Fauchon

Caroline and Sophie thus represent the fourth generation of Armagnac producers who have run the Chateau de Léberon since 1939, the year when their grandfather, Osmin, bought the vineyard. There is a world of difference between perfumes and spirits, but there are also a number of similarities: ‘The smells, for sure, the aromas, the sensibility, the excellence, the expertise, the choice of top quality,’ explains Caroline, proud that her bottles, or flasks, all of which contain vintages in the purest tradition of Armagnac brandy, are available at the luxury retailer Fauchon, in Paris, and on the menus of the best restaurants. ‘Our Armagnacs come from a traditional craft, which we want to develop and share.’

Nestling in the heart of an extensive vineyard, the Relais & Chateaux hotel Coquillade Village is the perfect place from which to visit Provence. Vineyard walks, wine cellar tastings and a spa ... Welcome to a great wine tourism location at the foot of the Luberon Mountains.

A path lined with cypress trees leads to an authentic Provençal village at the top of a hill. The five-star Coquillade Village hotel offers a breathtaking view over the Luberon mountain range and the mountains of the Vaucluse and Ventoux. The perfect place to discover the charm of the Provence region, this delightful hotel, affiliated to Relais & Chateaux, combines dignity, refinement and respect for the environment.

Eco-labelled since 2012, the village is composed of several exceptional medieval buildings, with the oldest dating back to the eleventh century, and a magnificent 1,500-m² spa.

Nestling in the heart of a 35-hectare vineyard, and eco-labelled since 2012, Coquillade Village comprises several exceptional medieval buildings, with the oldest dating back to the eleventh century. It also has a 1,500-m² spa. A paradise of wine tourism, Aureto offers exceptional wines from three different districts: 28.5 hectares in Ventoux, six hectares in the Luberon and the rest in the origin-approved Vaucluse wine district.

Wine tastings, workshops and vineyard walks

Situated within the vineyard, the wine storage building boasts remarkable technology and is constructed in harmony with the surrounding natural environment. A one-hour guided visit is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6 p.m., followed by a wine tasting. The wine cellar, situated a few kilometres away, offers a full range of Aureto wine tastings. In this contemporary space you can also find accompanying products such as grape juice, olive oil or even the Marc de Provence brandy.

The Winegrowers Path, with three signposted walks, provides free access to the entire vineyard and its exceptional views. Would you prefer a guided walk? Meet at 10 a.m. at the wine cellar each Wednesday, from April to September! During this period you can also book introductory wine workshops, which teach you how to appreciate the colours and scents of different wines. An entertaining way to learn about wine tasting.

The Provence Wine Route offers interesting activities and multiple discoveries. Anne-Cécile Audra, the organizer of the project, explains the values and ambitions of this network of 430 locations.

What does the wine route network offer to wine tourists who are visiting Provence?

Over the last 20 years, the members of the agricultural tourism sector in Provence have made great progress in developing their tourism products, opening numerous wine cellars for wine tastings as well as guest houses and discovery walks around their vineyards. In 2011, the Provence Wine Tourism Route was formed to structure the Provence wine tourism sector, to protect and promote the wines of Provence in terms of their cultural heritage, to share their expertise, to welcome visitors in a friendly atmosphere and to present the unique characteristics of the region.  

What sort of activities and places can be found on this wine route? 

Provence is packed with exceptional and unusual places, with many emblematic or mysterious sites to discover during a trip along the wine route. There’s a reason why our motto is ‘Each pathway is a discovery’. As of 2016, the network I represent brings together nearly 430 vineyards and cooperative wine cellars, from the Camargue region to the city of Nice. They are divided into eight wine districts: Côtes-de-Provence, Coteaux-d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux-Varois-en-Provence, Bandon, Beaux-de-Provence, Ballet, Cassis and Palette. Visitors and tourism operators benefit from a professionally qualified network that is committed to high-quality service.

Can wine tourists make up their own itinerary?

The Provence Wine Route website is reliable and regularly updated. There is also a version for mobile phones that allows visitors to create their own wine route. They can then easily find the vineyards and wine cellars they have selected by the special road signs along the route. 

Between the Mediterranean and the vineyards, the splendid Chateau Valmy is located in a 24-hectare vineyard. Its style, the quality of its wines and its guestrooms make it a must for a stay in the Roussillon district.

A magnificent white chateau worthy of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, the Chateau Valmy looks over the sea from the heart of the Roussillon vineyards. Relax in the sitting room and rest in one of the five luxury contemporary-styled guestrooms in a unique atmosphere. Visit the wine cellar with its modern equipment and traditional wine storage rooms and taste the vineyard’s wines: Côtes-du-Roussillon, Muscat-de-Rivesaltes and Rivesaltes. On the restaurant’s large terrace with a view over the vineyards and the sea, savour the excellent food made from local produce, accompanied by the best wines of the Roussillon district.

In the heart of the bushland, the wine growers of the Crest Petit have replanted six hectares of grape vines and olive trees. Take the signposted path and taste the Roussillon wines in this exceptional landscape.

Your gourmet trip in the Crest Petit vineyards starts with a winegrowers’ breakfast in the heart of six hectares of rural heritage, carefully reconstructed by the wine growers of Baixas. Discover the vineyards and their échalas (the posts where the vines grow), the low stone walls and the traditional stone cabins set in the typical vineyard landscape of the Mediterranean hinterland. You can do the tour with an audioguide as you follow the 5-km signposted path, which includes information panels along the way about the Roussillon wines. At the end of the path, in front of a map table, you can enjoy the breathtaking views over the sea, Canigou Mountain and the Pyrenees.

Through her new wine, the dry Maury, or Maury sec, her well-known fortified sweet wines (known as vins doux naturels) and her gourmet events, the new president of the winegrowers’ cooperative, Aurélie Pereira, has transformed the Maury wine district into an irresistible wine tourism destination in the Roussillon region.

You have been president of the Cru Maury group of winegrowers since February 2015 and are developing wine tourism events … 

The wine-growing village of Maury is at the heart of a breathtaking landscape at the foot of the Chateau de Quéribus and the Corbières Mountains, but it is a little further away from the beaches and the main highways … Our intention is to attract the maximum number of wine enthusiasts and the general public to our unusual and distinctive wine district. The Amorioles gourmet walks were created by the wine growers of Maury wine district, by the cooperative wine cellar and by my predecessor, Bernard Rouby, in order to modernize the historic Wine Festival, which was running out of steam. 

What is your concept? 

We haven’t reinvented anything … We have simply adapted the concept of the gourmet walk to our local area. One Sunday in May, six gourmet stages were created at the heart of the Maury vineyards, by 24 wine growers and two leading chefs from the district. This very successful partnership has also led to another event, which takes place in April: ‘Maury, Cheese and Chocolate’. A great occasion to discover the sublime harmonies of chocolate and vins doux naturels (fortified sweet wines), which are already very well known as a fine wine, or cru, but equally the harmony between chocolate and our new wine, Maury sec (dry Maury).   

What do these events do for the Maury wine?​

The Amorioles attracts hundreds of wine enthusiasts who, each year, take the time to come to our vineyards for a day, to discover our wines and become our best ambassadors. In the future, we will make our wine district even more well known thanks to visits centred around nature and wine tourism.

Winner of the 2019 Wine Tourism Trophies Golden Prize in the “Stay at the domain” category, discover the Chateau de Mercuès and its exceptional heritage dating from the thirteenth century. Stay in the renovated rooms and taste the black truffles, prepared by a great chef, and the renowned Malbec wines.  

The Roman-Byzantine Chateau de Mercuès, just outside Cahors, is not to be missed. Georges Vigouroux, a pioneer of the Cahors and Malbec wines, acquired the historic site in 1983. As well as restructuring the vineyard, which today covers 38 hectares, he took the visionary step of building a huge wine cellar, and indeed was one of the first to commission architects to design wine cellars.

‘From here you can see history coming towards you,’ said General de Gaulle after staying at the chateau.

Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux continued the work of his father. As the winners of national and international awards, the Malbecs from his cellars are among the best wines in the world. 

Make yourself at home in a thirteenth-century chateau

If the boost given to winemaking at Chateau de Mercuès was decisive in saving this distinguished residence, the investments on the inside weren’t overlooked either. The history of this thirteenth-century chateau makes this member of Relais & Chateaux a rare gem indeed. Seven hundred years! Few places can boast of such a history. ‘From here you can see history coming towards you,’ said General de Gaulle after staying at the chateau in 1954. In keeping with this heritage, Christine Vigouroux, in charge of the decoration, restored the bedrooms in a timeless architectural style that gives this Relais & Châteaux residence the ‘soul of a house’ in which guests feel at home.

A warm welcome from the wine district of Malbec

Julien Poisot, who will play you songs on the piano, provides creative and authentic cooking. The products are mostly local: lamb from Quercy, veal from Corrèze, and beef from Aubrac. The black truffles from Quercy are given pride of place on the menu, as the Vigouroux family has planted a thousand trees to produce their own Tuber melanosporum in the much sought-after wine district of Lalbenque. Yann Potet, master of the house, gives visitors a warm, sincere and unforgettable welcome, including a visit to the wine cellars. The hospitality is delightful, and the experience exquisite.