Anthony Castaing has taken over the running of a family vineyard in the Bergerac wine district. A passion for winemaking, attention to quality service and respect for the environment all led him into wine tourism.

When was the Domaine de Grange Neuve first established?

It’s a family enterprise situated at Pomport, in the Bergerac vineyards, and was created by my great-great-grandfather five generations ago.

Were you always going to take over the family vineyard?

No, but I came to love the job! Today I have two children, aged 9 and 12, and my son seems to like working in the vineyard. I hope that he too can become a wine grower!

Do you protect the environment in your wine growing?

Of course! Our vineyard has been certified as a High-Value Environment, a label which aims to develop sustainable consumption.

Apart from visits and wine tastings, what other activities do you offer?

We are a farm with a certification for educational activities centred around the vineyard. We host a lot of children, especially school groups during the grape harvest. We have also had the ‘Welcome to the Farm’ label for the past 10 years. It’s very important to us to share our passion with as many different groups of people as possible.

What are you aiming for now?

We would like to start a professionalization initiative in wine tourism. After winning the Best of Gold 2015, in the accommodation category, we are now more motivated than ever!

Lovers of wine, history and exciting experiences: this place is for you! Fly over the vineyards and taste the wines of the Bergerac district with the winemakers.

Who hasn’t dreamed of flying in a hot-air balloon? Make the most of your visit by discovering the vineyards of Bergerac and Duras from the sky: a fantastic experience! On your return to earth, visit the Chateau de Duras, the jewel of the Lot-et-Garonne’s cultural heritage. Then taste the wines of Bergerac and Duras at the Berticot cooperative wine cellar or at the vineyards of the independent winemakers and the House of the Winegrowers! This visit also includes accommodation, breakfast and dinners at the Logis de France hotel and restaurant.

Wine enthusiasts and lovers of fine food: this gift box is for you! On the menu: visits to the wine districts and tastings of Bergerac wines, a winegrower’s snack, and a gourmet dinner ... 

During this ‘100% wine’ visit, take a boat ride on a barge leaving from the old port of Bergerac and discover two wine districts. Then have a snack with the winegrower, who will give you a gift box. After visiting the Chateau de Monbazillac, where you will taste the best wines, enjoy a gourmet dinner in one of the restaurants labelled Vineyards & Discoveries. This stay includes two nights‘ accommodation (breakfast included) in guestrooms.

Creator of La Cuisine de Santé® at Eugénie-les Bains, the charismatic Michel Guérard, a chef with a three-star rating from the famous Michelin food guide, is also a wine producer in the Tursan wine district in the Landes region. ‘A cook,’ he says, ‘must know how to make bread and wine.’

How did you end up being a winemaker? 

As an apprentice in the 1950s, when we were still under the restrictions of the Second World War, I, like many other people, developed the art of resourcefulness. I had been involved, for example, in the making of white wine from a grape variety which is today banned, the Noah, which sends you a bit crazy … and which we used to cook fish. Similarly, we distilled, once a year, in total secrecy, a very good brandy. I’ve always thought that a cook should know how to make bread and wine. In the same way, just before we planted our grape vines at the Chateau de Bachen, I learnt, over the course of seven months at the wine science institute in Bordeaux, the essentials of this captivating profession. 

Which wine-growing traditions inspire you? 

The grape vine is constantly teaching you about life. I have always been impressed by the elegant fatalism with which the winegrowers here deal with being at the mercy of the weather. Then comes the joy of the grape harvest, which overcomes this problem, and the wine goes on inspiring passionate discussions.

Which traditional matches of food and wine do you like to overturn?

I have, on occasions, dared to mix caviar and sauternes! Or to propose a glass of almost frozen Barsac or Jurançon to soothe the heat of a chicken infused with ground pepper and grilled on burning embers, under the skin of which I had slipped in a purée of olives and anchovies. Try it, it’s divine! 

Often described as one of the pioneers of the ‘new Languedoc’, Jean-Claude Mas exports what he calls ‘rural luxury’ much further afield than the south of France. And he offers activities for wine tourists, centred on his restaurant on the Mediterranean coast.

From the Chateau Paul Mas, at Pézenas, to the Domaine Paul Mas, the history of your family goes back to 1892, that is to say four generations of winegrowers.

I took the reins of the 35-hectare family vineyard in 1999 and created the Domaines Paul Mas vineyard in January 2000. Today we have 11 vineyards across the Languedoc: we own 600 hectares ourselves and are partners in another 1,312 hectares. Out of the 22 million bottles that were put on the market in 2015, 80% were classified as IGP Pays d'Oc (Protected Geographical Indication). 

How do you define the spirit of ‘rural luxury‘ which you have created?

It’s our philosophy. Create great accessible wines and produce special moments that are rich in emotions: that’s the real luxury today! To do that, we have developed a craft which respects the environment, from the grape vines to the wine shop, and we use a winemaking process which respects the grapes. Our objective is to become a 100% organic producer by 2023. 

With the opening of the Côté Mas restaurant, in 2012, you have developed a large range of wine tourism activities.

The Château Paul Mas restaurant is well anchored in the spirit of ‘rural luxury’, and is situated at the heart of the grape vines and the olive trees. We offer cookery courses and musical evenings, while the tasting cellar allows us to introduce our guests to the Languedoc wines, through the vineyard’s 50 different wines, and what’s more in a setting which includes the works of the painter Emmanuel Flipo. We also have a VIP space for seminars and two superb suites nearby. The Ecuries d’Olivier stables organize horse rides through the vineyards and the bushland, with views over the lagoon, the Mediterranean Sea and the town of Sète.

You are winning lots of awards (40 gold medals) and are among the ‘30 winemakers of tomorrow‘ according to the news magazine L’Express: What is your vision for your profession?

We are producing the wines of the old world with an attitude that is resolutely new world, in exceptional wine-growing country. We are proud of our rural roots while at the same time cultivating an open mind.   

The Provence wine and vineyard route is one of the Routes de Bonheur, or pleasure trips, that Relais & Chateaux have designed for their clients. Gilles Ozello, a wine expert from L’Oustau de Baumanière Hotel, shares his knowledge of the best wine tourism destinations in the region.

Gilles Ozello, the wine expert, or sommelier, at L’Oustau de Baumanière Hotel, in Baux-de-Provence, likes to share his passion for his wine district with his clients. He has designed a wine route which passes through the most beautiful countryside, the most majestic sites and the most beautiful Relais & Chateaux hotels in the region: the Villa Augusta, the Chateau de Rochegude, the Mas des Herbes Blanches at Joucas, the Phébus & Spa, the Prieuré at Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, and the Maison d’Uzès.

‘I've been at L’Oustau de Baumanière for 30 years now, and I’m still enchanted by Provence. I love the fusion between the limestone and the olive trees, the contrast between the arid climate and the strong smells after the rain,’ says sommelier Gilles Ozello.

In this relaxed district, which has as many wine types as the Provence region, Gilles Ozello invites his clients to take this route so that they can see the full extent and diversity of the landscapes, and understand the geological, magical link between each district and its wine. You can sense, guess and finally understand this influence as you travel the wine route from the hill country of Rochegude, in the Drôme, all the way to the rough, dry slopes of Castillon-du-Gard. 

A diversity of colours and grapes characterise the wines of Provence

Diversity and colours are here for you to admire as you travel through these vineyards: the rounded wines of the Côtes-du-Rhône and Gigondas, the subtle, sweet wines from Rasteau and Baumes-de-Venise, the delicate blends of the wines from the Luberon, the strength of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and the fruity rosés of Tavel. ‘I've been at L’Oustau de Baumanière for 30 years now, and I’m still enchanted by Provence,’ says this lover of the region, born near Aix-en-Provence. ‘I love the fusion between the limestone and the olive trees, the contrast between the arid climate and the strong smells after the rain. I love the Durance Valley and its light.’

With its diversity of grape types, wine districts and villages, Gilles Ozello never gets tired of Provence, where L’Oustau de Baumanière is one of the region’s most prestigious hotels, an institution of the Mediterranean lifestyle. 

Gourmet food, fine wine and wellbeing … Georges Blanc invites you to his magnificent village for a luxurious stay in the Bresse countryside, between Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley.

In 1933, the ‘Mère Blanc’ was designated the ‘best cook in the world’ by Curnonsky, the prince of all lovers of fine foods. Today, Georges, her grandson, is following admirably in her footsteps! At L’Ancienne Auberge in Vonnas, a replica of his great-grandparents’ auberge, Georges Blanc shares his passion for the local products of his native Bresse in this gourmet restaurant, which has been awarded three Michelin stars.

The Michelin-starred restaurant has one of the five finest wine cellars in the world, with nearly 140,000 bottles of exceptional wine.

At the stove since 1968, the famous chef never stops reinventing the district of Bresse through his modern and light gourmet creations. The Vonnas crêpe with salmon and caviar, or the famous Bresse chicken and foie gras, are just two delicious examples. Georges Blanc is naturally a fervent defender of the famous Bresse chicken, and is the proud bearer of the title of president of the official committee for origin-approved Bresse chicken!

Five hectares of fine food and wellbeing, with wine cellar, park and spa

Wine is also honoured: the restaurant has one of the five finest wine cellars in the world, with nearly 140,000 exceptional bottles of wine. You can taste the wines of the vineyard in the company of the head wine steward, or chief sommelier, during the course of an unforgettable visit. Georges Blanc is also a visionary businessman and has built a magnificent gourmet village in Vonnas. On the edge of the river, discover the coloured façades of the buildings, his five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel, and his new aquatic centre …

Give yourself a treat and relax for a few hours in the immense Carita Décléor spa. As night falls, take a romantic walk in the beautifully lit park. Stretch out your gourmet stay with a unique wine tourism experience by visiting the Hameau Georges Dubœuf theme park, the first wine tourism park in Europe. All the secrets of the famous Beaujolais wine will be revealed at this high-quality wine tourism site.