A unique find
This story begins with a unique find we made in the middle of Provence. You would expect this find to be a beautiful winery, or a beautiful wine. But it turned out to be even more valuable, namely a renowned Dutch-speaking vinologist named Paul Schmit. The now-retired connoisseur has worked diligently in recent years to map all the wineries in the area. With his cracking iron, he managed to discover even the most hidden wineries.
This walking encyclopedia was willing to show us around his, now, natural habitat. What a great opportunity!
Le Luc-en-Provence
In early May, we traveled with our team to Le Luc-en-Provence where we met Paul. Already during our acquaintance it became clear that Paul is a passionate wine lover, as we were immediately allowed to taste a special wine from the Paradis winery. The name of this place spoke volumes, as it was a beautiful area with countless beautiful wineries.
To prepare for our arrival, Paul had searched for wines that fit our wine concept perfectly. He had been looking for a "Cup full of wine," a concept that later became clear to us. After much puzzling, he finally chose four wineries that we would visit all in one day.
In the end, we chose 6 wonderful organic wines from two beautiful wineries: Château Carpe Diem & Domaine Des Féraud.
The grape is the Genesis
In the heart of the Var, in the midst of Provence, we met Albéric Philipon at his beautiful estate. This friendly winemaker, along with his wife, took over this winery in 2013. What makes this company special is that they produce their wines based on biodynamic principles. In doing so, they constantly strive to find the right balance for the vines and their environment, reinforcing each other.
Their adage "the grape is the genesis" is reflected in all their products. In our opinion, they have managed to produce a whole "family" of wonderful wines with their method. A fun fact is that some of their wines are named after their children.
The wines
Together with Paul, we selected the finest wines made by this extraordinary winery. In addition to a summer rosé and a beautiful white wine, we also chose a powerful red wine. We asked Albéric and his wife Marie-Caroline to give a brief description of what makes each wine so special. In addition, they provided appropriate wine-food suggestions for each wine.
Rosé Château - 2022
50% Cinsault, 30% Grenache and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
AOP Côtes-de-Provence
Cuvée Artus- 2022
33% Rolle, 33% Grenache Blanc
and 33% Clairette
AOP Côtes-de-Provence
Cuvée Major - 2021
48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Syrah & 12% Grenache
AOP Côtes-de-Provence
A true paradise among the parasol trees.
South of Vidauban, amidst vast vineyards, is the magnificent Domaine des Féraud winery. The building is surrounded by imposing parasol trees, which provide a pleasant climate in and around the site.
Upon entering we were kindly received by Leo. He was able to tell us a lot about the history, methods and wonderful wines of this winery. The winery has a rich history of more than 100 years. Over time it has had several owners, each with their own methods. The current owner, Markus Conrad, has integrated some of this valuable heritage into the current practices. In addition, he is committed to high-quality organic farming with advanced winemaking techniques. This combination of rich history and modern production methods results in a wide range of beautiful wines.
The wines
One of Leo's favorites is the Arômes des Maures. This wine represents the area it comes from and for good reason. The wonderful balance between the different grapes makes it a beautiful rosé. The name also refers to the mountain range that you overlook directly from the winery.
In addition, we selected a unique white wine, the Signature! This is then also the favorite of owner Markus. Signature had its aging in a concrete "Œuf de Beaune" and only 2500 bottles of it were bottled!
Arômes des Maures - 2021
53% Cinsault, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 12% Rolle
AOP Côtes-de-Provence
Signature - 2021
100% Rolle
AOP Côtes-de-Provence
AOP is the highest rating a product can receive. Such a wine meets certain quality characteristics that apply to that area of origin.It is an abbreviation from French for a label and stands for Appellation d'Origine Protégée. The AOP is based on a 2009 EU regulation on the protected status of products from certain origins or areas.
We are proud to report that most of the wines in this story have that label.
Agriculture Biologique
Until the year 2012, labels of French "organic wine" carried the AB label. The abbreviation AB stands for Agriculture Biologique (literally = organic agriculture) and indicates that a wine is made from organically grown grapes. Now you often find the AB and the European organic label, because French consumers in particular still have to get used to the new European logo.
Both wineries produce the wines according to organic principles, with the winery Carpe Diem going a step further and producing in a biodynamic way.
