Wine & Cooking Weekends Grape Harvest Experience Day Tours Presentations

Fete de St Chinian

The appellation of St Chinian covers a large area, with over 2,700 hectares of vineyards stretching over 20 villages from the neighbouring region of Faugeres in the east to Minervois in the west with a diversity of terroirs. In the north and west the soil is schist; these wines are lighter, fruity and supple in style, mineral in character and tend to be ready for drinking earlier. The southern area is a mixture of clay and limestone; these wines have a firmer structure with more marked tannins and benefit from longer ageing.

The weekend will begin on Friday evening with a reception and dinner at Domaine de Brousson.


On Saturday we will visit the picturesque villages of Roquebrun and Berlou which were recently recognised by the Coteaux du Languedoc authorities as producing some of the best wines of the Appellation. We will visit the vineyards and have an opportunity to taste the special character of these wines and enjoy lunch either at a local restaurant or for a picnic at a selected beauty spot amongst the vines. We will return to the House for dinner which will be specially prepared to accompany our samples of St Chinian.


Sunday is the Fete de St Chinian which is held on the third Sunday in July in the large town square. Under the shade of an avenue of plane trees the regular Sunday morning market is set on the one side, its stalls brimming with fresh local produce and, on the other, is an array of St Chinian producers with their tempting stands to entice you to taste their wines.

The day officially begins with the colourful procession of the Confrerie. Their initiation ceremony welcomes new members to the fellowship. Fascinating to watch as the initiate is 'knighted' on both shoulders with a polished vine trunk, swearing an oath before drinking from a chalice, and being adorned with a maroon and yellow cloak and a large ribbonned medallion.


We can then collect our straw hats and tasting glasses that suspend around our neck, enabling us to walk freely. We are ready to taste and can choose wherever to stop! Lunch is not far away as we have reserved our place at one of the long trestle tables set up in the adjoining ornamental park, cooked and served by the players of the local championship rugby team.


Carafes of wine and baguettes are served with an entree of local charcuterie and a barbequed pork chop avec frites followed by cheese and fresh fruit, accompanied by musicians serenading between the tables. After which we can choose to resume tasting in the square, attend one of the specially organised tutored tastings offered by the Maison des Vins; snooze under a tree or even sit under the shade of a cafe umbrella?!

FETES:    Fete de Faugeres Fete de St Chinian

Wine & Cooking Weekends Grape Harvest Experience Day Tours Presentations


 

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