Wines and spirits Aveyron

For more than three decades, Jean-Luc Matha has worked 16 hectares of vines in the heart of the Marcillac vineyard. A man in love with his land, he cultivates a wine that is recognizable among thousands, respecting traditions and a unique grape variety on this land, the iron servadou. Jean-Luc Matha offers red, white and rosé wines, as well as a wine of thirst, as he likes to call it. He innovates with aperitifs made from red wine and green walnut, or wine and dandelion flowers.

The Vignerons du Vallon, from the cooperative cellar near Valady, have offered themselves a "second home". With this shop in a prominent place on the Marcillac town tour, they have a second local point of sale. But not only that! Every Sunday morning, in season, at the time of the famous Sunday market, the vineyard workers provide entertainment by explaining their daily life. A way for them to get even more involved in the promotion of this "divine wine". But also to reinforce the proximity with the consumers.

On the alleys of Villefranche, this small cellar is to be discovered in priority. Why? It proposes a range of rare wines, organic and natural wines, that happiness! It is the chief-sommelier of the restaurant le relais Mont le Viaur of Saint-André-de-Najac and his daughter who will make you discover a local chenin lo Biaïs of Entraygues-sur-Fel and beautiful bottles of elsewhere, the domain la Pierre Levée, in Gaillac, the remarkable Vouvray of Philippe Foreau, or champagne Drappier. Also olive oils, rums, Japanese whisky, and beers...

La Hocq, short for Hocquard, stands for Séverine and David Hocquard. Their credo: to offer quality, organic beers. Each of their beers is very different, with light foams produced by bottom fermentation, filtered and brewed without additives - Cardabelle, a blonde, is our favorite. Made in Aveyron, with a focus on producers and short supply chains, they are on sale at Cave Ruthène, delicatessens or direct from the place of production on order.

Maison Laurens is a family estate that has been established for several generations in the medieval village of Clairvaux-d'Aveyron. It farms a good twenty hectares of vines on the slopes surrounding this red stone village. In the heart of the village, the Laurens family welcomes you to their cellar and invites you to discover their different rosé and red AOP marcillac wines, as well as their ratafias and white alcohols produced during the winter months when the aromas of the still come to embalm the village.

Paul Alric created the Papillon brand in 1906, at the same time as his maturing cellar. Since then, the dairy has maintained a privileged relationship with ewe's milk producers, who supply it with quality milk. The Papillon cellar also has its own bread oven, where 300 loaves of rye bread are charred each year. Their moist crumb, sown with the famous Penicillium roqueforti, develops the fungus that gives Roquefort its distinctive taste and character. This natural alchemy is supervised by a master maturer.

Anne-Laure and Alexandre Alazard, in their early forties, took over the family business and replanted the vineyard that existed here a few years ago. Twin brother and sister, they have transformed the sheepfold into a tasting cellar and it is here, accompanied by a few slices of Aveyron bread, that you can taste their production: a rosé and two reds, and soon a sparkling wine to make your aperitifs frothy. All these beverages are matured in barrels and bottled directly on this 6-hectare property, formerly devoted to cereal cultivation.

They offer a vast selection of champagnes, wines and spirits, with over 550 wine and champagne references, 80 Réserves à Vin®, 450 whiskies, rums and spirits, 150 craft beers and casks, as well as 100 delicatessen products. The caviste is passionate about helping customers discover treasures unearthed in France and around the world. In addition to product sales, the store also offers a range of services such as trunk loading, home delivery, equipment rental, organization of festive events, tasting evenings and customized gift boxes.

Based in Thérondels, on the borders of Cantal and Aveyron, this cooperative, founded in 1946, is the only cheese-making unit in the department that can produce AOC Cantal. Made up of some twenty milk producers from the area, the structure also specialises in the production of fresh tome, aligot and thérondels, a cheese similar to the tome de Savoie or the tome des Pyrénées. This know-how, its origins and its requirements are explained during weekly visits led by passionate producers who are proud of their work.

It was in this old pharmacy, in La Croix-Verte, that Cécile Parès tinkered with her Officine. An apothecary's with very unusual bottles. The young woman has set up a beautiful space that compiles 200 references of wines, whiskies, cognacs, armagnacs and a volley of homemade beers. L'Officine also holds a licence IV, which allows the mistress of the premises to serve drinks and good boards of cold meats to accompany your glass. An asset for this address, open all year round, in this small village rather accustomed to hibernation.

For more than 50 years, the Cave Ruthène, one of the oldest in the area, has been supplying the Aveyron and neighbouring departments with good bottles. In the vast Moutiers store, wine has pride of place, with a constantly changing selection of producers. From exceptional Bordeaux wines to the great vintages of Burgundy, not forgetting the vintages of Aveyron, more than 3,000 references fill the shop's shelves. The same generosity animates the address in the city centre, rue Combarel. It has a special place for beers but also for whiskies.

They represent one of the smallest cooperative wineries in France. But they see things in a big way. In Coubisou, halfway between Espalion and Estaing, the Olt winegrowers - there are about fifteen of them - have built their Maison de la vigne: a modern and functional work tool, commensurate with their ambition. You can learn about the history of the land and its landscapes through a film and an exhibition, before entering the cellar and tasting the different wines.

Close to Millau, the Brasserie du Larzac has made a place for itself in the field of beer. This micro-brewery created by Rémi and Camille offers unfiltered and unpasteurized organic craft beers, with a choice between Blonde, Blanche, Ambrée, Indian Pale Ale, Triple as well as ephemeral brews such as the Gardarem, the East Causse and the Imperial Blaque IPA. They favour local suppliers and short circuits, so you can buy their beers directly at the brewery or in organic stores in Aveyron and Hérault.

In their brewery in Decazeville, Azeb and Regis only use raw materials from organic farming for their craft beers. They are produced by infusion and without filtration or pasteurization, which gives them a unique taste. In the store, you will find a Blanche, a Honey Blonde, an Amber Red Ale, a Blonde Pale Ale, a Rye IPA and a Brown Porter, all available in 30L kegs with beer pumps or in 33cl and 75cl bottles.

Set to witness the agricultural activity of these steep lands, which are suitable for orchards, they are also in the culture of the vine, which has long made the village live and now gives rise to taste celebration. This former wine cellar today depends on the Regional Natural Park of the Causses. A nice shop for the presentation of wines and other products from the land.

La Cave Assemblage, based in Capdenac-Gare, is a veritable Ali Baba's cave for wine and spirits enthusiasts. With over 600 carefully selected wine references, as well as a wide selection of spirits and craft beers, the cellar will satisfy all palates and desires. Since taking over the establishment in 2017, Anne-Lise and Gautier Berthet have continued to enrich and diversify their offering, with the recent addition of a selection of mature cheeses to accompany their beverage selections. It's a must for epicureans in the region!

Falguières wines is a family winery founded in 1954. The speciality of the house: wines from the Aveyron (Marcillac, Entraygues, le Fel, Estaing, Côtes de Millau...). This does not prevent Maëlle Falguières from bringing out a few very good bottles of Burgundy or Beaujolais and even grands crus! Most of the bottles come from small producers that the owner does not hesitate to meet regularly on the production site. Other local alcoholic beverages, such as Pastis de Homs, can also be found in the shop.

No you are not dreaming, such a name was predestined for the vine and wine. Marc, a former cellar master, offers a beautiful range of wines, not hesitating to go and discover the estates all over France from which he brings back precious beverages. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are not to be outdone. Since 1996, this small cellar has been full of very good products -whiskies, cognacs, absinthes, beers and gift boxes- which allow you to keep a tasty souvenir of this address, which is a little confidential in the eyes of the general public.

As the villages in the cellars of the Tarn valley remind us, the area around Millau has always been favourable to wine growing. The sandstone and schist soils are subject to the Mediterranean influence and to strong thermal amplitudes. The new winegrowers have managed to restore this 65-hectare vineyard and plant suitable grape varieties: Gamay Noir is present in the red wines, and in the whites, associated with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer Servadou.

Beer lover and lover of his land, Aubrac and the Lot Valley, Sébastien Blaquière created the Brasserie d'Olt in his native village, Saint-Geniez d'Olt, in 1998. His beers and soft drinks - lemonades and colas - are made with water from the Boraldes and the Aubrac mountains. A range of beers, blond, white or amber, is dedicated to the plateau and its wild side. The organic lemonades with chestnut or gentian are also an ode to the natural wealth of the territory. In summer, visits to the brewery end with a tasting.