Gourmet products local specialties and wines Eauze

Welcome to this family estate passed down by women from generation to generation since the 17th century. The spirit of heritage conservation has led the owners to open a museum where old farming tools are accumulated. The visit continues in the still room and the cellar with its huge oak rooms. Viticulture and vinification, animation of the museum, reception, marketing, here, each task is assigned to a member of the family.

Monique and Bernard Molas' farm is a magnificent 18th century manor house that they have patiently renovated. They raise ducks and geese which they transform marvellously: whole duck foie gras, whole goose foie gras, block of duck and goose liver, stuffed duck neck... You won't be disappointed when you taste their award-winning products at agricultural fairs. Gites and B&Bs allow them to organize themed stays, tasting weekends and workshops entirely dedicated to foie gras cooking.

There are 195 winegrowers in the Gers, producing gascognes, floc, armagnac, Saint Mont, madiran and pacherenc. To build a strong image around their products, the federation has launched the Charte du vigneron récoltant (winemaker's charter): the winemaker undertakes to work his vines, vinify and distill his wine, bottle his own products, market only his own production, and welcome and enjoy presenting the fruit of his labor at tastings.

After having crossed a huge alley lined with vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see (hundreds and hundreds of hectares), a pretty Gascon residence imposes itself to you in all its splendor: it is the castle of Tariquet. The Grassa family has owned it since 1912. It is one of those Armagnac producers who have chosen to maintain the folle-blanche grape variety, the oldest in the region. They also successfully revived the Côte-de-Gascogne appellation in the 1980s, offering a range of high quality whites at low prices.

Château de Millet offers tastings and sales of its armagnacs, floc and wines in an enchanting environment. Cuvées and vintages are regularly awarded prizes in renowned competitions or quoted in specialist magazines and guides. The château also has a gîte for 6 people to rent. It is installed in the old dovecote of the domain. Do not hesitate to walk to the pond, which is a Natura 2000 site and shelters an exceptional fauna and flora (cistude turtles, cormorants, herons...).

The Villa Dria estate is renowned for its light, fine and fruity Côtes-de-Gascogne. This unusual name was given to the estate in memory of the time when the Romans planted vines in the region. They guessed that this land, composed of sand, clay and silt, pleasantly tempered and gently sunny, would be ideal for viticulture. Today, the main grape varieties of Gascony are almost all present, to give white, red and rosé wines that regularly win prizes in agricultural competitions.

Victimof its tourist, cultural and economic success, the town of Eauze has seen its traditional Thursday morning market grow so much in the summer that it has decided to set up an additional market. Every Sunday morning in July and August, Eauze welcomes local producers and artisans for a catch-up session. Close to the Saint-Luperc cathedral, a good twenty local producers gather on the beautiful Place d'Armagnac, with its medieval vaulted arcades and pleasant cafés sometimes enlivened by local bandas.

If the quality of local Armagnac production is on the whole very high, some estates stand out for their excellence. This is the case of the Laffitte family's multi-medal-winning crus in Ayzieu, not far from Eauze, whose letters of nobility were acquired by Patrick and Andrée. Their sons Christophe and Sébastien have preserved this heritage with talent. Their armagnacs should seduce you, as well as their white wines Petit Gascoûn.

The Eauze fat market is held every Sunday morning in the Belle-Marie market hall, right next to the Nimeño II bullring. Don't miss out on the best products, which sell out in the blink of an eye: the market starts with the bell at 10 a.m. sharp! As well as a meat poultry market, it's a great opportunity to discover local produce, in the extraordinary atmosphere typical of the halles au gras du Gers. You can also enjoy a hearty Gascony breakfast. There's also a large Christmas market on the Sunday before the Nativity.

The domain of Pajot, began its organic conversion in 2001 and obtained the certification in 2013. It produces Côtes-de-Gascogne, Floc and Armagnac. The grape varieties of colombard, ugni-blanc, gros manseng and sauvignon are selected with passion and rigor by Damien Barreau. Through the visit of the vineyards and the tasting of wines, flocs and armagnacs, you will be advised and accompanied to find the one adapted to your tastes. We recommend for example the Quatre Cépages, a fresh dry white wine with aromatic notes of citrus, boxwood and exotic fruits.

The Domaine du Pountet lives in the vineyard at the rhythm of nature. It has the astonishing characteristic of vinifying grapes belonging to the Brulhois appellation next to Eauze. Guillaume Combes took over a 13 ha vineyard in Saint-Cirice near Valence-D'agen in 2003. In the respect of the Brulhois PDO, Guillaume makes full-bodied and ripe red wines from a blend of merlot and tannat or 100% Malbec. His rosé and his sweet white wines benefit from the PGI Comté Tolosan. The Domaine du Pountet also harvests and sells its own honey.