Gourmet products local specialties and wines Languedoc Roussillon

On a terroir of exceptional schist (Maury) and limestone (Tautavel), Nathalie and Simon produce a range of wines that reflect these two different terroirs. The tasting is done in the superb cellar located on the first floor and which offers behind its large bay window a beautiful view of the Canigó. And what a tasting! We love it as much as the specialized press! At the mas de la Devèze, we love this epinal image of the Catalan farm isolated in the middle of the vineyards. The place has a crazy charm which is completed by the kindness of the wine growers. We love it!

Do you like kiwis, kumquats or pecans? All these fruits are rich in vitamins, antioxidants... and we forget about them. Catherine and Christian welcome you to their orchard and invite you to come and pick the fruits according to the season and until they run out. This is a pleasant way to discover the fruit before biting into it. Finally, don't hesitate to ask Catherine and Christian to explain their environmental approach and their organic production methods. They are a fascinating couple!

A real Breton grocery store in Catalan country, what an idea ! Yes, Nicole la Bretonne welcomes you in her small shop at the entrance of the medieval village and will delight you with her Breton pastries and butter brioche. You will also find ice creams, natural sorbets, gazpacho or milkshakes made in front of you. For the little hungers, Nicole will make you a sandwich on request, or don't hesitate to taste the Catalan pastries, cold cuts, cheeses from our mountains and many other good things.

As in Bashung's song, Thomas is a happy farmer, and he claims it. He has 240 hives spread throughout the department in order to experience the influences of the sea or the mountains. He obtains very varied honeys: lavender, garrigue, rhododendron, maquis, etc. The cold extraction with the centrifuge allows to keep all the virtues and the best aromas. Let's not forget the production of honey vinegar, propolis or the inevitable gingerbread. Many beautiful things to discover and taste.

A real bakery as we like them. In the purest tradition of good bread, the Georget family will delight you with their pastries, pastries and crispy breads. We fell in love with the Guérande salt pavement, a real delight. This place is also the ideal stop for a snack at lunchtime: the quiche and pizzas are just huge and so good. Note that there is a small parking lot in front of the bakery. Finally, we were about to forget the most important thing: a warm and friendly welcome.

Christine cultivates her beautiful trees on 7 hectares on the heights of Laroque. This agri-silviculturist, as she defines herself, aims to enhance the ecosystem, so her orchards are neither irrigated nor treated. Just look at the soil at the foot of the trees, the grass is growing! Everything is done according to the rules of the art and the result is an inimitable taste! "The almond is a fruit rich in iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins, and above all it contains no sugar and fights cholesterol," she confides. A real alicament to be rediscovered.

Driven by a passion for the product, tradition and Catalan culture, André Labaume opened La Confiserie du Tech in 1964. In his small workshop, he devised the recipes for the delicious Rousquille, then Croquants and Tourons. Today, it's the third generation that perpetuates and perpetuates tradition, while bringing a breath of modernity to the company. Rousquille, croquant and touron are still on the shelves, but other delicacies such as caprice, délice, couronne and mantecados have been added.

In Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, just a stone's throw from the cloister, lies a little wonder for the taste buds. Go and taste the pâté de Murcie or the black pudding of Christophe Casenove, you will be conquered. Three generations of butchers and pork butchers who intend to resist industrial consumption for a long time to come and "promote the authentic". As for the meat, it is also flawless: the animals are selected on the spot and preferably come from the region. Le Petit Futé loved the spirit of simplicity and love of the land that permeates this small shop.

In Fenouillet, one of the most beautiful villages of the department, at an altitude of 550 metres, Le Rucher de Flora is a family farm with 250 beehives. Stéphanie and Frédéric practice transhumant beekeeping, that is to say that they move their hives according to the flowering season to obtain diversified honeys. During a visit, you will discover a wide variety of honeys, but also a gingerbread whose manufacture is inspired by an ancestral recipe called "Couque de Dijon". Come and meet them, they are fascinating!

"She had her head in the stars, he had his feet on the ground: in the moonlight, they dreamed of a wine that respects nature and the consumer... On such a noble land, biodynamic work is essential, a work of prevention and not of fight. In the cellar, the vinification is done cold to preserve the taste of the grape: "Our wine must have the taste of this grape! ». The earth is alive and the moon guides the winemaker. Vanessa and Mathieu's wines are like thecall of the forest with a wood fire and a barbecue. A favorite!

Abiès Lagrimus, "tears of fir", are natural products from the Pyrenees. They are made from the cones of the Abies Alba fir tree , harvested by hand in the Canigó massif and transformed into syrup according to an ancestral recipe. 3 fir syrups for health, and a gastronomic, organic range, unique in the world, adopted by starred chefs, always on the lookout for novelties: balsamic cream, 2 vinegars, fir pepper, Fleur de sel des Pyrénées... but also: birch sap, wild rosehip berry jam, oak honeydew... To be tasted and discovered in Sahorre.

The Clos du Rouge Gorge is a small estate of 5 hectares run organically by Cyril Fhal on schist and gneiss terraces. The work of a goldsmith and biodynamics since the beginning. All wine lovers and experts in the wine world know this estate whose wines have contributed to the recognition of the colours of Roussillon beyond our borders. Thank you Cyril for making us enter the big league! His demanding approach, from the "foot of the vine to the glass", is a model for the new generation of winemakers. Refined and distinguished wines!

In a small shop, which nevertheless has a beautiful terrace on rue Paratilla (the street of friends in Perpignan), Daniel invites you to a Spanish interlude with his Serrano de Segovia hams, his chorizo de bellota or his bellota ham aged 36 months. For 13 years he has been serving you ham cut into pieces, whole pieces or simply a nice assortment that you can taste on the terrace in front of his shop or at La Marée next door. You can even order oysters from the fishmonger opposite and eat them on his terrace. We love rue Paratilla.

Attention jewel and colorful character. As much as we love his wines, we love Gilles' glibness, the special way he talks about his work, his love of the land and the farming world. And then when he fills your glass, something magical really happens. To quote a colleague, "his vintages perfectly combine density, greed and freshness". He proposes confidential but ultra precise wines, and above all wines that have presence, like him. The specialized press loves him and we, at the Petit Futé, adore him!

Philippe is one of the few winegrowers in the Conflent. Low yields, manual pressing, punching of the cap... Minimalist work, old-fashioned and organic agriculture, all sprinkled with a lot of love and passion. Carignan, grenache and syrah will delight your taste buds. The vintages of this "garage wine" (because Philippe vinifies in his garage) are straight and well balanced. The juices are full-bodied, colourful and there is a little sweetness that seduces us. Between 4 and 5,000 bottles per year, no more, so hurry up. We'll say it again, a little wine that's on the rise...

How can you tell which is a good butcher's shop? Simply by the people who queue up in the street! At Yannick's, you almost have to make an appointment to be served quickly. If you don't know the difference in taste between a pig that gambols and a pig raised on straw, rush to this dynamic shopkeeper in Formiguères. Le Petit Futé literally fell in love with the quality and flavour of the meat (a taste of yesteryear), but also with the simplicity and love of the trade of this young man with a future. Congratulations!

Traditional bakery, homemade sweets: everything is good at Papou. A real institution in Formiguères and Capcir, this bakery is the place where everyone stops to buy their bread, croissant or cake. People queue up all the way to the street. The owners are adorable. A true welcome from the heart, a spirit of village warmth, a strong sense of tradition that makes you want to stay longer in Formiguères. Small mountain villages are really alive and kicking thanks to their shopkeepers!

Patrick is an organic cattle farmer who lives on the heights of the most southern village in France. The fresh and humid air of the Haut-Vallespir has no equal for the quality of the grass in our department. This nature, cows and good taste fanatic has been raising his animals organically for 20 years (he didn't wait for the fashion to arrive). There are three things to discover at Can Bile: the cows, so beautiful that you could almost dance a tango with them, the meat of an inimitable quality and finally the place nestled in the middle of the mountains and of breathtaking beauty.

A few years ago, Arnaud decided to take over his grandfather's business. This nature lover is very attached to traditions: "I farm like my grandfather, doing everything from A to Z, from the selection of the animals at birth to the making of the cheese". The animals' feed and volumes (the cows do not produce more than 25 litres of milk per day) are very careful. The cheeses are sold at a very reasonable price and are quite simply delicious: tomme, blue or soft cheese are really to fall for.

Thibault Gonzales, the famous breeder of black Gascon pigs, has just opened a butcher's shop in Ponteilla. We have been waiting for a long time for an alternative to his stand at the market in Thuir or at the farm in Montferrer! On a 5 m long stall: meats (pork, beef and lamb), delicatessen, ready meals... 100% organic. Its reputation is such that the greatest restaurants are promoting its products. All you have to do is taste them, these flavours are truly inimitable.

Sophie and Laurent welcome you to their little paradise: an old mill in the forest by a stream. They raise cows of the Tarentaise breed and their cheese, one of the most famous in the department, regularly receives awards. On the menu: fresh milk, tomme, fromage blanc, faisselle, lactic cheeses and brousse. Sophie and Laurent are adorable, they have a beautiful country spirit. Good to know if you fall in love with the place, they have two gites for rent.

Léia and Eric make wines that surprise and delight us. Their juices are the image of this high altitude terroir of Fenouillèdes composed of granite and gneiss: mineral, a little animal and frankly addictive! Now converted to bio-dynamics and natural wine making, this couple collects awards and praise in specialized magazines. The famous La Compagnie des Papillons vintage is a real master stroke according to the experts. A domain to discover absolutely in the heart of a magical and bewitching landscape.

On this terroir of schist blessed by the gods, Sophie and Alain make their vines grow and pamper them "as naturally as possible". Bio-dynamic cultivation and natural vinification and maturing without added sulphur are their credo. This choice to keep the soil alive (without any chemical inputs) is expressed in their cuvées which are just delicious. If you want to initiate yourself to wine tourism, Sophie and Alain propose a discovery itinerary through the vineyards, the medicinal plants and their suberaie (cork oaks).

In Cosprons, a pretty secluded hamlet halfway between Port Vendres and Banyuls, the Cardoner family (grandfather, father and son) cultivates 11 hectares of vines with the passion and simplicity of great men. At Domaine Les Tines, you will discover a beautiful family history in the tradition of Giono's novels. The Cardoner family also has 4 guest rooms with huge terraces (and jacuzzi!) with a plunging view of the Mediterranean. What sharing and happiness!

Pierre Dannoy, a passionate winegrower and a great defender of organic farming, welcomes you to present his natural wines, but also to let you taste his figs, pomegranates, grape juice, jams and olive oil. This man has more than one trick up his sleeve, and depending on the season, there is always something to taste. We love the environment of the domain, wild, arid and so endearing. Pierre's natural wines are fresh and light - a real fruit juice in the mouth! They are perfect for summer meals!

On 10 hectares of clay-limestone soils, Pascal and Jacques run their business brilliantly. They have the wind in their sails and their wines are regularly rewarded by the specialized press. Their wines are powerful while remaining balanced, and the fruit is very present in the mouth. The high altitude terroir preserves the freshness of the wines, and the alcohol takes a back seat. Another reason to go to the Domaine de l'Edre: the setting is purely enchanting - the cirque that stretches between Tautavel and Vingrau is beautiful and invites you to go for beautiful walks.

At Mas Ripouille, in the heart of orchards and market gardens, Nicolas and his team welcome you to the shop where you will also find local products (wine, honey, oil...), some organic food, and above all their beautiful stalls covered with fruit and vegetables from the garden - picked fresh in the morning! At the Ferme du Bio Sillon, in response to the madness of men and intensive agriculture, we propose to you to "eat differently", a search for tasty and healthy food. Other address: République market in Perpignan on Saturday morning.

"I use what nature gives me as material to capture it, transform it, interpret it, refine it to give you a work as close as possible to this raw and noble substance by putting my guts and my heart into it. You have said it all, Raphaël. You make a free and crazy wine, but also a wine made with the greatest respect for biodynamic agriculture and we love it. Nada is a bit of an UFO (unidentified flowing object) in the world of wine, but he has managed to gain the respect of his peers and has the wind in his sails today.

A defender of natural wines without pushing the cork to extremes in the cellar, Philippe cultivates his vineyard (12 ha) with respect for the values of biodynamics, i.e. by refusing the addition of chemical inputs. The vines planted a little higher up on the Maury terroir produce a fine and fresh wine that is quite far from the image one has of the dry wines of the Cru Maury. When the little bather is stripped bare, she reveals a mineral wine with a subtle personality.

All the richness, the difference and the complexity of a high altitude terroir can be found at the bottom of a glass of Domaine du Soula. Red and white wines whose names have become famous: Trigone, Soula or Macération du Soula. Let's be clear, we are talking about exceptional wines. The press and the critics, everyone is talking about this domain and this team that does not have a big head. Wendy and her team will give you the best welcome. The secret of Soula is in two words: a terroir and women. And bravo for the commitment to biodynamic farming!

Gérard Gauby is an exceptional winemaker with an international reputation. Very early on, he was convinced that a natural ecosystem had to be created and preserved. He kept half of the 85 hectares of the estate in woodland, meadows and scrubland, and then quite naturally converted to organic farming. Biodynamic farming was added to the list shortly afterwards. Lionel, his son, who fell in love with grapes at a very young age, accompanies his father today. Rarely do you come across people who speak with such love and respect for nature and their profession. An unmissable domain on the Olympus of the vine.

Another one who is in the news, what a life of a pig! Ronan raises hardy Duroc pigs in the Vallespir region. The animals grow slowly, fed mainly on acorns which they find under a 23 ha forest. And that changes everything! The pigs are raised with respect and animal welfare. You can find his products (fresh meat, cured meats: refined ventrèche, copa, white ham without nitrite salts) in various markets near Céret. The best tables have bet on him. Ronan's pork products are a delight!

In the heart of the old village of Eyne, Amandine and Aurélien welcome you to their little shop in the honey house. You will of course find their honeys (our preference goes to the mountain honey - rhododendron) and the products of the hive: propolis, soap, comb honey... Very committed to the environment, they will tell you why it is necessary to save the bees and stop using pesticides at all costs. Less resistant than militant, this couple in love with the region (the valley of Eyne is one of the most beautiful of the Pyrenees), travels the markets of the region.

Yum yum by Caro and Léo is a bit like an Ali Baba cave. They do a bit of everything: grocery store, wine cellar and restaurant. But with a focus on fine, high-quality products. The dishes are a treat and great care is taken with the presentation. The kitchen is open non-stop from morning to night. Caro and Léo, very dynamic, organize many events, and you can find all the news on their Facebook page. They also offer a catering service. A nice and friendly address to taste local food... of course!

6 hectares of south-facing vines on the foothills of the Pyrenees, in an idyllic setting at the crossroads of Mediterranean and mountain climates. That's all it took to create a unique wine. At Olivier, we don't blend our cuvées. Here, we're dealing with a purist who wants to live off the land and with the land: "the winemaker must take a back seat to the grape variety and the terroir; he's only an instrument, not an end in itself". This rebellious spirit is reflected in his growing methods, and the result is a delicious nectar, natural with zero sulfites, but straightforward and structured!

One place, two wonders: high quality wines conceived and matured by winegrowers respecting an "eco-phyto" charter and a superb cellar to visit. 80 wine growers and a dozen vintages for all palates and budgets. Renovated a few years ago, the building's former unloading docks have been transformed into a tasting room. The highlight of the visit is undoubtedly the ageing cellar for the natural sweet wines located on the first floor. Enchanting!

At the end of the road, at the start of the hiking trails to the springs of Tech and the famous peak of Costabone, there is a small farmhouse of character, beautifully restored. The site is splendid, we are at an altitude of 1150 meters, in a high mountain in a small corner of paradise. The farm of Plana Nera is 60 ha of pastures (up to 1500 m) where dairy goats and young goats graze. Their milk is processed into tomme and lactic cheeses (fresh, semi-fresh and dry, yoghurts). The little extra is the charming mini-camping set up on the land.

Initiates, amateurs or curious, you will find your happiness at Côté Cave. A beautiful and warm place that remains simple and friendly. The proof is that workshops are regularly organised to introduce you to the secrets and magic of fermented fruit: "bar-cocktail, sommellerie, in search of the nuggets of Languedoc..." (details on the regularly updated website). And the icing on the cake, every Saturday morning, market day, the owners bring in a winegrower who offers tasting of his wines. Epicureans without moderation!

Yves and Sophie are committed to organic farming, whose values and principles they defend. They have chosen to breed hardy and resistant cows that are well adapted to our mountains and climate. The range of their production is wide: tomme, soft cheese, fromage frais, fromage blanc, mató, milk jam and blue cheese. Everything is delicious and made with love. An important detail: Sophie transforms the milk in a huge copper cauldron. An alliance of tradition, love of work and sustainable development; everything is said!

This family has been farming organically for several years and raises Montbéliarde cows. As in many farms in rural areas, milking, processing and selling are done on the spot. All the products are delicious (tomme, soft cheese, faisselle, fresh cheese), as you can imagine. The reception of the public is done by appointment but know that you are invited to the milking of the cows every day at 7 pm in summer and 6 pm in winter.

In Matemale, where an authentic mountain village atmosphere still reigns, Aurélia, Claire and Jean-Pierre welcome you to present their delicious goat cheeses, and invite you to a seasonal milking demonstration between 6 and 7 pm. The range of cheeses on offer is extensive: faisselle, lactic, perfumed goat, smoked goat and, last but not least, tomme. At an altitude of 1,500 m, on rich, pollution-free mountain pastures, it's hardly surprising that quality is the order of the day, and that awards have been won at agricultural competitions.

For the record, in the 19th century, Arles had 7 chocolate factories. Contrary to traditional chocolate making, which involves roasting the beans at high temperatures, Florence Losa's cocoa is ground by hand at low temperatures, thus preserving all of its beneficial substances for the health. Florence then shapes her product without refined sugar and adds various local and organic ingredients according to her imagination and the seasons. Simply delicious!

At Marlène and Jérôme's, the cheese is made according to an ancestral method where the milk is brewed by hand, without any mechanics, "only tradition". The visitor is welcomed in a renovated building where stone and wood are honoured. The maturing cellar cannot be visited for reasons of hygiene, but it can be admired behind a large glass window. And the cheeses are just like the two farmers who love their land and work well done. The place is a bit out of the way, but it's really worth making the detour to Aytua.

In the Pérarnaud family, we are proud to be farmers from father to son with the same concern to perpetuate a tradition that is part of modernity. At the farm, we offer you succulent beef and veal (we're not lying to you, we've tasted it!) retail or in parcels, raw milk and fresh cheeses. As tourism has become an economic engine of agriculture, the Pérarnaud farm opens its doors to you every day at the time of milking the cows to let you discover this peasant world from the inside. A beautiful journey to the land of authenticity.

Jean-François is a beekeeper in Serralongue on a wild and wooded territory. The honey house is located on the family property in the small hamlet of Galdarès. It is not very large but as he says himself, "I like to welcome people and talk to them about my job". The product harvested is the image of this passionate nature lover: a unique organic honey that often wins prizes. Do not hesitate to go and meet him, he will show you his honey house, taste his treasures and maybe reveal some secrets.

A shop as we like them, in a real arched cellar, finely decorated, well filled and with a lot of diversity and choice. You can find everything among the local artisanal products: honey, jams, anchovies, local beers... A beautiful summary of Catalan flavours. Want to have a snack without further delay: know that all the products on sale can be enjoyed on the terrace! A great place to have a drink with local products or spend the evening with friends on a pretty square away from the main road.

Pascale and Antoine's organic goat farm offers tome, crottins and fresh cheeses, not forgetting a small production of raspberries that you can come and pick on the spot, or buy in jam or vinegar. And in the words of the Futé, the marriage between goat's cheese and raspberries is a delight! Children will also be delighted as they will come across chickens, pigs and horses on the farm. Pascale and Antoine also offer camping on the farm. In such a bucolic and enchanting setting, we love it.

Do you like ice cream? But not just any ice cream, the ones made with a little sheep's milk and above all a lot of love and tenderness! Organic, creamy, soft, easy to digest and egg-free. Whose fault is that? A breed of Corsican sheep chosen for its rusticity and the richness of its milk. There are ten or so exquisite flavours to choose from, all of which will make your mouth water. And the icing on the cake, because the love of a job well done always pays off, is that you will find the "frozen stars" of La Bergère on the best tables of the department.

In a Catalan farmhouse perched on a soulane (south-facing slope) Ghislaine and Yves raise dairy sheep and produce a cheese with an excellent reputation. The 120 Lacaune ewes produce exceptional milk which, once transformed, is available in tome, cremons (crottins), and fresh cheeses, curds, mato and brousse. The work of the Coste family is regularly rewarded in trade shows. Our shepherds and master cheesemakers also offer a gîte for two people to rent. A great idea for a gourmet and relaxing holiday!

Sébastien Ponramon, Master Chocolatier creates pieces that are true works of art. And it is sincerely painful to bite into his subjects. But greed is stronger than feelings and true cocoa lovers no longer ask the question. Purists will be happy with the percentage of cocoa ranging from 67% to 75%, but it also offers 85% for connoisseurs. And that's not all, because he has created a chocolate with Byrrh, it must be said that his shop is just opposite the cellars, it's a "killer"!