Wines and spirits Midi-Pyrénées

Joli Rouge is a microbrewery in the Tarn et Garonne region of France, where beers of character are produced since 2012, varying with the seasons and according to their taste. On the spot in a pleasant setting both rustic and industrial, you can taste the beers of the moment on draught or buy them to go, with a choice between hopped beers, IPA, Pale Ale, brown or blonde and flavored beers, with citrus or red fruits. In their store, you can also find a range of beer vinegar.

Kevin Bardet is listening to his predecessor, Bernard Bouyssou, to continue to perpetuate the polyculture, biodynamics and the wines of Lafage. Passionate about wine, Kevin's project is not only to prolong the history of the vineyard but also to develop a whole range of wines. His 12 hectares of vines are biodynamic and produce a high quality organic red wine. In the shop, you can of course buy a whole range of wines but also other products from the farm such as meats for example.

The Château de Belaygues is part of the Vignobles et découvertes network as well as Bienvenue à la Ferme. Guillaume Veyrac, the owner, produces Fronton appellation wines. Elegant, aromatic and flowery red and rosé wines, Fronton appellation, but also dry (100% Viognier) and sweet (100% Semillon). Adept at oenotourism, they will open the doors of their cellar and let you discover their 13 ha of vines. No discovery without tasting in the cellar... Horse riders and camping-cars can be accommodated.

Marc Penavayre is about 60 medals in major competitions over the last ten years. The word quality takes its full meaning here. Located on the highest terrace of the Tarn, the vineyard covers 26 ¾ ha, 65 of which are negligent. This exceptional situation, supported by modern winemaking at the level of the winery and crowned with the know-how of the winemaker, nourishes the reputation of this great house. The heart of Thibaut, where charm and vinosity combine. Cultivated for generations, the exploitation was picked up and enlarged by Marc in 1991, coming after Louis his father. Today it has 30 hectares of vine refilled on gentle cultivation techniques. The recipe is simple: a work of the vine to the nearest land, without fertilizers or weeds, favoring natural products, harvesting a very healthy harvest, very healthy, sorted, and guided vinifications by the idea of «making the earth speak» in indigenous yeasts. Wines are neither glued nor filtered. Today they are very beautiful ambassadors of the negligent grape, which for almost two thousand years has made their charm and incomparable originality. More than ever, the concern is to make a wine 100% grape juice. The farm has been officially converted to organic farming since 2008 and now holds organic qualification from its vintage 2011.

400,000 years ago, the first men were already shaping the estate, and flints cut by their hands can be found at the foot of the vineyards. This clay soil has been used for vine growing since the 12th century. The estate was created in 1928 by two Italian brothers who bought small plots of vines. The name Bouissel was not adopted until 1989. Fanny and her husband Luc took over the estate in January 2020. Available in red, rosé and white, the wines of Château Bouissel have been awarded several distinctions.

Here is the main producer of the Vins Noirs du Brulhois, authentic wines of the land, structured, with aromas of candied fruits, jam, leather and tobacco. Their very dark colour comes from this land at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and oceanic influences, as well as from the filtering gravel soils. Recent medals testify to the high quality of the production. But the other rising speciality is the Grain d'Amour, a sweet rosé wine with muscatel aromas.

Philippe Selle, the winemaker has been organic since 2008 and has recently taken a new step with biodynamics. For this peasant winemaker, respect for the vines and his wine is natural and the switch to organic was the result of a process. He tells us about his job and his vision of the vine with passion. With his wife Michelle, they open their estate to visitors and offer fun and original meetings. Philippe loves his job and takes the time to talk to people and to welcome them. Whenever he can, he takes you on a tour of his vineyards.

In 1952, Angelo Iseppi and his family left Italy for the Tarn et Garonne. For seven generations, the passion for wine has endured at Domaine Labastidum. In 1981, Alain, his second son, enlarged the property located on the origins of the village of Labastide-Saint-Pierre, which today counts 55 hectares and it is Jérémy, Angelo's grandson, who takes over the family exploitation to continue to guarantee their know-how. They offer a sparkling wine, reds AOC Fronton and a white wine of chardonnay and semillon grapes.

Magnificent residence, of regional and Persian style. A vineyard divided between tradition and modernism gives the best of its soil. The vines, managed in organic culture certified by Ecocert, are strewn with perennial flowers, lupins, fenugreek, oats, broad beans and other plants that transfer nitrogen from the air to the earth! This quality policy results in yields below the appellation limit. The king grape variety for Fronton wines, as for the estate, remains the négrette (called pinot Saint-Georges in the United States).

Careful you don't leave empty-handed if you enter my house... Kevin Gessler's. He runs the Domaine de Joÿ with his sister and also owns this cellar, located at the entrance to Nogaro. More than 600 references occupy the presentation cubes or wooden crates of this luminous shop. A real treasure cellar, most of the nuggets come from the South-West. However, Kevin also offers a short list of wines from elsewhere, whether from other French regions or from more distant vineyards such as this Austrian zweigelt. Homemade beers rub shoulders with wines. These are also available in 16-litre or 30-litre barrels for your parties. In this case, the filler is loaned to you by the cellar master. If you prefer spirits, here again the selection is very specific: gin and vodka from the Gers, rum from the Philippines, Japanese whisky or pure malt from Scotland. The Armagnacs come directly from the Domaine de Joÿ: VSOP, XO, out of age, vintage or special blends, there is something for every (good) taste and every budget. You can accompany your purchases with savoury biscuits or coucoucoucounettes from Pau, or one of the many delicatessen marvels. Here, everything is thought for you to spend a real moment of pleasure.

The Domaine is made up of 50 ha, of which 8 ha are vines (the rest is cereals). These 8 ha of vines are entirely worked by hand: Thierry, Dominique and Lucas favour a reasoned approach to viticulture. The grape varieties are numerous and the wine is matured on site for an incomparable result. To buy their products or to visit the estate, don't hesitate to come and talk to this friendly team.

For years, it has been the largest wine store in the city. In total, Brice Guiral aligns no fewer than 1 250 bottle references! This wine merchant has been released straight from the wine university in Orange and is also formed with Scotch whisky distilleries. Also, at home, Pétrus and Château d'Yquem for Bordeaux, or Maison Jadot for the Bourgognes, compete with a large selection of gaillacs and wines from Languedoc, and 130 kinds of whiskies as well as dozens of eaux-de-vie. What to have your head running!

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.

You won't find a shop specialising in more original local products! Formerly a railway tunnel, this atypical and superb cellar was not destined to one day host the most beautiful references of wines and spirits! But if we say that discovering the world of cognacs and other products is a journey, then the place lends itself magnificently to the productions it houses! Gastronomic products and delicatessen complete the picture, and the two young and dynamic wine merchants are, what's more, perfectly helpful!

Jérôme, a passionate wine merchant, welcomes and advises wine lovers and fine gourmets in his pretty shop. Here, you will find 100 cahors and coteaux-du-quercy at estate prices, but also wines from all over France, as well as local products, spirits, etc. Quality is without context the key word of the place. Recently, the cellar is also a wine bar with a catering service. A must for lovers of Quercy's terroir and all the little delicacies so dear to the palate.

Wine producer, Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux offers in his Atrium cellars the wines of his production where his two must-have Châteaux of the Cahors appellation are honoured: Château de Haute-Serre and Château de Mercuès. You will find in his cellars Atrium, a unique concept of wine shop with more than a hundred references, a wide selection of wines and spirits, aperitifs and regional products, a tasting area and professional advice. The Atrium is the ambassador of Maison Georges Vigouroux wines.

Jean-Jacques Omassi draws his energy from the vine. As an artisan winemaker, he favors a reasoned culture that respects his environment. On his 10 hectares, he proposes wines of character resulting from his passion and in the family traditions, he harvests, vinifies and markets his wine from his cellar. He offers Ratafia, a liqueur wine made at harvest time with fresh grape juice, but also two red wines, two rosés and a white. Do not hesitate to visit him at the domain for a moment of sharing.

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.

When Toy Country decides to become a land of beers, it does so without concession. The style is English, the water comes from the valley, the craftsmanship and the incredible environment. The names of the vintages are inspired by the great sites: cuvée du col du Tourmalet, du pic du Midi, du Cirque de Gavarnie... Amber, brown, white and the amazing IPA form the basis. Special brews: Christmas or spring beers regularly join the troops. You can enjoy a beer at the nicely decorated bar or on the terrace facing the Gave de Gavarnie.

The Couture family presents its great Cahors wines, its range of IGP Côtes du Lot, its ratafia, traditional aperitif, and its grape juice. The story of the passion for the vine begins in 1470 with the Couture family, where we find the trace of an ancestor, winegrower of the Lord of Albas. More recently, the imprint of a great-great-grandmother gave her first name to the property: all these ancestors have bequeathed centuries of know-how and love for the precious garnet-colored liquid. Winner of the Septuor des Entreprises 2022 in the "International" category.

Founded in 1950, the Condom wine cooperative represents 1,356 hectares of vineyards. It produces flocs, the inevitable armagnac of course, and côtes-de-gascogne, not forgetting saint-mont. The "Val de Gascogne" group has joined forces with Plaimont Producteurs, and the cooperative is committed to bringing to life forgotten local grape varieties, such as the black Manseng of Moonseng, and markets the very rare Saint-Mont made from pre-phylloxera vines.

Céline and Sébastien Castan created their distillery by settling the still of their grandfather Castan. Already known for their white fruit spirits, they are now recognized for their craft whiskies launched in 2010. You will be able to get your numbered bottle chosen among five styles of Vilanova: the Berbie, matured in new barrels; the Gost, aged in American bourbon oak barrels; the Terrocita, peaty, aged in oak barrels; the Roja, aged in red wine barrels and the Segala, with rye malt.

The Maison des vins offers a variety of activities and information on the Saint Mont vineyards and the wines of the appellation. Visitors can learn more about local winemakers, discover the different wines produced in the region and even take part in wine tourism events. The Maison des Vins website also offers information on accommodation in the area, sightseeing tours and things to do in Saint Mont.

Laurent and Fabien Causse are the sixth generation of winemakers on the estate. They wished to give the name of the spring to their top-of-the-range wines, such as the Saint-André cuvée (a red AOC, 12 months in barrel) and the mauzac (a white, which remains in oak barrels for 6 months), but also to their traditional and local wines, including a rosé. A permanent research work, in reasoned agriculture, led to the elaboration of a sweet wine (limited series) served on the big tables of the region, between tradition, innovation and quality.

This first Gaillac hillside has seen more than five generations of the Auque family succeed one another, united by the same passion  : the love of gaillac. Like Melanie, their granddaughter, the women and men of this family have shaped this 35 hectare estate, plot after plot. Over the years and seasons, their work accompanies each vine stock, producing a very complete range: the Hauts de Laborie are presented in dry, pearled, rosé, red, Gaillacoise and sweet. The Mélanie cuvée in dry white and red (gold medal in Paris in 2008), presented in several vintages, is the result of a rigorous selection of the oldest plots. The Selection of old vines in red and white is a rather surprising speciality, such as this very aromatic grape juice called Grain de vigne, intended mainly for young people, and drivers!

Chantal and Nicolas Lebrun have been combining their know-how here since 2005, and are responsible for all the stages of the production of their wines. Mr. is an oenologist, so you can trust the ranges offered: fruity and acidulous white gaillac, fruity and spicy rosé, red with a dominant duras, sweet gaillac, but above all dry white gaillac aged on lees in barrels and braucol red gaillac unfined, unfiltered, combining power and finesse. Many of their wines have been awarded prizes by specialised guides. The Cuisineries Gourmandes network made no mistake about it!

Domaine Capmartin, it is the work of Guy Capmartin who took again the estate in 1986. Left with 1.5 hectare it gradually extended until the 18 hectares today. The last innovation of this impassioned is a conversion with the organic farming in 2010. A new challenge which bears fruit with in 2011, production of its first raw labeled AB. The strategic location of these vineyards enables him to benefit from Madiran names, Pacherenc of Vic-Bilh, Béarn and Côte of Biscay, as many prestigious names which are added to the quality of these wines. The years, often applauded by the critics, were preceded several times as at Elutriating World Wine Awards or the Old Vineyards in Bordeaux... as many rewards deserved well for grand crus!

In the village of Lanne-Soubiran, between Nougaro and Aire-sur-l'Adour, you will find the Large estate Jean. It has four generations which cultivates the vineyard on an estate of 12 acres. Since 2000, Francis initiated the vinification and the setting in bottles with a first vintage, "Le Toupiet" high sweet wine in oak barrels, 100% small manseng. He had over the years bear fruit its range and offers désormains dry white, medium-dry and red wine and sparkling wine. The range is complete so if you go will not leave yourself again the empty handeds.

Situated on the border of the Gers and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, this 25-hectare vineyard is in the hands of Alain Bortolussi and produces AOC Madiron and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh wines. His vintages have won numerous awards, notably at the Concours Général Agricole: well-deserved rewards to crown the work of this winegrower who is constantly renewing himself and committing himself to these vines. To discover the Liqueur Wine: 100 % Tannat, prepared with grapes harvested at over-ripeness, perfectly fermented; ample in the mouth with a powerful nose, it is excellent chilled as an aperitif. Finally, Viella Castle hosts events all summer long. All year round you can follow the walk of the Gardens of Aure through the vineyards. A very pleasant walk between tradition and modernity. The walk ends in the wine storehouse, in a recently restored room where you can enjoy a tasting with the owner of the place.

Do you know the Longueteau? In the Antilles, this family was originally the first of the distilleries of Rum. Since 1999, Delphine and Jean have left the Guadeloup and, with a wealth of oenological knowledge, they market their own Cahors. In the Antilles, the Cahors was the most consumed wine because it better supported travel than others from metropolitan areas. The 5 ha of merlots and malbec are ideal for red meat and fatty livers. The property also sells honey, nuts, prunes, but mainly the coco punch, ginger, pineapple, the fruits of passion, amber rum and ti-punch, not forgetting the 62% white rum, one of the only three distilleries in the world to propose it!

Owned by Marie-Paule and Yves Burrus, the Château de Saurs is inspired by Palladian architecture and Venetian villas. So much so that the residence, like its splendid park, is listed in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments. Well established in the heart of the Gaillacois vineyard, the estate covers 42 hectares, 38 of which are planted with red grape varieties, conducted in organic farming and combining tradition and cutting-edge technology. The vaulted cellar is located underneath the building. We discover the nectars of the place during a tasting at the Cellar where we welcome you for always very fine purchases.

Cécile and Thierry are real bottle magicians. This fine-nosed duo holds the reins of this cellar - often highly recommended - located on the Chemin de Causse. On site, they receive many orders and ship them both nearby and to neighbouring departments. In the boxes, we find mainly organic and medal-winning wines from the region, so that wine shops are also very much in demand by restaurants in Tarn. But what also makes the cellar's reputation is its drive, which the duo has fun calling the "wine drive". The principle is simple: you order on the Internet, make an appointment and pick up your precious cargo. Definitely very clever!

Traditional production almost confidential for a quality vineyard, hectares located at the foot of the village of Sauzet. A rational culture and work passion for the Resseguier family for three generations, a few rows free from any treatment, priority is given to seedlings used by organic farming. Clos Resseguier AOC is an excellent choice in terms of value for money.

The Villa Malbec is the official showcase for Cahors AOC wines, and is the official tasting space for Cahors Malbec wines in its refined and lounge-like decor. The establishment, which is part of the Union Interprofessionnels des Vins de Cahors, does not sell bottles but rather presents quality products. 86 winegrowers are represented there. Villa Malbec regularly organises after-work evenings open to both novices and amateurs. You will not fail to find a quality service. A must in Lot oenology.

The 16th century castle stands guard over the 80 ha vineyard. This exceptional estate has a store on the property but also in Cahors and Padirac. Alain-Dominique Perrin, its owner, is a passionate person. Everything is harvested and sorted by hand. The vinification is done according to traditional methods combined with state-of-the-art technology. The wine is aged in oak barrels in the underground cellars. Numerous medals have rewarded the production of wines for aging, among the best of the appellation. Visit of the cellar by appointment.

The most eastern wine estate in the Lot valley, at the confluence of the Lot and Célé rivers, established for over 140 years on these lands, the property belongs to Vincent Dols, agricultural engineer and oenologist. Vincent perpetuates the family tradition by offering wines made from 12 grape varieties grown on 18 hectares: 1 cuvée Tradition (60% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 20% malbec), 1 cru Sémenole blanc (60% chardonnay and 40% sauvignon blanc) and 1 sweet white wine made from 100% chenin, ideal for accompanying foie gras and as an aperitif To be discovered!

A family vineyard for 4 generations, Château la Caminade is one of the most emblematic productions of Cahors wine. It was in 1973, the day after the AOC Cahors was made official, that Marcel and his son Léonce marketed their production spread over the 35 hectares of the estate. Sheltered behind the hills, the vine, planted on old alluvial terraces, has found its favourite terroir there. In the coolness of their cellars, you can taste 4 cuvées with the characteristic and powerful aromas of the great Cahors.

Maison Louis Roque is the fruit of a family tradition, a passion that has been passed on for 5 generations. It was established in 1905 in Souillac by Louis Roque. Many products are made here, including Vieille Prune, which is now considered one of the ambassadors of the Lot. Other liqueurs, regional aperitifs, creams and brandies, fruits in jars, condiments... are made there. Also on sale are a range of carafes and gift boxes. You can't come to Souillac without visiting Louis Roque!

This house, founded under Louis-Philippe, is proud to be the oldest in Armagnac. For 180 years, the Dartigalongue family has watched over the maturation of their eaux-de-vie in a magnificent cellar in the heart of Nogaro. Their armagnacs are the result of the blending of ugni blanc, baco and folle-blanche. They are distilled in a low-temperature still and aged for many years in oak barrels from the region. The house presents a very complete collection of eaux-de-vie (VSOP, hors d'âge, vintage...).

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...

A true ambassador for the world's wines, beers and spirits, Quentin - a globe-trotter with a passion for oenology and indigenous grape varieties - has already visited and worked in many countries, including Russia, Georgia and Argentina. With his partner Lucille, they have brought back from their many travels bottles from all over the world, but you'll also find local wines (including Cahors), with quality as the only common denominator! You'll find a warm welcome, sound advice and bottles you can't find anywhere else.

From the gentle Gers landscape, here is an address that has drawn everything from it. Veuve Lafontan raises wine distillation to the rank of excellence. Béatrice Mandon only produces exceptional armagnacs. To taste her armagnacs is to discover treasures of diversity and complexity and an authentic aromatic palette. The eaux-de-vie are aged in 200 to 400 litre pedunculate oak barrels. The treasure room contains an exceptional collection with a range of vintages from 1888 to 1969 preserved in casks.

Oc'Ale beers were born in Lafrançaise in 1998. It is one of the oldest breweries in the Midi-Pyrénées region. The brewery produces fairly classic, old-fashioned beers in the pure tradition of top-fermented beers. The first brews produce two beers: a very smooth white and a rather malty black. A blonde and an amber follow. New beers have arrived, including an IPA and now a range of seven beers. You can visit the factory by prior appointment. The welcome is friendly and very educational.

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.

In the west of Gers, at the Domaine de Maniban, Armagnac Castarède is the oldest Armagnac trading house. In the heart of the Bas-Armagnac region, the 16 hectares of vines of the estate are composed of three grape varieties: Folle Blanche, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. Since 1832, their know-how has been transmitted from generation to generation: distillation on the property according to the traditional method, with two stills; ageing double the legal minimum in local black oak barrels; bottling on the property.

Five generations. 150 years of operation. 45 hectares of vines. This estate accompanies you from the Floc de Gascogne aperitif, through the harmony of rocky and powerful reds, small rosés or whites served chilled, and ending with an out-of-age armagnac that smells good of the terroir.Philiipe Fezas has been able to impose her high quality vintages: rewarded with 5 gold medals in 2015, at national competitions such as the Concours Général Agricole de Paris, the South-Western Wine Competition, and international competitions in Hong Kong or Canada.

For Michel, a dentist by profession, the name was obvious and there was no need to look for the roulette wheel, here we plough and scrape by hand, the old-fashioned way... and without pain. On 3.5 ha, nearly 2 ha are devoted to the vineyard, mostly planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The red is characterized by its power. Very typical, it owes its aromas to a maturation of 15 months in special barrels. As for the rosé, it does not demerit and delivers its fruity flavours... Go and discover this vineyard, no doubt you will fall in love with it!

Born in 1878 by Prosper - the great grandfather -, the Arbeau company is a 100% family-owned and operated structure! In 1920, the family acquired "Château Coutinel" and developed its wine business. 100 years later, it is the great-grandchildren : Anne and Géraud who run the store. Located in the Fronton PDO, the estate covers 70 hectares and cultivates different grape varieties: negrette, braucol, gamay, syrah, merlot, sauvignon and viognier. HVE 3 certified in 2018, the vineyard has been in organic conversion since 2017, was certified in 2021 and continues its development in 2022.

Faced with the excellence they represent today, it is difficult to imagine that the wines of the Laffitte brothers are still very young. A dazzling arrival, greeted by the greatest specialists and awarded several times: gold and silver medals across the entire range at Gilbert&Gaillard, gold at Best Wine in Box for the Petit Gascoûn dry white, silver and bronze at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris... The medals are raining but Christophe and Sébastien keep their heads on their shoulders and their feet in the vineyard. The estate has existed since the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the oldest archives dating back to 1400, and was first intended for Armagnac, but on the highest hills of Ayzieu, the terroir was ideal for offering minerality, freshness and power to the wines. The two brothers worked on the regional grape varieties to bring them to the peak of their expression. Colombard, large and small manseng, sauvignon blanc and gris, chardonnay for the whites, cabernet franc, malbec and marselan for the reds are traditionally grown on 120 ha. They are available in three ranges focused on freshness, pleasure and conviviality. The last of the ranges, Domaine de Plaisance is available in white, rosé and soft that will perfectly accompany beautiful summer evenings. Let us not forget the armagnacs distilled in a traditional still and confined to aging in 400-litre rooms.

Brother and sister run this magnificent wine cellar and grocery store in the center of town. The welcome is warm and smiling. You'll be well advised. In addition to local vintages and other wines, you'll find local beers and rum, as well as charcuterie and cheese from small valley producers, preserves, ready-made meals, herbal teas and sweet delights. A truly wonderful discovery, this authentic boutique will delight all gourmets and connoisseurs. A second address has opened on this street.