7 places to learn about wine
01 Wine adventure & escape game
“In Search of the Lost Vintage” is an Escape Game offered by the Fabre family, inspired by real events from the late 19th and early 20th century. Teams of 3 to 10 players must solve puzzles to escape a locked room within 60 minutes. The story revolves around finding a lost cuvée, using the Fabre family’s natural winemaking methods to combat fraudulent wine. The game also includes a wine-tasting experience to challenge your taste buds.
During the vineyard walk in the garrigue you’ll learn all about the climate, geology, botany and all the ingredients that forge the personality of local terroirs and wines.
02 Emma and La Maison du Rire
La Maison du Rire in Coustouge is a wine school with a difference. Get to know the region’s wine, food and how to make local specialities. Local ingredients go into the dishes! Take your pick from a tasting with tapas for lunch, a day-long cookery and wine class and a range of themed weekends. Emma can also come to you if you fancy a private tasting with friends at home.
03 A winemaker's passion
Alain Cavaillès is committed to organic winemaking and is all about a job well done. Join him to experience his passion, vision and history at Domaine Le Moulin d’Alon in Magrie. This is your chance to experience the real life of a winemaker and really learn what the job involves: landscape analysis, winemaking techniques, introduction to tasting and more. A way of life that’s as natural as possible!
04 Get your measuring cylinders ready!
Unleash your inner winemaker at a Château Auzias class in Pennautier. What’s the idea? After sampling the winery’s tipples to “give you a taste for it”, it’s your turn to concoct your own wine using the material provided (glasses, spit buckets, blending table). Use your measuring cylinder to blend two single varieties and make your own “jus”. Once you’ve made your wine, it’s time for you to bottle it and stick on your customised label.Take your wine home and host your own tasting experience!
05 Château classes
Château de Paraza hosts practical classes suitable for beginners introducing wine tasting methods and learning to recognise grape varieties, terroirs and techniques next door to the Canal du Midi. There’s a whole host of courses and classes to choose from depending on your expertise and areas of interest. There are even vineyard picnics and truffle tasting workshops!
06 The secret behind the bubbles
Take family or friends on a trip to Limoux! Unlock the secrets behind the bubbles in the maze of cellars at the oldest Blanquette and Crémant de Limoux winery. The unique guided tour calls on all your senses and sparks your imagination as it showcases the magical famous bubbles in screenings and “sound and light” shows. Wander among the displays and have a go at turning by hand, something that’s still very much part of the Maison Guinot: 30,000 bottles a day! If you love wine or are thirsty for knowledge, get an insight into the expertise of six generations of vine growers and winemakers at classes lasting a few hours or a full day.
07 Sensorial tasting
Stéphanie and Vincent, oenologists, welcome you to their estate Le Fort in the Malepère terroir for an original experience: the sensory workshop “Le Parfum des Anthocyanes”. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced wine-taster, this 3-hour workshop is open to everyone. After learning how to identify the sensations you perceive and associate the appropriate terms with them, you’ll practise by tasting 6 wines from the estate’s extensive range.
