WINE ROUTE BETWEEN GRES DE MONTPELLIER AND PIC SAINT-LOUP

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Between vineyards and "manades", we discover the château, rather a folly like those that dot the Montpellier countryside. Private, the château can be visited on request. Don't miss the church of St Martial, inherited from the Languedoc Romanesque period (late 11th, early 12th century). Inside, the 1906 organ. Taste the wines of the Grés de Montpellier appellation. The expression Grés (pronounced: gré) comes from the Occitan caillou and refers to the poor, stony soils found at the top of the hills, which, thanks to the Mediterranean influence, enable the vines to grow deeper roots and lower yields. A selection of the best plots produces the elegant red wines characteristic of the appellation.

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The ecosite pathway in the village showcases the vanished skills of the charcoal burners. It recounts the lives of generations of men and women who came from Italy after the First World War to live in small dry-stone huts known as charbonnières. Day and night, they supervised the cooking of skilful holm oak millstones to deliver charcoal to the town. This Romanesque church was raised during the Hundred Years' War.

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Built in an area rich in prehistoric, proto-historic and Gallo-Roman sites. Classified as a Natura 2000 site, the Puech offers superb panoramic views all the way to the Cévennes, as well as a rock-climbing area. The wines are classified under the Languedoc-Grés de Montpellier appellation. Follow the "babara" road, signposted "sur la route des verriers". A pretty little road surrounded by vines, right and left, surrounded by garrigue... Quite simply, the countryside!

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Here we are in Vacquières. Here, you'll see an old wind pump, built over a well dug in 1899 to bring water to a reservoir in the center of the village. A small wine-growing village, it is also home to two glass-blowing craftsmen. On the road, the small hamlet of Vabre.

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"La Vigne épanouie". The vineyard alternates between landscapes enclosed by dense, evergreen Mediterranean vegetation and those opening onto a vineyard sublimated by the majestic reliefs of the Pic Saint-Loup and the Hortus. Near the Hameau de Lascours, see Notre Dame d'Aleyrac (see Vignes en paysages tour no. 9). A little hidden, a little in plain sight, this little heritage deserves to be seen... Sauteyrargues and its four hamlets (Vabre, Laudou, Lascours, Les Rives) offer small roads and forest paths ideal for walking or cycling. From Sauteyrargues, return to Assas via Saint-Mathieu. On the main road, admire the curving vineyards of Mas Bruguière and Lancyre, against the backdrop of the Pic and the Hortus. This is vineyard country ....

+33 4 48 20 05 28

Grand Pic Saint Loup Tourist Office

Vignobles et Découvertes