Real Life Stories: Running a Vineyard in the Languedoc

Peter and Deborah Core tell Steve Turnbull how they turned personal tragedy into business success at their vineyard in Hérault in the south of France

T he charming village of Caux lies at the heart of the Hérault department, between the mountains of the Haut-Languedoc and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s also surrounded by vineyards. No wonder Peter and Deborah Core chose to follow their dream and make a new life here.

Another of Caux’s characteristics is that it’s a circulade village, like many in the area. This means it was built defensively during the Middle Ages in the form of concentric circles. Typically, these radiate from a castle, and/or church-in this case, the 12th-century Église St- Gervais with its Romanesque architecture and very pretty bell tower. Just a stone’s throw from the centre of the village. down one of the side streets. to the west, you’ll find the couple’s lovely home and winery, Mas Gabriel.

They moved here in 2006 having spent almost a year searching the Languedoc (Peter fell in love with the region in his youth) for somewhere that ticked their main boxes. Before that, they spent 18 months in New Zealand learning to make wine-a much more complex process than many realise and a very different proposition from their previous line of work (Deborah had been a solicitor in the UK and Peter was a financial director).

With so much to learn about the business in France though, it felt initially like they’d dived into the deep end. Nevertheless, they produced their first wine soon after moving and now own more than six hectares of vineyard. On this, they grow several Mediterranean grape varieties (cépages) including Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Vermentino. As the name suggests, Vermentino originally comes from Italy and for generations that wasn’t a problem for winemakers in the Languedoc. However, the Italians have recently won their case and an EU regulation has now come into effect banning its use on wine labels locally.

Regardless, the Caux area, which is part of the Pézenas- Languedoc appellation, remains a unique terroir – the main reason that attracted Peter and Deborah to it. As Deborah explains, the soil locally has a “particular character that makes it well suited to making high-quality and distinctive wines”. More specifically, it consists of Villafranchian gravel, silt and basalt. As Peter adds: “Volcanic soil is very rare in the Languedoc and it helps to give the wine freshness and a good balance of acidity.”

Fascinatingly, though, just 3km down the road in the Pézenas direction, the soil in their smaller vineyard is very different – the rolled pebbles, which store heat and soak up water, are similar in fact to those found at Châteauneuf-du- Pape in the Rhone valley.

But why the name Mas Gabriel? In fact, the term mas (from the Latin ‘the place where one stays’) means a ‘traditional farm or country house’ and is widely used across the south of France. However, as Deborah explains, they chose the second part very deliberately as a tribute and memorial.

“Gabriel was our baby son who was born very prematurely in February 2002. He was a twin but his brother was stillborn. He lived for just five weeks and, of course, we were completely devastated by the loss of both boys. We had to make sense of the trauma and knowing that we couldn’t carry on in London with our stressful jobs, we eventually decided on the vineyard in the Languedoc project.” In other words, as so often happens in life, their personal tragedy provided the impetus for both a complete change of career and environment.

There were other important reasons behind them choosing the Languedoc (now part of Occitanie), though. First, there was the climate. Of course, like everywhere else in France, climate change has begun to make more and more of an impact on the local wine industry but typically, conditions are very favourable. Winters are cold and summers are long and hot. Plus, when it does rain, there is often a strong northwesterly wind which dries the vines, helping to keep rot at bay.

Second, they knew the area had established a reputation for being very dynamic and open to ‘outsiders’. Indeed, there are winemakers here from all over the world, including many from the UK.

Having a very eco-conscious and nature-loving outlook, the couple decided from the outset to make their wine as environmentally friendly as possible (the estate was organic, or ‘bio’, before they took it over). This means, for example, that they plant, harvest and weed the vines 100% by hand, and completely avoid the use of chemical pesticides/fertilisers. Instead, they use herbal decoctions and composted cow manure. They also follow a broadly ‘biodynamic’ approach, creating a healthy soil (they view this as a ‘living organism’) that in turn gives healthy vines and healthy grapes.

In 2009, their hard work paid off with organic certification, and their yield has increased impressively since. In a good year they can expect to produce between 18,000 and 24,000 bottles (their range includes two reds, a rosé and – weather-permitting – two whites). They also operate a ‘WineFunding’ (crowdfunding for wine lovers) scheme that helps to protect them from poorer harvests and promotes a stronger connection with their market. Speaking of which, their wines are bought by some of France’s best independent wine merchants, and have been acknowledged in various wine books.

The couple also won a prestigious award recently for their Trois Terrasses red at the world’s largest organic wine competition (Millésime Bio) held in nearby Montpellier.

On her blog, Languedoc wine expert Rosemary George has sung the praises of Trois Terrasses (2018 vintage) too: “So called as the grapes come from three adjacent terraces. The principal variety is Carignan, blended with some Syrah and Grenache. The Carignan vines are at least 50, if not 65, years old. The wine is aged in a cement vat. Deep young colour. Fresh spice and red fruit on the nose, with more fresh fruit on the palate. There is a firm fresh streak of tannin, which gives the wine structure, balanced by some flesh from the Grenache. I love the fresh finish of Carignan, making it a very refreshing wine. Carignan is often criticised for being a tad rustic; this belies the generalisation with an elegant finish.”

Recognising the importance of connecting with their community as well as building a business, Peter and Deborah recently launched ‘Raisins et Bicyclettes‘, an annual event held in May, in partnership with three other organic estates from the Caux area. Participants have to bring their own bikes, but for the modest sum of €10 they can enjoy a tour offering not just wonderful wine tasting but beautiful scenery, live music (Peter plays a mean tenor sax), and delicious food. For this year’s event, the organisers are going even greener with an alternative route for walkers.

Another highlight on the couple’s calendar is the Festin de Molière, a gourmet dinner organised by the Association of Pézenas Winemakers in celebration of their produce, as well as the 17th-century playwright who helped to put the picturesque town on the map. It’s also a great chance to dress up in period costume and generally have a ball.

During the summer, Peter and Deborah often head to lively Grau d’Agde on the coast, the nearby beach of La Tamarissière, or the port/resort of Sète – the so-called ‘Venice of the Languedoc’ – with its superb seafood and fabulous open-air concerts at the Théâtre de la Mer.

But they’re just as happy chilling at home or out walking with their border collie, Jack. They adopted him from a local shepherd when he was 11 months old after he’d failed to make the grade as a sheepdog He now patrols the vines with aplomb and has become a much-loved family member.

So what practical advice would the couple give to others seeking to follow their French dream? “Research as much as possible especially for setting up a business,” says Deborah, “and don’t underestimate the amount of bureaucracy involved! It’s much more complicated here to set up a company from scratch, compared to the UK, and of course more costly. You’ll definitely need to have a good buffer of euros in the bank to set up and get you through the first year or so until the business is profitable.”

Not surprisingly, they also stress the importance of learning the language – not just to deal with the administration, suppliers and customers, but also to facilitate everyday communication – and of knowing if your qualifications are valid (at the time they relocated, their diplomas from New Zealand were acceptable but much has changed post-Brexit).

Peter and Deborah are a model of how to make a new life in France. Not only have they done their homework, worked very hard and overcome many challenges to create a successful winemaking business, but they’ve also found a lifestyle in a lovely location that brings them a lot of happiness. So chapeau to them both – and santé!

Find out more at en.mas-gabriel.com

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