Christian Cau, who has been labelled a “Vignoble et Découverte” (“Vineyard and Discovery”), offers you two ways to discover Petit Saint-Jean, our magnificent 101-hectare estate in the Camargue gardoise, cultivated according to the principles of agroecology.
The winegrower’s tour
During this wine tour, Christian will take you on a guided and commented stroll through the vines, with all the diversity of grape varieties – over 13 – grown on the site. Very small quantities, wines ‘hand-crafted’ by Anne and Loïc, a tailor-made approach that fully respects nature and biodiversity: this is what makes our approach so original, our cultivation methods, and what you’ll find in our certified Organic Agriculture wines: diversity and richness of flavour. Christian will also explain the many tools that have been put in place to enhance the role of crop auxiliaries, such as nesting boxes for passerines and shelters for bats. By the end of the tour, you’ll know all about agroecology applied to the vine – and its positive impact on the preservation of nature.
Tour of the estate
Alternatively, for the more adventurous, Christian Cau, as a member of the “Ecopasseur du Pais” network, is also offering a walk around the whole of the Petit Sain-Jean estate to discover its natural heritage: pinion pine forest, clearings, ponds, fossil dunes… A varied and sumptuous landscape, a life-size immersion in the Camargue gardoise in all its diversity of flora and fauna. Discover the marshes lined with reeds and yellow iris, the sansouires with their halophilous plants, and the montilles much loved by horses. In spring, orchids, gladioli, immortelles and other sandy wallflowers line the route… In this mosaic of typically Camargue environments, the birds are also at play for those who know how to observe them: rollers, bee-eaters and hoopoes rub shoulders with ducks, herons and numerous species of passerine birds.
Agroecology: a way of designing agricultural production systems based on the functionalities of natural ecosystems. |
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
From May to September
Cellar open :
- Thursdays and Fridays from 3 pm to 6.30 pm
- Saturdays from 10am to 1pm and from 3pm to 6.30pm
Wine tours and tasting evenings :
- Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6.30pm to 9pm
Reservations required on 07 84 92 25 03 – Price €12.
From April to October
Visit the Petit Saint-Jean Estate with a presentation of the agro-ecological project followed by a tasting of the estate’s wines.
Bookings required on 07 84 92 25 03 – Small groups of 10 people maximum – Price €30 – Length 4 hours.