It was just too tempting…

It’s strange how, wherever you live and whatever beauty surrounds you, the things on your doorstep are often the least explored. With this in mind, on one of our regular trips to Montpellier, we decided to veer off the beaten track. The usual journey takes us back home through beautiful scenery, vineyards, stone villages and practically skimming the foot of the Pic St Loup. It was still February, but with bright sunshine, clear sharp blue skies and not a breath of wind. As always, we had plenty of errands and jobs to be getting on with at home, but this time it was just too tempting… Instead of continuing on the main road home, we turned off and took the route which cuts through the peaks of the Montagne de l’Hortus and the Pic St Loup. The area renowned for offering some of the best red wines in the Languedoc, is dotted with sign posts leading to this ‘Domaine’ or that ‘Chateau’. We turned off at a sign for 2 domaines, which feature regularly on the wine lists in some of the area’s top restaurants. First we came to Mas Bruguière. An unassuming entrance took us around a gravelly driveway to a small parking area and to the Mas. There was no great statement announcing that you have arrived at the home of a great wine but it had the appearance more of a typical regional farmhouse with grand old iron gates leading into a small quintessentially French courtyard. A solitary lady came out to greet us and invited us through a creaky solid wooden door into the wine tasting (dégustation)‘cave’. ‘Madame’ was a charming lady, spoke knowledgeably about her wine and happily relieved us of a few euros in exchange for some delicious red nectar. A few hundred metres further on brought us to the slightly more grand cave of the Domaine de L’Hortus. Vast steel vats signalled the entrance to the cleverly constructed Cave with upper tasting terrace and viewing gallery overlooking the brewing and bottling plant below. A pleasant young man, clearly a family member, guided us through several tastings, never pushing nor making any attempt to sell, but this wine doesn’t need a salesman, the aromas and ‘goût’ are temptress enough. And so back en route… We arrived home slightly later than planned, but with a feeling of contented fulfilment and in a strange way, a sense of achievement. Our area is special and time should be taken to enjoy our surroundings. Whichever way we turn out of our home, whichever road we take, we are presented with domaines and vineyards and wonderful opportunities. In future we will slow down and veer off the beaten track more often. We will savour both the moment and the things at our fingertips. The jobs and errands can wait….