At Mas Rouge in Vic-la-Gardiole, the wine estate can be explored by electric scooter

Between pine forest and scrubland, the original discovery of a wine estate on an all-terrain electric scooter. Midi Libre – Jérémie Margue

In Vic-la-Gardiole, nestled in a green setting, the Mas Rouge estate innovates by offering nature outings in the heart of its vineyards aboard all-terrain electric scooters.

The smell of pine trees. The song of cicadas. On the right, the Gardiole massif. On the left, the sea and the Ingril pond. In the distance, Sète and its Mont Saint-Clair. And in the middle, vines, planted on the remarkable site of Aresquiers.

We are here at Mas Rouge, in the commune of Vic-la-Gardiole: thirty-six hectares of vines and five more of woods. But we are also here aboard an all-terrain electric scooter. For the first time, in addition to the traditional tastings and wine initiations, the estate is offering guided tours aboard an unusual machine.

Standing on the device in high position, nose in the wind, equipped with a helmet and a battery backpack, the visitor discovers, as soon as they pass through the gate, the first plots: young muscat vines, planted six years ago. The progression is made from one plot to another, on the paths separating the vines from the woods.

In a green setting

A break to learn more about this very old estate. Another to taste ripe grapes about to be harvested. Soon, just a few dozen meters away, the sea and the pond are revealed. Then the singular island appears in the distance, as visitors approach the oldest muscats of the estate, venerable plots of 75 to 80 years old.

The experience is original. And the all-terrain vehicle, very stable and whose speed is limited to 25 km/h, is suitable for nature walks. Its large and wide wheels allow you to easily pass over sand and stones and not feel the uneven ground too much.

There is no need to be a great athlete, therefore, to balance on it. “On a bike, you have your head down a bit. You have to pedal. You suffer a bit more. Here, it's easy, you can let yourself go. The advantage is that everyone can follow at the same time”, explains Jean-Christophe Treal, who offers these nature outings.

The ride reveals the exceptional environment of this green setting surrounded by oaks, pines, olive trees, almond trees and aromatic plants. She also points out its particular terroir and its rather poor soil, notably made up of this red clay which gave its name to the estate.

After the nature outing in the vineyards of the estate, it's time for the tasting in the cellar, where Clémentine Cornu will introduce you to the different vintages. Midi Libre – Jérémie Margue

From the edge of the vineyards to the tasting cellar

After covering about ten kilometers in ninety minutes, it is time to move on to act II: the tasting. In the cellar, Clémentine Cornu is on hand to talk about the estate's thirteen vintages, the majority of which are IGP Pays d'Oc, where you can find, in addition to Muscat Petits Grains, Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne, etc.

Responsible for developing the Mas Rouge's wine tourism business, the young woman is inexhaustible on the different ranges of Muscats but also on the history of this estate, which belonged to the Cazalis family for a long time before being bought in 1997 by Julien Cheminal.

The winemaker owner had to adapt to the poor sales of traditional muscat. But if sweet wines only represent 1% of the estate's production, they retain a strong psychological weight. “We will never take away our muscats: the AOP muscat production of frontignan and mireval is part of the history of this place”, assures Clémentine. After having toured the estate on an electric scooter and tasted the wines, the visitor will be convinced for himself.

Initiations and tastings à la carte

The Trottup company offers various nature outings on all-terrain electric scooters in the region. For the immersive experience of Mas Rouge, it costs 49 euros per person, tasting at the estate included (reservation: trottup.fr/balade/la-balade-vigneronne-au-mas-rouge/). For its part, the Mas Rouge offers different formats of wine and tasting initiations, in fun formats or more complete ones for connoisseurs (by reservation: domainedumasrouge.com or 04 67 51 66 85). The tasting cellar is open every day, except Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. 7 p.m.

I subscribe to read more