# The wine cellars of Château de Berne pt.2 (Provence, France)

Underneath the stone floors of the hotel grounds lies a small stone-walled cellar where selected wines are preserved for a special occasion. Behind the metal cages, wines born from the grounds of the Chateau are stocked up, kept in their prime state piled against the cool walls of the cellar. We explored how these grapes churned into one of the finest wines in the region by visiting their winery.

Since the Roman times, wine vines have been growing on these grounds, and with such diverse soil, the Chateau de Berne boasts on the various types of grapes they are able to grow. We headed over to their wine tasting class to experience the various wines they bottles up since the year 2014. The collection of wines range from red, white and, last but not least their classic, the rosé wine which is exquisite to taste and the coloring flawless.

All three of the wines tasted great, but the rosé was better than the market norm. During the tasting of the wines, we were given biscuits and tapenades to pair with the wine, which I think purposely made us want to buy them back even more.

The winery

During out visit, the harvest of wine was already completed for that year's worth, and were poured into their wooden barrels. Each year, the Chateau will go through the process of winemaking, which takes place in this sterile location with steel barrel containers.

We were introduced with the Chateau's Rosé making process, which to our surprise happened during midnight to minimize the oxidation of the color that the grapes produce. Once the color of the rosé turns into a romantic pinkish color, the grape skins are take out of the barrels. These big containers filled the room on both sides taking a rest from a long summer's harvest.

Once the wines have completed their process of fermentation in the steel containers, they are put into these oak barrels to start their clarification as tannins yeast are removed. The cool air and the smell of the oak seeps up your nose as you enter the room full of oak barrels lined up one after another. To keep the air temperature consistent, the air is monitored and controlled throughout the year.

At the back of the room is the symbol of the Chateau de Berne, created on a stained glass window. The symbol rests on the center of the cellar looking over each barrel acting as a guardian.

As a side activity, visiting the winery and the cellar is an educational time off. If visited during the busy months, I believe more of the wine making process can be experienced. Both English and French were available during this tour.

The details

Address : Château de Berne.
Chemin des Imberts, 83780 Flayosc, France

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📷All photos without source mentioned are shot from my Samsung Galaxy S8