The “Domaine Bergé de Sainte Rose” is located in Vendres, a village near the city of Béziers in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, 4 miles from the Mediterranean. The Greeks who used it as a harbour and already planted vineyards in that period founded Vendres (the name Vendres appears to be a derivation of Venus, as a temple of the goddess was found there a few years ago). The Romans continued the viticulture sending the wine into their regions. During the centuries this tradition has been maintained.
The climate is Mediterranean, tempered by the sea. The winters are not particularly cold, autumn and spring are mild, and the summers are hot and dry with cool nights.
The property, just outside the village, covers over 26 ha of terraces on a plateau that overlooks the sea. The Bergé family acquired the domaine in 1974, its activities assured by Mrs. Annie Bergé. Today, her daughter, Fabienne who has a degree in viticulture and training in the profession, has assumed responsibility for the continuation of the domaine.
The land is ideal for vineyards with an appropriate mix of rock, clay and gravel that impart a specific character to the wines produced. Different types of “cepage” (grape varieties) are well established with traditional Cinsault and Carignan as well as selected vines like Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay or Merlot introduced to improve the structure of the wine. The largest part of the vineyard is mature (around 25 years old), appropriate for producing a structured, quality wine with 10 ha located in the AOC “Coteaux du Languedoc” area, and the other 16 ha labeled “Vin de pays”.
Winemaking is done on the premises (white, rosé, and red) and monitored with the assistance of a specialist “oenologue”. Traditional principles are respected in order to minimise the necessity to use chemical additives taking advantage of modern techniques along with improvements to the infrastructure in order to improve the quality of the wines.
Annual production is usually around 1 200 hectolitres (50 hl of white Chardonnay, 150 hl of rosé Cinsault, and 1000 hl of red). Carbon maceration over several weeks is used for each harvested plot separately. The red wine may be subject to some blending before marketing and sale.