For us (Saskia and Maurice Goetschy), the farming adventure began in 2019.

Before that, we lived and worked in Luxembourg. That's where our law studies, our penchant for foreign languages and our European spirit led us. It's also where we met and where our two children, Felix and Alma, were born. We weren't destined to become winegrowers.

Well, maybe a little.

Saskia was born and raised in Andalusia, in the province of Malaga, to a Dutch mother and a Spanish father, and her grandfather was a wine merchant there.

Maurice was born and raised in southern Alsace, where his grandfather was also a wine merchant in Altkirch.

In the mid-1990s, Saskia's parents, Els and Ramon, decided to buy an old farmhouse in Occitan Provence. The house was sold with a few hectares of vin de pays vines. Maybe that's what made them decide.

Little is known about the earlier history of Château Boucarut and its adjoining chapel, except that the oldest buildings date from 1758 and that it was probably owned by a clergyman.

Lovers of the arts, literature and good wine, Els and Ramon set about restoring the Château de Boucarut and its chapel to their former glory, where Els organizes concerts every year.

At the same time, Els and Ramon equipped the estate with essential viticultural tools. For 25 years, they would grow the vines and vinify the grapes on the estate, before selling most of the production to the wine trade. Their aim was to maintain the estate's historic winemaking activity.

In 2017, adjoining plots of vines, historically part of the Boucarut estate, were offered for sale. Fate then providentially struck us and we decided to change our lives.

Today, Château Boucarut comprises 20 hectares, of which 15 hectares are under cultivation. Half the vines are AOC cru Lirac, the other half vin de pays. In addition, there are now two AOC Cru Tavel parcels located in the Vestides terroir to the west of the village of Tavel.

With no real knowledge, training or experience, we took the gamble of becoming peasant winemakers, carrying out all the tasks on the estate with the help of a small team.

To preserve both the richness of this enlarged estate and our own well-being, we immediately committed all the vineyards to organic farming.

Growing vines and establishing a sustainable agro-ecological estate is a long way off. We're delighted to be patiently working towards this goal, for ourselves, for those who enjoy our wines, and for those who we hope will follow us in bringing this place to life by making it a lasting part of vine-growing and wine production.