Chateau Pesquie a Family Rooted in the Wines of Provence

Château Pesquié is Provencal postcard perfection, with the soaring limestone summit of Mont Ventoux as a backdrop and a leafy canopy of plane trees shading the entranceway to the bastide. The Provencal name pesquié is a derivative from Latin “pescarium” meaning fishpond or basin.

This region may be one of the oldest wine-producing zones in France. Evidence from the remains of a pottery workshop including wine-related clay pots, have been found and archaeologically dated to roughly 30 BC (Roman era). Despite Roman vine stock and the Avignon Popes’ (1309-77) encouragement of the wine industry, the Appellation Côtes du Ventoux was only established in 1973.

Odette & René Bastide bought the property in Mormoiron known as Château Pesquié with its mature vines only a couple years after the appellation was formalized. The property was previously the country home of a noble Provencal family – relatives of writer Alphonse Daudet. The graceful home built in approximately 1750 was an urban escape, likely chosen for its natural water sources, which flow through Roman-era stone channels. Terraced gardens and spring-fed fountains were constructed for the enjoyment of the occupants.

Originally published on Ginger and Nutmeg.