Former winegrower's house recently converted into a beautiful vacation home

The Loft du Vigneron occupies the entire floor of a former wine granary of Domaine aux Quat'Saisons, a former wine estate located in the Languedoc village of Rieux-Minervois, whose local history dates back to the early Middle Ages, when its famous seven-sided church was built.

The Loft is ideally located in the village. The restaurant and bar are just a few minutes' walk away, and a small market is held on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the village square. There is also a Carrefour Market with butcher, fishmonger and caterer nearby.PGJyPg
The Loft offers two hundred square metres of living space, including a wonderful terrace where you can relax and dine al fresco. A Weber charcoal barbecue is waiting to be lit for a delicious dinner. The terrace overlooks the large Mediterranean garden, where you will find many quiet corners to escape with a good book or a glass of chilled rosé.

Inside, you will enjoy all the space you need to relax. The three bedrooms are spacious and have comfortable beds and a traditional French wardrobe. The two king-size double beds (150 cm) have patio doors to the terrace, while the third bedroom, overlooking the road through the village, has two single beds, ideal for children.

The three bedrooms have their own private bathroom (each with toilet). They all have a large bathtub with taps and a separate shower. The White Company offers you an immersive bathing experience; In addition to a full range of toiletries (bath/shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, liquid hand soap and body cream), fluffy towels and bathrobes add an extra touch of luxury.
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The living room, which also opens directly onto the terrace, is spacious and airy. The large leather and wrought iron sofas bring an industrial touch to the loft. They are complemented by two deep, comfortable armchairs where you can curl up with a cool glass. Small touches, such as adjustable lighting, diffusers and candles, help to make this space ideal for relaxing. Inside the loft is the equally spacious kitchen-dining room. The kitchen is extremely well equipped. Some guests prefer to dine in restaurants, while others like to stroll through the local markets and bring back their purchases to prepare delicious dinners to share with family and friends. Beautiful crockery, cutlery and glasses make meals even more enjoyable. Next to the kitchen is a small laundry room with washing machine and cleaning products, as well as drying racks, iron and ironing board.

For guests with a baby or young child, we offer a range of Aubert amenities. A soft baby cot with mattress (fitted sheet only – please bring extra sheets), conveniently located in the Yellow Room. A changing table and bath, a high chair and a baby nest complete the equipment available.

An internal staircase provides access to the road through the village, making it easy to reach local attractions on foot.

From the terrace, a staircase also leads down to the garden below, where you can park your car. A short walk from the garden, shaded by majestic pine trees as old as the estate, is the swimming pool. It is set in its own walled garden, providing a haven of peace. Sunbeds and sun loungers are set up around the pool for you to relax, and a fouta is available for each guest. The pool house is shaded and has a table and chairs to sit around a cold drink and chat. A fridge is also at your disposal to keep your drinks cool. As the pool is a glass-free area, we recommend that you consume beers and sodas in cans or plastic. A wide selection of cardboard wine bottles is also available on site, to keep cool and ready to serve! For guests with a baby or young child, we provide a playpen to protect them.

Although the pool is not heated, the water temperature often reaches 28°C in July and August under the summer sun. The pool is eleven metres long, giving you plenty of space for a long, quiet swim. For added comfort, toilets are also available in the pool house.

The Loft is open all year round (the pool is usually open from the end of April to the end of October).It is fully heated and each bathroom has its own continuous hot water supply. During the festive season, the Loft is beautifully decorated for Christmas and New Year. The Loft is an ideal destination in any season.

Languedoc is the largest wine region in France, and indeed in the world. Rieux-Minervois is a typical wine village of the Minervois appellation. The village is surrounded by vineyards and many wineries can be found on the side of the nearby roads. Some of the best wineries are within a short drive of the Loft. Château Gorgazau, Domaine des Homs and Château Maris are among the best, with their wines being highly prized in the United States and Japan. They welcome all visitors to the region for a tasting and, why not, to buy a bottle or two to enjoy with their delicious cheeses or charcuterie.

While the Languedoc stretches from the French border with Spain, near Collioure, to the majestic Rhône, near Avignon, Rieux-Minervois is located in the Aude department. It is close to Carcassonne and Narbonne, two cities of similar size, but very different in history and culture, and both are worth visiting as you explore the region. To the north of Rieux-Minervois, the Black Mountains offer avid cyclists beautiful cycling routes. The hillsides are home to some of the region's most renowned vineyards and charming restaurants nestled on the heights, combining stunning views with tasty cuisine. To the south, the Mediterranean coastline stretches around the Gulf of Lyon; Former fishing villages are home to many excellent seafood restaurants, specialising in fresh produce of the day, including oysters and mussels raised in the many ponds, often located along the region's salt flats, which produce some of the best salts in the country.

While many villages still have a weekly market, the area has some large tourist markets. The Revel market is held every Saturday and is particularly renowned for its aligote ; Saint-Chinian hosts a Sunday market in the neighbouring Hérault, and the region is fortunate to have a covered market in Narbonne. Open every day, including Christmas Day, Les Halles is in the style of the big markets in cities such as Lyon or Bordeaux. The food stalls are punctuated by intimate restaurants, frequented by customers and employees alike. At each of these markets, you can wander between the different stalls and chat with the traders about where their products come from, choose your favourite ingredients and take them back to the kitchen at the Loft du Vigneron to concoct your favourite dishes or try new ones.

For guests who are particularly interested in food and wine, specialist travel agencies cater for small groups of six or eight people. Some specialise in wine: why not opt for a tailor-made tour of three different wineries and learn about their cultivation, harvest and winemaking? Lunch is usually included. You can also opt for a walking tour through the centre of Carcassonne, learning about the history of chocolate making and enjoying some tastings. Or, a market tour with an accomplished chef: help them choose their ingredients before returning to the kitchen to learn how to pair them with tasty dishes.

The owners of the Loft, who live on the estate and are available to help and assist you when needed, have compiled their own list of more than forty restaurants that they can personally recommend to you. Some are located in nearby villages, others just a short drive away. Some offer prix fixe menus, others Michelin-starred dishes; there is something for every taste, for every occasion and at every price. The regional speciality is cassoulet, which originated in Castelnaudary, but has been adopted and sometimes adapted by chefs in the region. There are restaurants specialising in cassoulet in Carcassonne.

There is plenty to do. Lakes and rivers for a refreshing swim. Canoeing and kayaking on the Orb in Roquebrun. Try one of the restaurants in Roquebrun with a view of the river. Similar water sports are offered on the Aude in nearby Puicheric. An inflatable water park is located on Lake Cavayerre. The Abbey of Fontfroide in the Corbières is a magnificent example of monastic architecture and is home to an excellent restaurant. Visitors can buy the wine produced at the abbey.You can also fly over the Languedoc to admire the Cathar castles from the sky, or go skydiving indoors, an activity that is as exciting for adults as it is for children! With more than 300 days of sunshine in the Languedoc, it is a great area to walk around. Come and see for yourself!