Once upon a time in Berne

Discover our history...

The Aurelian Way :
The history of Château de Berne dates back to Roman times, when vines were already grown here. The estate is located on a branch of the Via Aurelia, which linked Italy to Spain and was used in particular for the wine trade. The amphorae carrying the precious liquid were made on site, as evidenced by an oven discovered in the vineyard.

The Cistercian Order, 12th century :
Then it's on to 12e It was during this period that the Count of Toulouse, Raymond V, made a gift of the estate to Bernard de Clairvaux, founder of the Cistercian order, which adopted the fundamental rules of Saint-Benoît. In 1307, the land was confiscated by the King of France, Philippe le Bel, in favour of noble families. For nearly five centuries, the property belonged to the Marquis de Villeneuve.

The rebirth of the Château de Berne, 19th century :
The estate developed in the 19the The winegrowing estate was created in the 19th century by Marius Estellon, a former frigate captain in the imperial army. He enlarged the land, planted new plots and modernised winegrowing. A true patron of the arts, he gave grandiose parties that benefited the entire region and produced the earthenware on site that was essential for entertaining his guests.

The rise of the estate, 20th century :

The Château then passed through various hands: Dr German from 1949 to 1960, then Mrs Smeets (CEO of the Jean Mineur advertising company) until 1985. The vineyard was then somewhat neglected until an Englishman bought it in 1995 and replanted 32 hectares, modernising the winemaking facilities and rebuilding the cellar so that the grapes could be brought in by gravity.

Wine tourism mecca, 21st century :
As a passionate connoisseur, he works scrupulously on the grape varieties that deserve the 'Côtes de Provence' AOC, studying the subtle composition of the soil on the 80 hectares of terroir and the sunshine and other meteorological parameters, for a production of some 500,000 bottles.
It was in 1995 that this British businessman, who had patented the contact lens, decided to develop a hotel concept focusing on the world of wine and wine tourism, now more commonly known as wine tourism.
In 2007, a British businessman with a passion for Provence bought the estate. Combining quality and innovation, that same year Château de Berne introduced the first square-shaped bottle of wine, which proved a great success.

Once upon a time in Berne

Our offers