Before they made wine, Vincent Garreta worked in environmental research and Aurelie was a postal worker. The pivot was not accidental: Vincent's grandmother had once kept vines, and her memory of that life never quite left him. The couple threw themselves into learning, then in 2014 they leased 3.5 hectares of organic vines near Gordes in the Luberon, in a landscape of white limestone and lavender fields at the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse. They called themselves Les Maou, a term of endearment in the local dialect.
The Region and Vineyards
Today they farm 10 hectares spread across alluvial clay and sand plots in the valley and steeper limestone slopes higher up toward the Monts de Vaucluse. The estate sits within the Ventoux appellation but also produces Vaucluse IGP wines. Many of the older plots were already farming organically before certification; the Garretas obtained official organic status in 2014. Elevations vary across the parcels, giving them a range of ripening speeds and aromatic profiles to work with.
Farming and Varieties
The Garretas grow an unusually wide range of grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Aubun, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Carignan Blanc, Terret Blanc, and Gros Vert, among others. The diversity is deliberate, both to capture the breadth of the local tradition and to hedge against climatic variability. Cover crops fix nitrogen and store carbon between the rows; no synthetic treatments are used.
Winemaking and the Wines
In the cellar, the Garretas keep things straightforward: semi-carbonic maceration for most reds, direct pressing for whites and roses, and fermentation in concrete and stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. Wines receive a minimal sulfur addition only at bottling when conditions require it, and are bottled without fining or filtration. The range includes Entre Chats, Au P'tit Bonheur, Vaste Programme, and a petillant naturel, all built on fruit clarity and the mineral backbone of their Luberon soils.
