Vignoble gaillacois
Budget
2CV hire = from €100 a day + lunch depending on your appetite
Features
the best period
Spring, Summer, and Autumn
duration
1 day
Go for a spin with a loved one or friends
Take a day trip to explore the Gaillacois vineyard in a vintage Citroën 2CV car, hired specially for the occasion. The throbbing engine of the "deuche", as they are known in France (short for "deux chevaux", meaning "two horses"), fills the air with nostalgia for travel and freedom. A breeze blows in through the open top; the sunflowers in the fields bow courteously as you bas. Let yourself be guided along the scenic roads of Tarn, through vineyards and medieval villages.
You will cover a total of around 100 Km during this day out.
Departing from Albi, head towards L'Isle-sur-Tarn; the first stop is 30 km along the way.
The blue ribbon of the Tarn is in the foreground. Behind it are the hills draped with vines and crowned by a chapel built on the ruins of a castle fort. Nearby, right there, is the Sarrabelle spring... it's a magnificent scene.
This is the idyllic setting for a very beautiful wine estate: the Domaine Sarrabelle owned by Laurent and Fabien Caussé.
The brothers are the 8th generation of winegrowers on this estate. They will be delighted to introduce you to the three ranges of wine that they make in the purest Tarn tradition. Their wine is aged in casks, but that's not all... part of their output is vinified in amphorae.
Once you've packed a few bottles of this delicious nectar into the car boot, you can hit the road again!
Vue intérieure 2 CV Gaillac
Did you know ?
Without Gaillac, there would be no champagne
The Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Michel in Gaillac invented the world's first sparkling wines. On his way through the region, Dom Pérignon learned the process and later used it to develop Champagne wines.
Exploring the Gaillac vineyard in a 2CV inspired Margot and Romain, a couple of bloggers who came to discover Tarn.
The 2CV shakes about a bit on the road and sways on the bends, wavers for a moment, then returns to its straight course towards Castelnau-de-Montmiral. This is a typical Occitan bastide or fortified town, which has stood at the top of a modest mountain since the 13th century.
Modest but marvellous, as Montmirail means "marvellous mountain". The perfect place to stop and enjoy the delicious local specialities in store for us.
Place Castelnau-de-Montmiral
Castelnau-de-Montmiral
This table on a terrace in the arcades of Castelnau-de-Montmiral's charming town square looks like the perfect place to satisfy our appetite. This is Le Ménagier, a very fine local restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is just as welcoming, if the weather isn't so good.
Gérard Garrigues, the owner and a real cordon bleu chef, brilliantly prepares local cuisine with deep roots in the South-West. For a perfect food and wine pairing, ask for advice and let him guide you!
The menu when we visited:
A real treat!
Repas en terrasse
Our favourite
In Castelnau-de-Montmiral, the restaurant Le Ménagier is celebrating the season by offering a gastronomic autumn menu featuring the best products from the market: chestnuts, scallops "jubilatoires", hare, pears... all the ingredients promise a great culinary experience.
Puycelsi
The uphill road to Puycelsi doesn't scare our old 2CV, which seems to sprout wings. Perched on its rocky overhang above the vineyards, surrounded by ramparts, one of the "most beautiful villages of France" (Puycelsi is "plus beaux villages de France"-certified) certainly knows how to inspire admiration. And when it finally reveals its charms, what a delight it is to discover its 14th and 15th-century stone houses. Why not drop everything and move here? We dare you!
Regional Committee for Tourism and Leisure Occitanie
Others websites
HOW TO GET THERE
Where to rent your 2CV ?
La Vadrouille Albigeoise
173 avenue François Verdier – 81000 Albi
Tél. : 07 82 31 27 65