Wine and Art …

In the Medoc region of Bordeaux you can find the lovely vineyards and winery of Chateau D’Arsac. Many families, including the Chateau’s owner, moved to this region when Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962. The Chateau is also a place open to artistic creation. Every year since 1992, the estate has acquired a signed work by a major contemporary artist. The vine and art are intimately linked here. It is indeed the first which finances the annual acquisition of a work of art and in exchange, it is indeed art which gives the property its original personality as a tourist exclusive, making it one of the places the most visited in the Médoc and a lovely stop for the solo traveler as well.

The 620 acre Arsac estate is home to wines of different appellations ( since that wasn’t in my wine vocabulary, I looked it up..”France’s Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) laws date from the 1930s, and define and delimit French wine regions. Currently there are 450 AOCs in France, accounting for 53.4% of the wines made in the country”

The website says that Chateau D’Arsac boasts wines in the Margaux, Haut-Médoc and Bordeaux Blanc appellation (Sauvignon Blanc). The estate’s soil composition or “terroir”, comprising a sandy-gravel rise with a fairly thin layer of clay, is conducive to winegrowing. No argument here! I walked the fields that morning, inhaling the sweet perfume of ripening grapes.

We spent a lovely morning at the Chateau in June learning about their history which dates back to the early 12th century. I was more interested in the contemporary period, viewing artwork in metals, large scale mosaics, sculpture and carvings along with gallery displays of watercolors, acrylics, oil paintings, calligraphy and fabric pieces.

In owner, Philippe Raoux’s words…

“Here, the vines do not coexist with these artworks, perceived as an open-air modern art gallery, but rather the two form a single, collective entity: Château d’Arsac.We hold this nuance dear to our hearts, since our vineyards have expanded alongside the number of artworks.
The reason for this is simple: the vines fund the artwork.
Without the vines, there would be no artwork! Without art, there would be no image!
Art makes the estate what it is: through these artworks, the château’s history is inscribed in its land, which serves as a medium, like a book is to writing. Each acquisition is inspired by an event or idea that runs through the estate.”

Chateau Owner M. Philippe Raoux

Monsieur Raoux lives in the Chateau on the grounds and only the dense surrounding hedge and two large red paper mache dogs at the corners of the yard kept me from walking up to the palatial front entrance and introducing myself.

Celine, Helene and Manon manage tourism for the winery and welcomed me with a pleasant mid-morning charcuterie and samplings of their lovely wines. What says a summer morning in Bordeaux with more eloquence than a mouthful of a smooth, fruity appellation after nibbling a cracker topped with creamy Boursin?

If you’re visiting, contact the Chateau for tours here https://chateau-arsac.com/en/les-visites/