DOMAINE LES ENFANTS SAUVAGES

After my architecture studies I - Carolin Bantlin - worked for two and a half years as head of a project in a well known architecture studio in Stuttgart. After the birth of our son Falk in 1996 I decided to work with my husband Nikolaus in the family business he has resumed his father. We manufactured industrial leather goods like belts, round belts for furniture, etc ... At that time we started looking for "something" in the south of France. At first we thought a small holiday home, and later the idea has touched us to move part of production belts in order to establish ourselves permanently in the South. But everything was still very vague and the subject of our dreams is not present. During one of our visits, we met Joanna, the owner of a restaurant in Fitou. She showed us several houses but none matched our vision. But the area we liked and we returned there every holiday. In autumn 1998, our second son was born Juri Joanna informed us that a sheepfold land was for sale in the area of ​​Opoul. We said: "What is risk? We will see! "Coming out of Fitou to Opoul, the path became more and more ill. After turning left on a track that was lost in the scrubland towards Sales, as we have seen in a circus in the scrubland and beautifully colored vines: the land - 7,5ha of vines! Arriving at the fold, we felt that there we had exactly what we wanted - a beautiful and magical place! What are we going to do ? Become tenants? After careful consideration, we decided to buy the vineyards with the fold in 1999. They were still leased for 2 years to enable us to adjust our business in Germany. During this period we bought a house in the center of the village of Fitou, the fold being too isolated and without amenities (no water, no electricity) for our small family. We spent all our holidays to renovate the house and make it our home for years to come! I wanted to enroll in Weinsberg (oenology school in Germany) and undertake studies by correspondence, which unfortunately was not possible; he had to follow the 4 years of study there! So we still had that instruction by books. I found among others the book of Nicolas Joly "wine, from heaven to earth" book that has impressed us. Already well integrated into the framework of Anthroposophy to the education of my husband Nikolaus, he was quite clear for us to work in Biodynamics. We moved to Fitou in January 2001. Finally on site we set about learning the work in the vineyard. The first two years (2001 and 2002) we were cooperators Sales Castle. In 2003 I decided to make the BPA to qualify for aid to the private cellar installation. I spent my internship during training at Olivier Pithon. Olivier suggested we produce on our own wine, for working so hard to see the grapes in huge vats of the Cooperative was not worth the trouble. Since we possess neither basement nor the necessary equipment, Olivier offered to vinify our first 2003 vintage home. In 2004 we built our winery in Fitou and in 2005 we built in the courtyard next to our house our barrel cellar with a small stand selling.