There is nothing better than drinking good
wine: especially if the wine comes from
vines that you own yourself, at a small
British-owned and family-run vineyard, in a
picturesque corner of South West France.
We moved to the Domaine in 1994, buying a fivehectare
vineyard along with 30 hectares of cereal
land, close to the beautiful hilltop village of
Puylaroque. We have planted a further three hectares
since and now live in a farmhouse surrounded by
vines - with our two children, Zachary and Sophie-Tor,
and our dog Patapouf, the original Merchien.
We include many organic principles and aim to
produce wine as naturally as possible. We only make
25,000 bottles a year, harvesting half our grapes by
hand and aiming for quality not quantity. We’ve also
been herbicide-free since 1996 and operate a ‘minimal
chemical’ policy’ throughout the vineyard.
At Domaine du Merchien everything is done with
patience, enthusiasm and, most of all, respect for
local tradition.
becoming a partner in wine
Owning a row of vines is a bit like owning your own
little bit of France, but with the added bonus of
knowing where the wine comes from. You have met
the winemakers and maybe picked the grapes! It’s
time for you to enjoy the benefits of our Partner in
Wine scheme, which we have been running
successfully for over 10 years now.
your link to our vineyard
Some wine partnering schemes link you to large
vineyards which lack a personal touch. Making
Merchien wines has been our life for over 15 years.
We tend and harvest the vines, and then produce
and bottle the wine ourselves. Some people say they
can actually taste the passion we put into the wine.
It’s that together with the distinctive taste of the
local grape varieties, and the great value of Merchien
wine, that keep our loyal Partners coming back year
after year.
your commitment
Becoming a Partner means you commit to renting
a row of vines for an initial period of two years. In
return you are entitled to buy 10 cases at a special
‘Partner’ rate which when taken together with the
rental cost is some 20% below the retail price.
choosing your wine
Merchien is best known for its award winning
Quercy and Lot reds. There’s a limited supply of
rosé and ‘hint of pink,’ a white wine from red grapes
too. More often than not, we have a choice of
vintages available, depending on current stock
levels. So, you can mix your allocation up as you
want – it’s easiest to decide if you come to the
vineyard to taste them all!
collecting your wine
You can collect your wine from us at any
time, avoiding any shipping costs (although
we’ll need a little advanced warning please).
For a small additional charge you can still
escape duty costs by arranging to collect your wine
from Calais or any other French port, city or town on
the French Railway network.
We can also arrange to ship the wine to you in
the UK, but you will then pay duty in addition to the
packaging and shipping costs.
other partner benefits
We would be delighted to show you round the
vineyard when you are in the area. You can rub the
soil between your fingers and feel the sun on your
face as it ripens your grapes. We’ll show you how
we make the wine and give you a private, tutored
tasting. There is also an open invitation to all our
Partners to help during the vendage, so you can
come and pick your own grapes.
Year round, we will keep you up to date with
everything that’s going on at the vineyard through
our email updates, website and the blog. The longer
you’re a Partner, the closer you feel to the vineyard
and your vine.
