Chateau de Berne – A Magical Stay in a French Winery

Chateau de Berne is a magnificent Relais & Chateaux property with its own acclaimed winery, and you’re guaranteed a truly magical stay. You can access it by road or by helicopter. Our pilot looked pretty young, but he certainly knew what he was doing, landing on the lake in front of the Chateau.

We were warmly greeted with a chilled glass of champagne, and settled into our rooms before dinner. Mine had a really pretty four poster bed and a gorgeous view over the courtyard.

Dining at Chateau de Berne

Chateau de Berne is famed for its wines, some of which are served in a distinctive square bottle, and we were in for a treat at dinner. My favourite was the Chateau de Berne Blanc white wine, aged in oak barrels.

Chef Jérémy Czaplicki prepared us a true feast in the stunning surroundings of the Orangery – starting with some  beautifully presented amuse-bouches. Our starter was a flavoursome beef heart tomato seasoned with horseradish and red radish paste, fish tartare marinated in citrus and black radishes. 

The next course was seabass with chervil served three ways – as a velouté, in crunchy powder and as a crumble with pickled Brussels sprouts. I normally hate these but they had managed to make them very tasty. After this we tasted a delicate poached and roasted guinea fowl, with salsify, tapioca, black currant and red onion dressing.

Desert was a beautifully balanced orange tart – almond sponge cake with orange marmelade, orange cream, sugar leaf and almond milk sorbet.

Feeling full, I turned in for the night. The next day, the sun was shining over the vines as we headed out to look around the 1,300 hectares!

The spa has been thoughtfully redesigned and is a lovely haven of peace.

La Bouscarelle restaurant is set in the shade of the olive trees and a perfect place for lunchtime dining.

Head over to the Winery where you can enjoy a tasting, hold a meeting or browse in the shop. The wild boar is a symbol of Chateau de Berne and there are apparently lots of them to be found in the surrounding countryside.

We were taken on a fascinating tour by the Winery’s knowledgeable manager who speaks perfect English.

The cellar almost feels like a chapel, and every element of the coat of arms has a special meaning.

Here’s some of the distinctive square shaped wine bottles.

We’d highly recommend Chateau de Berne for a relaxing stay close to nature and of course, all that lovely wine!

We stayed as a guest of Relais & Chateaux at:

Chateau de Berne, Route de Salernes – 83510 Lorgues, France

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