Here I am, back in the south of France, in the Hérault department (Occitanie region) to discover Saint-Chinian and its surroundings near the Canal du Midi. This time, it was a girls’ getaway with my friends Laure and Mathilde, which we took in September 2023. This Languedoc region is located west of Béziers and above Narbonne, two cities I have already mentioned on the blog. And the territory I’m going to tell you about in this article is located in the heart of a triangle connecting the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees, and Carcassonne.
Tourist Office of the Canal du Midi in Saint-Chinian
Table of Contents
What to see and do in and around Saint-Chinian?
Below, as usual, I offer a small selection of things to do and see if you come to stay between Saint-Chinian and the Canal du Midi. Of course, to get around, it is better to have a vehicle. For wine lovers, if you are passing through the region, you must discover the AOP Saint-Chinian. This designation is marked by a strong geological duality, contrasting landscapes, but above all by a community of committed winemakers who share a collective and demanding vision. They produce fresh and elegant red, rosé, and white wines.
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Visit the Cave de Saint-Chinian
This cooperative winery, founded in 1937, has been offering an Art en Cave concept since 2013, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. The concept is simple: each year, one or more artists come to paint a fresco on one of the winery’s vats, a creation that is then featured on the label of a vintage wine signed by the artist. In 2023, 15 artists had participated since the beginning of the concept: Aurel, Fleury, Kashink, YZ, Laura Chaplin, Bocaj, Jean Bastide, Miss. Tic, Charlélie Couture… The winery currently employs about 20 people and produces 20,000 hectoliters of wine per year, mainly AOC Saint-Chinian. The winery is the largest producer of the appellation and manages the entire marketing circuit for its wines. No fewer than 6 villages contribute grapes to the winery, allowing it to offer wine from the 3 terroirs of the appellation.
To tell you more about the Saint-Chinian appellation, it has existed since 1982 and produces all 3 colors, with a majority of red (80% of production), white and rosé (10% each). The grape varieties of the appellation are: for red wines, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault. And for white wines, Vermentino, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne.
Cave de Saint-Chinian
Route de Sorteilho 34360 Saint-Chinian
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Take a boat trip on the Canal du Midi with SunBoat
From the port of Colombiers, we set off for a 2-hour lunch cruise on the Canal du Midi in a Sunboat. There were 5 of us, and we had a 6-seater boat, which was perfect for discovering navigation (the Sunboat is a license-free boat, so I also tried my hand at steering), enjoying the scenery, and having a picnic on the boat. On the way, we also passed through the towns of Capestang (where we ended our trip and which I’ll tell you more about below) and Poilhes.
SunBoat
Port de Plaisance, 34440 Colombiers
Rates: 1h between 35 € and 65 € depending on the size of the boat
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Take a “non-alcoholic cocktail” workshop with Le Petit Béret
Le Petit Béret is a non-alcoholic brand located in Puisserguier in a castle in the heart of the Domaine de Milhau, in a magnificent wooded park surrounded by vineyards, in the heart of the AOC Saint-Chinian. The place itself is worth discovering, as the castle was built in 1240 for the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem and was later also the home of Gustave Fayet, a painter from the region. Legend also says that the castle belonged to Paul Riquet, but nothing formally confirms this.
This company was created in 2015 by Fathi Benni and Dominique Laporte, Best Craftsman of France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) and Best Sommelier of France. Today, the brand is present in 50 countries around the world, and 70% of the brand’s consumers are women. The brand is also present on the menus of many fine dining establishments and starred restaurants. The brand develops non-alcoholic drinks with several ranges: wine profiles based on several grape varieties (interesting fact: these drinks are lower in calories than a classic wine), sparkling drinks, beers (3 ranges), and non-alcoholic spirits (digestifs, liqueurs… since October 2023 / 7 spirits in 2023 and several to come), with several products having won awards in international competitions (it is indeed the most awarded brand in the world in the “non-alcoholic” category).
We held a creative workshop and a non-alcoholic cocktail masterclass on site, which was super fun. On the agenda for this workshop: discovery of the brand, its philosophy, the castle and its history and products; then, preparation and tasting of non-alcoholic cocktails during a masterclass; after that, we had lunch/picnic in the castle park.
Le Petit Béret
Duration of the “Non-alcoholic cocktail” workshop: 1h30
Price of the workshop: 29 € per person for adults / 15 € for children (from 6 to 15 years old) upon reservation / resumption of cocktail workshops in March-April
Picnic rates for groups: 25 € per person (upon reservation)Price of products at the castle shop: 24.90€ spirits / 14.90€ wine / 3.90€ beer
Cellar open Monday to Friday and some weekends from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM
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Go for a bike ride in the vineyards
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate in this activity, but Vinebike offers bike rides between greenways (Saint-Chinian / Cessenon) and vineyards with electric-assist mountain bikes.
Vinebike
2 impasse du Ruisseau 34360 Prades-sur-Vernazobre
Rates: starting from 55 €
My top spots in Saint-Chinian and its surroundings
As usual, you will find below my selection of top spots between Saint-Chinian and the Canal du Midi (one accommodation and several restaurants) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with the girls. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you come to the Languedoc.
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Where to have lunch in Poilhes? Vinauberge
This establishment is located in a former cooperative winery, right next to the Canal du Midi. It offers both a wine bar with a nice selection of Languedoc-Roussillon wines by the glass, a restaurant serving traditional Mediterranean cuisine based on tapas, as well as holiday cottages/apartments (a wine-grower’s house with 9 rooms). Two of these cottages also have swimming pools set in former wine vats. If you come for lunch, you can enjoy the beautiful terrace/garden of the place.
In our Sunboat picnic basket: cheeses, chorizo de Lacaune, crunchy vegetables, Lucques tapenade (a variety of Languedoc olives), coriander hummus, guacamole, melon and local grape skewers.
Vinauberge
1, cour de la Cave 34310 Poilhes
A la carte prices: starters between 12 € and 24 € / mains between 18 € and 28 € / desserts between 8.50 € and 9.50 € / wines by the glass between 3.90 € and 7.90 €
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Where to spend an evening in a cozy wine bar? Le Pied de la Lune in Villespassans
This wine and tapas bar is housed in a former estate and winery dating from 1900, which operated until the early 1960s. I really loved the cozy and neat decor of the place, set in the estate’s former cellar, which has kept its Eiffel-style iron architecture. There are also three vats that date back to the wine production era. Since 2022, the current owners of the place have transformed the space into a wine bar/restaurant/tapas bar. They also have plans to add guest rooms at this location. Finally, the establishment regularly hosts art exhibitions. During our visit, we discovered augmented reality works by Frédéric Durieu and Nathalie Erin. As for tapas, you’ll find local products, simple but well-made homemade food with quality raw materials and local, seasonal produce whenever possible. Regarding the wine list, the establishment offers between 75 and 100 references.
We tasted a wine from the region: Fleur de Lin 2022 from Domaine La Linquière (21 € per bottle).
We tasted: “Garrigue” board (16 €) with local products, black olive tapenade, thyme ice cream, Combebelle goat cheese bouchons…; tapenade board (10 €).
Le Pied de la Lune
1 route de Saint-Chinian, 34360 Villespassans
Closed 3 months a year from December to the end of February
Open only in the evening for now
Price: cocktails between 5 € and 9 € / boards between 10 € and 16 € / desserts 7 €
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Where to stay in the region? Monte Vinea Bed and Breakfast in Montouliers
This establishment has been offering bed and breakfast rooms and also a cottage for 10/12 people with 2 bathrooms since 2021. For our part, we stayed in the bed and breakfast section of the site. The place also offers a nice swimming pool, a garden, and an outdoor terrace.
Monte Vinea Bed and Breakfast and Cottage
19 route de Quarante – 34310 Montouliers
Bed and Breakfast rates: between 80 € and 149 € per night for 2 people, breakfast included
Good to know: pets are not accepted in the bed and breakfast rooms
Stopover in Capestang
Capestang is a small town located along the Canal du Midi, and it is a good tourist stop because the city has a beautiful architectural heritage and some good addresses (I was particularly recommended the bakery and pastry shop “Au Palais des saveurs”, even if we didn’t have the opportunity to test it).
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Visit the Collegiate Church of Saint-Étienne in Capestang
This unfinished Collegiate Church that stands in the middle of the town of Capestang is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. In the 14th century, Archbishop Bernard de Fargues had the Romanesque collegiate church enlarged and chose Jacques de Foran as the architect. Later, because of the plague and then the Hundred Years’ War, the work was stopped, and the collegiate church was never finished.
To see inside the Collegiate Church: 19th-century stained glass windows; in the choir, the altar, which since 2021 has been an antique marble that was a Christian reuse from the time of King Eudo in the 6th century. In addition to the free tour of the collegiate church, I recommend you take the guided tour, which will also allow you to discover the interior of the collegiate church tower and climb to the very top into the bell tower to have a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings.
Collegiate Church of Saint-Étienne
Place Jean Jaurès 34310 Capestang
Rates: guided tour of the Collegiate Church + climb to the bell tower 5 € / 2.50 € for childrenDuring the high season on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at 6:30 PM
Free self-guided tour every day from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (except during religious services)
Link to the Collegiate Church website
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Visit the state room of the Château des Archevêques in Capestang
This castle, a listed Historical Monument, was a splendid residence in the late Middle Ages, home to the Archbishops of Narbonne. The fortified medieval castle existed as early as the 12th century, but it was in the 14th and 15th centuries that the archbishops largely renovated it in the Gothic style to make it a more comfortable residence.
In the middle of the 15th century, an archbishop, Jean d’Harcourt, had a French-style painted ceiling created in the castle’s state room, which is a major work of art from the end of the Middle Ages. Today, you can still admire 150 closed panels with paintings dating from the 15th century that address themes of surprising diversity. These have been partially preserved because they were covered up by the winegrower who bought and converted the castle into a winery later on.
Château des Archevêques de Capestang
Place Gabriel Péri 34310 Capestang
Rates: 2 € for a self-guided tour and 4 € for a guided tour (by appointment)
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A tea room and coffee shop in Capestang? Café Déco
Jane and John have created a friendly place to have breakfast, dessert, or a snack, while discovering objects by local artisans/artists. The establishment, open since July 2022, is very convivial and offers several very cozy spaces indoors or outdoors. The coffee is also of high quality and actually comes from a roaster in Béziers. A lovely little spot as we like them, which I warmly recommend.
Café Déco
11 Place Ferrer 34310 Capestang
Price: espresso 1.60 € / Double espresso 2.20 € / café latte 2.70 € / hot chocolate 3.30 €
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Where to drink a good beer in Capestang? Brasserie l’Oppidum
This brewery, which opened its doors in November 2021, is housed in a former winery. Since February 2022, the site has also offered a restaurant/tapas bar: the brew club. And also a wine cellar that obviously sells the brewery’s products and some local goods.
We did a tasting visit of the site (accessible by reservation), which offers a tour of the brewery with explanations about its history and ends with a tasting featuring beer and food pairings. The brewery has a nice collection of beers, including ephemeral or limited-edition beers, made in collaboration with local businesses, such as a bread beer which is made with the local Cristal bakery. Regarding raw materials, the wheat and malt come from Occitanie.
Brasserie de l’Oppidum
46 cours Belfort 34310 Capestang
The cellar is open from Tuesday to Sunday and the restaurant from Tuesday to Saturday
Restaurant rates: homemade fries 4 € / padrons to share 6.50 € / mixed board 18 € /
Tasting workshop with discovery of the brewery + beers with beer and food pairing 25 € per person
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Thanks to the Tourist Office of the Canal du Midi in Saint-Chinian and Hérault Tourisme for organizing this great stay. If you want to know more about the destination, don’t hesitate to check out the articles by my travel companions Stay tuned for life and Copines de Bons Plans.
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to visit Saint-Chinian and its surroundings as far as the Canal du Midi, and if you too have your favorite addresses and tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: MellebonPlan Photos are not royalty-free; permission from the photographer is required before any use
