Hidden in the countryside near Aix-en-Provence is a unique place where wine, art, and architecture blend harmoniously with the Provencal landscape. Here, you will find Château La Coste, standing on historic grounds with a wine-making tradition since Roman times. The country house dates back to 1682, and since 2011, the doors have been open for visitors to discover over forty pieces of contemporary art. Every year, artists and architects are invited to create new art on a spot of their choice on the 200 hectares of surrounding land.
Nothing Is Set in Stone
One of my food-wine-art-loving friends heard about Château La Coste and booked an art and architecture walk and lunch. So, together with another friend, we headed to Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, a 20 minutes drive from Aix-en-Provence. I wasn’t really prepared for what we would visit. All I knew was that it involved food, wine and art, which was enough for me to be enthusiastic. ‘Nothing is set in stone’ is the philosophy that drives the remarkable Château La Coste. And you can tell the minute you enter the winery. Arriving through the contemporary gates by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, my friends and I followed a lane lined with cypresses. Suddenly, a modernist building reflected in a pond with a giant spider sculpture popped up. It appeared to be the art centre and also housed the Tadao Ando Café Restaurant. I was intrigued!
Art and Architecture Walk
As soon as we had parked the car, we joined our English-speaking guide for the art and architecture walk. Two are scheduled daily, in French and English, starting at 10h30 and 14h30. Reservation- highly recommended, especially during the holiday season- can be done online. For 25 euros per adult, you can join a two-hour walk over four kilometres. Walking through vineyards, olive groves and woods, we discovered the various installations while enjoying the views of the surrounding scenery. Every artwork is placed on a spot personally picked by the artist, which adds to the impact. I’m not going to mention everything that we saw, as it truly is something you must experience for yourself. I wasn’t expecting to see artwork by world-famous artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Damien Hirst but also Yoko Ono and Bob Dylan, though!
Struck by Surprise
It took a good two hours to do the guided tour, but the girls and I weren’t done after that. So we spent some more time strolling the estate, discovering a wine shop, some restaurants, and- of course- more art. Completely struck by surprise at this cultural overdose, we headed to one of the restaurants designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Over a beautiful lunch, we already discussed our next visit. After all, there is so much more to do at Château La Coste! And we definitely want to come back to try another restaurant (or four), do a wine tour and tasting and maybe even spend the night.
