Last fall we attended a wine party in Quarante, a charming hamlet in the Languedoc region of southern France. The village was tiny. The house was anything but, with three stories, six bedrooms, a pool, and an old barn. A centuries-old olive tree observed the revelry from the interior courtyard, the wine flowed like water from the area’s ancient Roman aqueducts, and we feasted on charcuterie, pâté, and fromage. The crowd was international, with attendees from Zurich, Los Angeles, Romania, Dublin. But the majority of the guests, as well as our hosts and the annual party’s raison d’être, were pure Seattle.

When we think of wine tasting, we conjure polished rooms filled with swirling glasses and the familiar rhythm of tasting notes. But what if a wine journey could be transformative — an experience that’s educational and delicious but also deeply personal? It started with an unexpected introduction to a vivacious wine aficionado and former Seattle lawyer named Carol Bailey, whose energy and passion for her adopted home set the tone for our voyage. Meeting her and her husband, Dr. Steve Medwell — a retired Seattle surgeon — was the beginning of an adventure that seamlessly blended the romance of French wine country with the strong human connections that make travel so enriching.

The couple owns Princess & Bear Wines in South Park, and it’s a love letter to their adopted terroir. As Medwell notes, “We aren’t experts in other wines. But we have gotten very good at identifying the best wines from this region.” By his estimate they have tasted at least 1,500 wines from more than 150 wine producers in the area over the past 10 years. They often source their selections from local restaurant wine menus, then head out by car in pursuit of the wines, the winemakers, and their stories.

The French connection. The Princess & Bear Tasting room brings the flavors of Languedoc to South Park, thanks to Dr. Steve Medwell and his wife, Carol Bailey.

Photos by LYDIA BREWER

Ioana Bucur, a certified French Wine Scholar who works at the wine shop and tasting room in Seattle, says, “No two wines are alike among the 23 Languedoc appellations that unfurl across 40,000 hectares of vineyards. The only common denominator is the Mediterranean, which is to thank for the mild, bright winters, the hot, dry summers, the fragrance of scrubland, and the winds carrying the sea air.”

From the moment we arrived in Montpellier, we were swept into a sensory tapestry of lush vineyards, exquisite wines, and the warmth of locals who welcomed us like new friends.

Bailey and Medwell introduced us to their world through their wine club, which also offers an annual trip to Languedoc — a region often overshadowed by more famous wine destinations such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. From the moment we arrived in Montpellier, we were swept into a sensory tapestry of lush vineyards, exquisite wines, and the warmth of locals who welcomed us like new friends. Days were spent exploring vineyards, where we experienced the art and history of wine- making from independent winemakers. All that culminated at the annual wine party in Quarante.

As the largest wine-producing region on the planet and the oldest in France, the Languedoc is a site of ancient terroir and modern innovation. The Languedoc region is often called the “Wild West” of French winemaking for its lack of pretense and the freedom afforded its makers. They thrive on the region’s unique landscape and climate, which support a staggering range of grape varietals. This natural bounty, combined with a wine-making philosophy that embraces independence and creativity, has helped Languedoc emerge as a leader in organic and biodynamic production, as well as high quality, affordable wines.

Bailey and Medwell took to the region instantly, and once Bailey located their dream house, they were all in. “It isn’t pretentious or intimidating, like parts of France can be,” she says. “And there is so much natural beauty, with the beaches, the lakes, and the Pyrenees. Every seafaring society in this part of the world visited. It’s what makes the culture so rich.”

After moving to Languedoc, the couple encountered local expert Sarah Hargreaves on a balade, French for stroll, which in this case means strolling among the vineyards and sipping wine along the way. The Scotland-born, Algeria-raised Hargreaves runs In the Mood PR, her own agency promoting the region’s wine to the world. “For many Americans, the south of France is a dream destination,” she notes. “Through our trips, guests can immerse themselves in the region’s history, taste wines where they’re produced, and make discoveries that we know like the back of our hands.”

The Terrasses du Larzac appellation is one of Languedoc’s many treasures, situated in the hills west of Montpellier. Its higher altitude vineyards yield cooler summer nights that slow grape ripening, preserving acidity and developing complex flavors. Organic practices thrive, with winemakers such as Pascale Rivière of La Jasse Castel and Marie Chauffray of Domaine de la Réserve d’O leading the charge.

Rivière, a tireless, passionate winemaker, crafts refined blends perfect for aging, while Chauffray’s biodynamic wines balance acidity and alcohol, reflecting the rocky limestone clay soils of Terrasses du Larzac. Both women are members of Vinifilles, an association of dynamic women winemakers shaping the local viticulture since 2009. As Bailey points out, “We tend to prefer the wines from female winemakers. At least 60% of the wines we carry are from women.”

Chauffray’s husband, Frédéric, is a lively musician who played in a French New Wave band in the 1980s, and he serenades the group with Prince’s “Purple Rain” as we sip our cinsault/grenache/syrah blend. Says Hargreaves, “The Terrasses du Larzac winemakers are a close-knit group of people who help each other out, exchange views, and often par-
ty together,” Chauffray says. “They are interconnected in helping each other out, not jealously guarding their own knowledge and winemaking techniques. It is the essence of what an appellation can be.”

We visit La Croix Gratiot, a 34-hectare (84-acre) estate near Sète, where Anaïs Ricome combines modern innovation with biodynamic principles to craft crisp, dry white wine. If Languedoc has a signature wine, it is from Picpoul de Pinet, and is devoted exclusively to picpoul grapes. Located near L’Étang de Thau (a large saltwater lagoon) by the Mediterranean, these vineyards thrive under strong marine conditions. The ancient varietal is prized for its crisp acidity, defying the region’s warm, dry climate which receives only about 16 inches of annual rainfall. Late-ripening and drought-resistant, Picpoul benefits from cooling sea breezes and occasional late-summer fog that help the grapes reach full maturity.

Grape expectations at La Croix Gratiot

PHOTO BY AURÉLIA BLANC

Anaïs Ricome, right, of La Croix Gratiot, combines modern innovation with biodynamic principles to craft crisp, dry white wine.

PHOTO BY AURÉLIA BLANC

Many of the joys of the coastal Northwest are found in coastal Languedoc. The wine has a crisp mouthfeel and strong salinity (the name means “lip stinger,”) making it highly sought after by wine hunters seeking something unmistakably Mediterranean. Food pairings often involve platters piled high with fresh oysters, mussels, and spiny lobster from the lagoon. Another local delicacy worth seeking is tielle. Each family and village has its own secret recipe, but think empanadas stuffed with spicy tomato sauce and local seafood, such as squid and octopus.

The annual Seattle trip, known as the Mediterranean Club, wisely travels to different parts of the region every year to keep the agenda fresh. Bailey and Medwell speak highly of Narbonne, and nearby Béziers. The 2025 tasting celebration will venture west, near the Spanish border. Last year we stayed in Montpellier, with a side trip to Sète. The latter is a postcard-perfect fishing village on the Mediterranean, lined with canals and dotted with boats of every shape like a pointillist seascape.

We bond with Montpellier, a lovely medium-sized city with one of the oldest, largest, liveliest universities in Europe. We stay on the Place de la Canourgue at Hôtel Richer de Belleval, a former mansion turned city hall turned Relais & Châteaux property with a Michelin-starred restaurant, Jardin des Sens. The deluxe property is a stunning temple to art, with an arts foundation exhibiting edgy contemporary works by appointment only. Glistening above the onsite bar L’Élytre, the ceiling is decorated with the iridescent wings of thousands of scarabs.

With its amiable staff and plush rooms, it’s a hotel we don’t want to leave, but the walkable central district exudes quintessential French charm. One night we begin at the local café downstairs, enjoying happy hour with the student crowd, before heading across the square for high end sushi at Umami. Other nights we dine on classic Mediterranean fare — farm fresh salads, tuna in olive oil, perfect baguettes — in the shadow of Église Saint-Roch de Montpellier at Rosemarie, and Bistrot Sainte Anne.

Michelin-starred restaurant, Jardin des Sens at the Hôtel Richer de Belleval

PHOTO COURTESY OF HÔTEL RICHER DE BELLEVAL

Back in Seattle, the group reunites at Princess & Bear with new friends and bottles of wine that transport us back to those sun-drenched days in Languedoc. With every sip, we are reminded of how travel reshapes our understanding of the familiar. Beyond discovering new places, it’s about finding new perspectives and flavors, sometimes in unexpected corners of the world. Whether for seasoned oenophiles or those curious about what makes wine captivating, a journey to Languedoc offers a chance to connect, learn, and savor.