Olivier - Luxury accommodation with heated pool & A/C in former vigneron estate

We have stayed at La Maison des Vignes (LMdV) twice now. The first being in 2013 and again this year. When you find somewhere that ticks all the boxes there's a tendency to want to keep it a secret so that you can easily book again! I don't go back to the same place without good reason and there are plenty of good reasons to go to LMdV. If you want an opportunity to relax, unwind, explore wonderful countryside whilst sampling great wine and food then LMdV is for you. LMdV is run by a lovely English couple Jonathan and Suzanna Grix, who are perfect hosts and who strive to ensure that every home comfort is available to you in their gites, which have been tastefully constructed from the old barns that were once part of a vineyard estate. We have stayed in Gite Lavande and now Olivier but stay in any of the 3 gites and you won't be disappointed. They are fully detailed on the website. The wireless internet is pretty good too, which obviously means you'll not need to speak to or entertain your teenage children for the duration of your holiday! Jonathan and Suzanna hold a welcome soirée on the Monday evening where guests are encouraged to come and meet each other over a few glasses of local wine and some nibbles which is a great way of getting to know your fellow guests...not to mention it being a cheap night out drinking Jonathan's wine!! ;-) Here also you get to hear first hand about places to visit, Carcassone, Minerve, Narbonne and Fontfroide Abbey. Further afield there's Beziers, Montpellier and the Camargue.The beaches are nearby with our favourites Leucate and Le Franqui about 45 minutes away. If that all seems too much then you can lounge by the pool, which has plenty of room and areas of shade available throughout the day, when the sun gets too much.The village of Tourouzelle is tiny with just the one shop which is nonetheless well stocked with provisions and you can order your daily baguettes, croissants etc so that you don't need to get up early to make sure you get something! If you're really lucky Jonathan will arrange a dinner cooked by the local Mairie (mayor) in his own home. He's a fantastic cook and was the most memorable experience for us and our fellow guests when we stayed in 2013. So if you want a relaxing holiday or even an active holiday then LMdV is the place for you...but don't tell everyone straightaway because you'll want to go back again...like I do.

We stayed in Gite Olivier with our 2 sons 19yrs and 15yrs and one of their girlfriends. We had the extra room and found the accommodation fabulous. Jonathan and Suzanna were both friendly/welcoming and very helpful no matter what we asked or needed. The welcome evening was a great idea as then we got to know the guests staying in the other 2 gites and we thoroughly enjoyed everyone's company. Johnathan organised a trip to the local wine cave which we did with some of the other guests which was really interesting and again good fun. We went to Narbonne / Carcassonne / Minerve / Biz Minervois / Ribaute / and many more - all of which were recommended in the welcome folder and everywhere we went was truly beautiful. Our favourite visit was to the Abbaye De Fontfroid. A truly spectacular place. The local Tourouzelle store was very handy and great to have fresh bread every day. Jonathan recommended the locally grown peaches and apricots from the village which again were fabulous. The swimming pool was always clean and was a great temperature - we were worried going in June that it may be cold but we were in it every day. There are plenty of sun loungers for everyone and the covered area in the shade worked well for rest bite from the sun and it was lovely to sit under in the evening and watch the sunsets. We had a fantastic holiday and the only down side was having to leave. Thanks to both of you for such a wonderful stay. The Kerlins

Very Nice, well decorated gite in a beautiful, quiet place in the south of France. Perfect place to be with your family (we came with 4 kids, 19-28 years old) or with friends. Just 40 min drive to the sea, nice walk and bike possibilities as well. The hosts were very friendly, always willing to assist you whenever you have questions and the pool was wonderful. W'll be back!!