The area

Montbrun des Corbiéres is a very old, small village with around 300 inhabitants. Most of the people who live in Montbrun own vineyards and bring their harvest to the local Cave Cooperative. Montbrun has a long history that goes back to the middle ages. The old city centre with the old church is several hunderd years old.

The old houses in the village are built against one another and you’ll find many narrow streets and alleys there. For the last 30 years many detached houses were built around Montbrun, a lot of them owned by people from the Netherlands and other countries. But the village hasn’t lost its authenticity, it’s still very picturesque, situated against the hills with many woods and the Garrigue, which are the fields filled with herbs like rosemary, thyme and lavender.

 

The area has a beautiful landscape of vineyards, mountains, hills and woods. Montbrun is situated in a large valley, which borders the Montagne Noire at the northside. The Montagne Noire are the shoots of the Massif Central. Bordering at the southern side of the valley, is where the Pyranids start. There’s a good view of the high snowcovered tops of the Pyranids from the Montbrun mountain. The climate is sunny, warm and dry. The “Tramontante-wind” is there frequently, which is similar to the “Mistral-wind”, as it is known in the Provence. The warm sun and the Tramontane both provide an ideal atmosphere for the grapes to ripen. You’ll hear the crickets in the summertime, the vineyards are colored green, the lavender is fragrant and the air smells of herbs such as thyme and rosemary: this is France!