Daughter of Jean-Pierre Rambier, renowned winemaker in Pic Saint-Loup since 1848, Mireille Rambier, 41, left her first profession as a notary to devote herself, full time since 2014, to wine marketing and exploitation. of the two renowned estates, the Domaine Haut-Lirou, 95 hectares, 20 km north of Montpellier, and the Mas du Notaire, 35 hectares, in the heart of the Petite Camargue, between Nîmes and Montpellier. They market 350 bottles of all ranges, including 000% ​​for export. INAO has validated the request for recognition of 20 municipalities in AOP Pic, 17 years after the introduction of the 13st request, for its red and rosé wines, a reward and recognition for the terroir.

Interview by Frédérique de Granvilliers, December 15, 2016

  • Photo: DR

How did the golf virus come to you?

No one in my family played golf. It was at the age of 22, with a group of friends from the Faculty of Law of Montpellier that I got started, when the lessons were not interesting! Since then, I haven't stopped playing, except for a year when my daughter Constance was born.

Are you classified?

No, I don't actually compete. I mainly play to relax.

What do you like about this sport?

The common thread of golf, like that of the wine business, is nature: golf allows me to take the air while practicing a sport without realizing it. And it brings me to meet people, it's friendly.

I find some common points: golf requires a high level of concentration and reflection, the total stroke time not exceeding 1% of 4 hours, the average duration of an 18-hole course.

You teach me something!

Golf is a fight with myself. I try to never give up because, as soon as it doesn't work out on one go, I focus on the next one, keeping in mind that there is, each time, the possibility of improving.

Going on vacation with your clubs?

For a long time yes, but today I'm running out of space with Constance's stroller and scooter! It will come back!

Golf in the world that you particularly like and why?

The Nirwana Golf Club in Bali, located at the water's edge and next to a temple, seduces me with its Zen side. Hole number, a par 4 along the rice fields, is just magical.

And near your Domains, there are 2 golf courses I think?

They are superb! Near Montpellier, the Coulondres golf course and that of Massane, designed by the Californian architect Ronald Freame.

Your favorite holes?

At the Coulondres golf course, number 2, one par 5, with a left dogleg, with a magnificent view of the Pic Saint-Loup from the approaches and on the green.

In Massane, my favorite hole is 5: the most difficult of the course… I like the difficulty! A start with the Pic Saint-Loup in the background (very motivating and encouraging for what awaits me later) then a very aquatic hole: water to the right and left of the course to the green surrounded by water ...

I prefer wine, like you! Besides, after a course which of your wines do you particularly like to taste?

In summer, my favorite wine is Constance rosé, a wine of haute cuisine which befits the gastronomic and convivial image of golf.

In winter, I go for a Mas des Costes, a wine for conversation, on fruit and spices, the reward accompanied by a hot cooked dish.

Can we visit your cellars? Do you have guest rooms I believe?

My family wants to invest to diversify its offer around wine. The Domaine Haut-Lirou traditionally offers the tasting and sale of its wines in its tasting cellar, with a visit to the cellars and the winery, walks in the vineyards, participation in the bush vines in June, etc.

But the offer goes far beyond, with turnkey formulas and various possible options: Wine Tour, Café du Pic, ephemeral bistro for the summer, harvest workshops, wine and chocolate, welcome days for the general public and rental rooms for professional events, tailor-made menus to suit all requests, a Santa Claus in the vineyards,…

To complete the 8 charming lodgings of Mas du Notaire, 3 lodgings in the middle of the vineyards will open in spring 2017 at Domaine Haut-Lirou: this is a unique concept combining both the art of living and the heart of terroir: arrival in the middle of the rows of vines, relaxation at the edge of a pine forest, stays in total immersion in a magical place. Comfort and a change of scenery will be there and .. the golf courses are not far away!

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