Winery Overview
The Féraud family can trace their roots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape all the way back to 1670 when their ancestors first planted grape vines next to their olive trees. The great grandparents of current winemaker Laurence Féraud expanded the farmed acreage to 54 acres. Paul Féraud, the father of Laurence, starting working full time for the family business at age 14 and brought Domaine du Pégau into the modern age when he began to bottle his own wine from the production of a small 12-acre parcel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1964. Prior to that date, the production was sold to negociants. The next big step in the development of Pégau took place in 1987, when Laurence joined her father Paul at Domaine du Pégau after studying wine and marketing. At the time, the wine was still being bottled under the name Domaine Féraud from their 17 acres of vines, and much of production was still sold in bulk. Laurence proposed the creation of an independent family estate and came up with the name Pégau, which is and old Provencal term for an ancient jug for wine discovered during the excavations of the 14th century, Avignon Popes Palace. The current Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards of Domaine du Pégau totals 48 acres of red wine grapes and 3.7 acres of white grapes. All 13 authorized varieties are grown, with parcels situated in the three principal zones of Courthézon, Bédarrides, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Vines average 60+ years in age and yield barely 2 tons of fruit per acre! This traditionally managed, Domaine du Pégau estate produces 3 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines and one white wine, as well as vine de table wines. Grenache noir is present at about 70% on the terroir of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP. It is the grape variety which makes up 80% of the Domaine du Pégau vineyards. Domaine du Pégau completes its panoply of grape varieties with Syrah with a violet scent and its consistency in the mouth. The Mourvèdre with wild and rustic aromas guarantees long aging. The other five grape varieties are: Cinsault, the real aromatic complement by its delicacy; Counoise adds a gentle red fruit aroma; Vaccarèse a juicy color; Muscardin and the Terret Noir are the keys which allow the Châteauneuf-du-Pape to be distinguished by another appellation. Step by step, the investments in vineyards were rewarded, and since then Domaine du Pégau has continued to expand its operations and distribution networks around the world.