Le Domaine

Build-your-own
Rupert Birch spent 20 years as a merchant banker before buying 30 acres of vineyard just north of Aix en Provence. The land didn't come with any property so he decided to build his own château.
"I woke up one morning in December 2000, I had 40 000 vines to take care of and I had no tools, no tractor, no employee and there were less than nine months to go before the next harvest. The first thing we build was a garden shed from castorama (the local DIY store) and I ended up renting some cellars nearby.
Originally, I had looked to buy a château with 24 acres of land, but certainly near Aix, it's very expensive, so we decided to buy the land first and then we were able to build exactely wath we wanted."
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Starting in February 2000, the château took just over two years to construct." The builders were amazing. They met every target, every timetable and budget...Building from scratch, is a fascinating exercice. It means every waking hour is spent thinking about what to do and how to do it. "The locals see me on the tractor and out among the vines and know that I'm not a danseuse, as French say. This is my life.
It's nice to stand back and look at what you have built - and we know that we've done a good job because none pf the neighbours has ever complainded".

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