Domaine de la Courtade by bike

Gastronomy, wine... It's a passion shared by the Garabedians, a family from Marseilles whose mother, a journalist, and father, an insurer and photographer, have given birth to three daughters and... a culinary magazine "Le Cœur des chefs".

"That's where my interest in wine comes from," confirms Madeleine Garabedian, who will be joining Domaine de la Courtade in Porquerolles in 2021 after completing a BTS in international trade, a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in business development under a sandwich course at a winery in the Alpilles region. She followed this up with a wine and spirits consultant training course, again on a sandwich course, which brought her to La Courtade " through a sommelier my mother had invited on her radio show ".

The National Park?

I knew about the Calanques, but - and I'm a bit ashamed to say this - I didn't know Porquerolles existed until I got there. When I was shown around, I discovered that the estate has a long-standing commitment to eco-responsibility. It has held the "Agriculture Biologique - Écocert" label since 1997, and was the first estate on the island to go organic.

I've been paying attention to ecology for a while, but it hadn't really had an impact on my life. It wasreally when I arrived here, and through the work of the Esprit Parc Nationallabel , that I became more aware. When I took part in the Rencontres de l'écotourisme in 2023, I realized that there are a lot of people around us who rely on the terroir to do remarkable work... and we don't even know it! It opened my eyes to the fact that it's essential to let visitors arriving at Porquerolles know that they're in a national park, because it completely changes the game, the way people look at things... Once people know they're entering a protected territory, they're much more careful.

The brand does a lot of work in this area, teaching us how to communicate, particularly on the missions of the National Park. It's a partnership. We're all in the same boat, because we all want the exceptional environment in which we live and work to be preserved! The estate wanted to get involved because it shows that beyond the quality of the product, there's a commitment to the island's environment. It's important to us that this is recognized. The brand is a recognition of the quality of a terroir and know-how, but it's also a way of highlighting the human side, the people who work in this environment with respect. And whether we're talking about products, services or tours, visitors are always put in touch with these people, and that's what's so interesting. Because the people who choose to be part of the Esprit Parc Nationallabel are committed people with a story to tell. As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing when they finish my visit is that people know more about the island's rich environment, about the National Park, and that they pay more attention to it!