The Languedoc is, before anything else, a region that takes food and wine seriously. This isn’t the polished, self-conscious food culture of Paris or even Provence, it is something earthier and more unassuming - which is what makes it so good.

No two groups spend a week here in quite the same way. Some barely leave the estate, and others use it as a base to explore the region; most end up somewhere between the two. This is one version of how a long weekend at Domaine de la Vène could unfold.

Domaine de la Vène was discovered by our family in 1999, long before it became the house it is today. At the time, it was little more than a ruin, but soon this was to be our family home.

Part of the appeal of the South of France has always been the pace of life, where days unfold more slowly and are shaped less by schedules and more by the landscape.

While there are many beautiful places to get married in the south of France, Domaine de la Vène offers something slightly different to most wedding venues.

The Tour de France, one of the world’s most prestigious bicycle races, passes close to us this year during Stage 4, between Carcassonne and Foix.

Most visitors to this part of southern France know Carcassonne for its famous medieval citadel, but the wider region beyond the city is what makes a stay at Domaine de la Vène so rewarding.