Seminars and executive committees for 14 to 200 people, day receptions for up to 300 and weddings for up to 400 guests at cocktail time can all be held at Domaine de Blacailloux, with 20 suites for overnight stays. The organic wine estate covers 600 hectares at the foot of the Sainte-Baume massif in Tourves, in the Var, inland from Marseille and Toulon.
Seminars and company events
The estate is set up for residential seminars of two to three days: executive and strategy committees, study days, general meetings and conventions of up to 200 people. The whole estate can be closed to outside guests for one group, and the team keeps to about ten seminars a year. Programs combine plenary sessions and workshops with team building such as a guided cellar tasting, a blending workshop with the cellar master, electric mountain bike rides through the vines or cooking classes. Transfers from the station, the airport or the on-site heliport are organized both ways.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings take the privatized estate for a full weekend, and only a few are booked each season. The Hameau de Fontfresque suits smaller weddings, with a cocktail for 100 and a seated dinner for 40. The Bastide de la Julienne takes up to 400 for the cocktail and 200 for a seated dinner at round or banquet tables. Ceremonies can be held among the vines or on the panoramic terrace, and a welcome dinner the evening before and a brunch the next day can be added. Indoor spaces take over if the weather turns.
Rooms and capacities
The Salle Raymond Chamoin seats 14 in committee layout next to the restaurant terrace. The Mezzanine takes 20 to 40 for workshops behind a glass wall over the vat room. The Salle des Lavandes seats 70 theater style with a screen and sound system, and the Salle des Voûtes, a vaulted stone hall, holds plenary sessions of 200. The Terrasse Panoramique looks over the hills on all sides and is used for cocktails. Rooms are air-conditioned, with video equipment, high-speed wifi and a fiber connection.
Accommodation
The 20 suites, each with a private bathroom and air conditioning, are spread over four houses: the Bastide de la Julienne (seven suites, 100 m² pool), the Hameau de Fontfresque (seven suites, outdoor and indoor pools, sauna, fitness room), the Bergerie d'Aquino (five suites) and Le Bastidon (one suite for two).
Catering
La Table de Blacailloux, open from May to September, serves a seasonal menu by chef Ludovic Turac built on produce from within 30 km. Dinners can be set in the vineyard, in the cellar or around a brazier. For weddings, couples choose their own caterer, and only estate wines are served.
History and setting
The Chamoin family has farmed the land since 1917 and is now in its fourth generation. About 100 hectares are planted with organic vines at around 400 m altitude, producing AOP Coteaux Varois en Provence and IGP Var wines, inside the Sainte-Baume regional nature park. The rest of the land is left to woods and wildlife.
Getting there
The estate is about 30 minutes by car from Aix-en-Provence and 45 minutes from Marseille and Toulon. Aix-en-Provence TGV station is 40 minutes away and Marseille Provence Airport 50 minutes.
