Fête des Vendanges du Domaine de Montels

The meeting place for winemakers of Tarn-et-Garonne

Nestled in the hills of Quercy blanc, Domaine de Montels in Albias is an emblematic wine estate in Tarn-et-Garonne, specializing in the production of characterful rosé and red wines. Every year in September, it opens its doors wide for the Fête des Vendanges, a unique event that combines the celebration of the harvest, the discovery of regional wines, and cultural and folkloric activities inspired by Occitania.

This festival brings together about twenty producers from the local vineyard and neighboring estates, offering visitors the opportunity to taste and buy a wide variety of wines directly from the winemakers: elegant and fruity rosé wines, full-bodied reds, dry and sweet whites, all from the sunny hillsides of Tarn-et-Garonne.

The 2025 theme: "Rose Thérapy"

The 2025 edition, organized on September 7, 2025, is themed "Rose Thérapy", a festive and quirky theme that celebrates the emblematic color of the estate's rosé wines and invites visitors to "heal" themselves with joy, conviviality, and tasting. Pink colors, floral decorations, festive activities around rosé, and a light and joyful atmosphere: this theme gives the 2025 edition a particularly successful visual and festive identity.

The highlights of the festival

The Fête des Vendanges of Domaine de Montels offers an original festive and cultural program every year:

• The winemakers' market: about twenty producers from the local vineyard offer their wines for tasting and direct sale, allowing visitors to discover the great diversity of Tarn-et-Garonne wines.
• Occitan dances: folk dance groups in traditional costumes liven up the festival with their Occitan dances and music, perpetuating the cultural traditions of the Southwest.
• The painting contest: amateur and professional artists set up in the vineyard to capture the vineyard landscapes, the harvest, and the faces of the festival on the spot. The works are exhibited and the best ones are awarded.
• Barrel rolling: a fun and traditional event, barrel rolling pits teams against each other in a sporting and spectacular race that recalls the ancestral gestures of winemaking life.
• Catering and entertainment: local food stalls, regional products, musical and cultural entertainment complete the program to make the festival a moment of total sharing.

The vineyard of Albias and Domaine de Montels

Domaine de Montels is a family estate located on the heights of Albias, a commune in the canton of Montauban-Nord. The vineyard covers about fifteen hectares planted with Gascon and Southern grape varieties — Gamay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet, Mauzac — producing wines under the Coteaux du Quercy (AOP) appellation, one of the southernmost appellations in Tarn-et-Garonne. The estate's rosé wines, lively and fruity, are the signature of the property and the common thread of the harvest festival.

Albias, a commune of a few thousand inhabitants about ten kilometers northeast of Montauban, benefits from a terroir of clay-limestone terraces and exceptional sunshine that favor the cultivation of vines and fruit trees. The Fête des Vendanges is an opportunity to discover a vineyard unknown to the general public but with a true wine identity specific to Quercy.

A free, rural, and authentic festival

In a department dominated by large cities and major events, the Fête des Vendanges of Domaine de Montels stands out for its rural and authentic character. Far from the standardized formats of major wine fairs, it offers a genuine immersion into the world of winemakers from Tarn-et-Garonne, in a magnificent natural setting and with completely free admission. An event that is at once popular, cultural, and gastronomic, reflecting the Occitan art of living in all its generosity.