Director Ridley Scott, who has lived in the Luberon since 1992, created his estate Le Mas des Infermières, where visitors can enjoy a wine tasting surrounded by the sets of Alien and Gladiator.
A winery in the Luberon
In 1992, prolific British director Ridley Scott fell in love with the Provençal countryside and purchased the Mas des Infermières in Oppède.
The surrounding land is planted with olive trees and grape vines, and Scott had his wine vinified by the local cooperative wine cellar, until he designed and oversaw the construction of his own winery, the new Mas des Infermières, in 2018. This high-tech wine cellar (with gravity-based harvests, underground vinification cellar, temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks…) saw the production of its first wines back in 2020, followed by of the first cuvées, in bottles with labels designed by the director himself.
With its vineyards in the heart of the Luberon Regional Nature Park, the estate quickly achieved HVE 3 certification (the highest level of the High Environmental Value classification) and was awarded the ‘Bee-friendly’ label (a demanding biodiversity protection label).
Tastings and costumes from Ridley Scott’s filmography
Finally, a setting like no other awaits visitors who have the foresight to book a wine-tasting visit here, filled with creatures and costumes from Ridley Scott’s filmography: an armour from The Last Duel, a scale model of the Colosseum from Gladiator, the Napoleon costume worn by Joaquin Phoenix, and a new exhibition featuring costumes and accessories from Gladiator II.
Tours :
– Classic tour: discover the history of the vineyard and Ridley Scott’s cinematographic universe and taste the estate’s wines
Lasts 1 hour, €20/person
– Superior tour: discover the history of the vineyard and Ridley Scott’s cinematic universe, taste the limited cuvée ‘Ombre de lune’ in the cellar’s VIP room.
Lasts 1h30, €50/person.
3 villas are for rent (for up to 6 and 9 people) on the estate.
Photos © Jeff Habourdin