Domaine Julian – Seventeen Generations of Vignerons in Ribaute-les-Tavernes

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The Julian family has lived in Ribaute-les-Tavernes since the 16th century.

Though originally farmers, their winemaking story began in 1885 when

Célestin Julian planted the first vines and built a cellar in the village.

His son Louis expanded both vineyard and cellar, establishing the roots

of what would become Domaine Julian.

In the mid-20th century, Jean Julian modernized the vineyard, introduced

tractors to the village, and was among the first to plant Grenache and Syrah

alongside local varieties such as Cinsault and Carignan. While many turned

to chemicals, he maintained a diversified, traditional agriculture where the

vine remained central but connected to the land. These old Grenache an

Syrah plots now form the backbone of the Avant-Garde cuvée in

AOP Duché d’Uzès.

When Louis and Chantal Julian took over in the late 1970s, they converted

the vineyards to organic farming under Nature et Progrès, began bottling

their own wines, and opened their own cellar and market stand in Nîmes.

In 1987, with oenologist Jean-François Vrinat, they began vinifying without

added sulfites — well ahead of their time. Their dedication to healthy soils,

low-intervention winemaking, and authentic expression helped build the

domaine’s reputation for honest, expressive wines.

Since 2010, their sons Simon and Thibaut have carried the estate forward. They expanded the vineyards to 33 hectares, all organically farmed, and restored the old concrete tanks for winemaking. Remaining true to the family’s mixed-farming roots, they also cultivate cereals and vegetables, plant hedges and olive trees, and raise animals — including poultry and pigs — which graze among the vines and contribute natural fertilizer, creating a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Today, Domaine Julian is a living example of balanced agriculture. The vineyards, surrounded by grain fields, gardens, and free-ranging animals, produce wines that are deeply tied to the landscape — vibrant, authentic, and born from a profound respect for nature and family tradition.