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Domaine Les Deux Terres is the collaborative vineyard of two winegrowers, Vincent Fargier and Manu Cuni, who decided to stop selling their grapes to the local co-op and start making their own wine together.

Les Deux Terres means ‘the two lands’, a reference to the unification of their two adjoining vineyards. Their winery is situated in Villeneuve-de-Berg, a tiny commune in the heart of Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Inspired by their natural winemaker neighbours like Le Mazel, Andrea Calek, and Gilles Azzoni, Les Deux Terres makes wine with very low interventions and an utmost respect for the fruit.

The pair met in 1997 at the Agriculture School of Aubenas. Vincent, who grew up around family vineyards, was managing the school’s cellar, while Manu was at the school to learn. Quickly forming a friendship, they found jobs working together at Domaine Vallon des Glauges in the Alpilles in Provence. Here, Vincent was hired as chef de culture (vineyard manager) and Manu worked in the cellar. After four years, they both left to work for other domains, Vincent at Domaine de Triennes and Manu at Domaine du Deffends. At these two domains, they were still neighbours, as the vineyards shared a winery, as well as vineyard tools and tractors.

In 2009, their dreams to start a domain together were realised, when Vincent’s father (who had been selling grapes to the local co-op) wished to retire. Vincent took over his father’s vineyard and decided to make wine. At this same time, Manu was renting parcels, and the grower (who also sold to the co-op) also wanted to retire. Now, together, they farm 13-hectares of grapes (partly owned, party rented) across Vincent’s clay-limestone soil and Manu’s basalt soil.

The rough limestone terrain of the steep slopes yields tiny harvests with the grapes struggling to survive in the harsh terroir and without irrigation. All of Manu and Vincent’s grapes are farmed organically, harvest by hand, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. They add a little sulphur to the rosé, but otherwise their effortlessly drinkable wines are labelled ‘vins sans soufre’.