When Régine first chanced upon Barbeyrolles it was totally dilapidated, but its natural advantages and potential were clear: its proximity to the Mediterranean mitigates the extremes of both summer and winter temperatures; its valley position is a natural sun trap, while affording further protection from the elements; furthermore, its ancient shale-schist soils were an ideal medium for growing high quality grapes. Régine renovated the property and gradually converted it to sustainable methods, achieving organic certification in 2005 and biodynamic certification in 2020.

However, the cult of Barbeyrolles is due not to its unique terroir, but to what it represents. For it was here, 40 years ago, that Provence rosé as we know it, was born. Few realise that it was Régine who pioneered the delicate pale pink style that we all now take for granted. In fact, up to the mid-1980s, many Provence rosés were deeper in colour, some were ‘robust in structure’ with prominent tannins. Régine, forever pushing boundaries in pursuit of quality, became intrigued by the practice of her friend Jean-Bernard Delmas of Château Haut-Brion. In search of greater finesse in his white wines, he used a Coquard press, the traditional gentle press of the Champagne region, to extract the finest juices from whole bunches of grapes, rather than grapes with their stems removed. Régine became determined to experiment in the same way, to see if she could achieve a more refined rosé style. She located a press and installed it at Barbeyrolles in time for the 1985 harvest, pressing whole bunches of red Grenache grapes — a first! The result was remarkable: the finesse of the juice, its fruit purity and the delicacy of its acidities, were immediately tangible. And the colour was extraordinary: a diaphanous pale pink, now the epitome of the Provence style.

To begin with, the Provence world was up in arms at this ‘insolent’ new style. Régine encountered considerable resistance at the outset from fellow producers and the trade, outraged by the ‘upstart’ actions of a renegade. However, critical acclaim and consumer appreciation grew. Before long, and as more modern winemaking equipment and practices became more widespread, others also started quietly to pursue their own shade of pale. And little by little, the Provence rosé pioneered by Régine Sumeire at Barbeyrolles, became the style the region is known for today.