Visiting Chateau La Coste Winery with kids: Why you shouldn’t miss this one in Southern France.
“Crouching Spider” 2003 - Louise Bourgeois: A giant spider poised over an infinity pool that surrounds the visitor center makes a striking and otherworldly first impression.
Visiting Wineries with Kids
Wineries don’t normally invoke the term “kid friendly” and, for the most part, I suggest leaving your young kids at home when touring wineries if you have the option. Sometimes, however, you find yourself in the middle of a wine lover’s heaven with no childcare options and the kids have to come along for the ride. Since our kids are older, (ages 10, 12, and 14) it really isn’t a problem. We know they can sit still and be quiet and not break things for an hour. (Ok, we don’t really know that for sure, but we know there is at least a 75% chance they can.) That being said, there is often very little for them to gain from the experience and it is more of a “this is for mommy and daddy and you need to just be good for a bit” situation. With all that in mind, wineries that offer unique and engaging experiences for children are welcomed gems. Chateau La Coste wine estate and art center in Provence, just 20 minutes north of Aix en Provence, is one of these welcomed gems, a diamond even.
Why you should visit Chateau La Coste with or without kids:
“The Silver Room” 2018 - Ti-A: The frame of a home built with traditional veitnamese methods, housing a silver cube, containing a crystal Buddha that glows only at high noon when the sun streams through the visible crack. “Come on, how could you not love this one?”
1. The art:
The large-scale sculptures perfectly and deliberately situated throughout this breathtaking property are phenomenal! There are 41 unique art installations tucked into the woods, hidden in hillsides, and scattered between fields of grapes across this immaculate estate. You will see the first one when you drive up to the property: a pebble-lined infinity pool with a massive bronze and stainless steel spider crouching in the middle produced by Louise Bourgeois. At least 10 of the installations are worthy of the trip on their own. While our kids can sometimes get bored and have a hard time engaging with art in a museum, the massive outdoor sculptures that you can walk around and explore more freely captivated all of us. Even if you don’t like wine and have no interest in tasting it, the art and architecture walk is worth your trip.
2. The art: It’s incredible.
3. The art: Just in case 1 and 2 weren’t enough.
“Psicopompos” 2011 - Tunga: These giant cystals of quartz are counterbalanced by large magnet stacks and were WIlson’s favorite.
4. The grounds:
Being able to leisurely walk through the fields of grapevines, the shady oak and evergreen forests, and along the grassy hills with the open valley around you and rolling hills in the background is lovely.
An incredible photo of the interior of Galerie D’Exposition with the reflected landscape beautifully merging with the interior of the building. Wendi Owen 2022
5. The wine:
Wine-tastings are free at Chateau La Coste and you can just walk in and request one any time during their normal business hours. They let us pick which ones we wanted to sample and were very flexible and knowledgeable. They have a range of affordable white, rose, and red wines.
A bottle of AOC Vin de Provence Rose from Chateau La Coste. Provence, France
6. The grape juice:
They have fancy grape juice made with different grape varietals for the kids to sample which was fun and inclusive. Unfortunately, there was none for sale.
7. The restaurants:
They were putting off some enticing aromas. We did not eat at the winery but, judging by the ambiance and smells, I don’t think you would regret it.
8. Workshops:
They offer art workshops for kids on Saturdays and several art and wine focused workshops for adults. We didn’t get to try these, but I’m sure they are amazing.
Vineyards with intentional wild flowers in between. Chateau La Coste, Provence France
The logistics
Hours: Open 10-7, seven days a week.
Duration: Give yourself at least 2 hours to do the walk. You will want plenty of time to explore the various sculptures and it is a decent amount of walking for a little one.
Difficulty: easy. The paths are mostly gravel and good walking shoes are recommended but there is no uneven ground and very little elevation change.
Workshops: book these in advance if you want to attend. You can book online.
Getting there: If there is a way to get there by bus, I couldn’t find it. It is best to rent your own car and drive to the winery. Then you’ll have more flexibility as well.
Cost to visit Chateau LaCoste: 40 Euro for a family pass, 15 Euro per adult, 12 Euro per child
“Four Cubes to Contemplate on Our Environment” 2008-2001 - Tadao Ando
Our Favorite sculptures (in no particular order):
Crouching Spider (2 on the map)
Mathematical Model (3)
Oak Room (13)
Galerie d’exposition (21)
“Galerie D’Exposition” 2021 - Richard Rogers
Psicopompos (10)
The Marriage of New York and Athens (28)
Meditation Bell (31)—don’t miss your chance to ring this one
Drop (34)
“Meditiation Bell” 2021 - Paul Matisse: The bell is actually the large long silver tube at the top which is struck by 4 hammers at the same time. The bell can ring for up to 20 minutes.
Final thoughts on Chateau La Coste:
If you are looking for a winery to visit with kids in Provence, this is it! With kids’ workshops, fancy grape juice, engaging art, and plenty of space for the kids to run and roam the countryside, this is a great half day activity with kids and wine! With or without kids, the art here is varied, thought provoking, inspiring, engaging and absolutely worth a visit. Many of the works of art and or architecture are multimillion dollar installations and would be worth a trip on their own. Together, they are mind-blowing.
“Drop” 2009 - Tom Shannon: This massive metal ellipsoid is suspended in the air with magnets and can spin and wobble when gently pushed.
