Campagnac
According to Robert Plageoles, one of the most famous winemakers in the Gaillac, region, the vineyards of Campagnac are without doubt amongst the finest in the area.
Campagnac, a village right at heart of things
Lying next door to the Forest of Grésigne at the entrance to the Aveyron Gorge, and a stone’s throw from Cordes-sur-ciel, Campagnac provides a landscape of infinite variety both for people passing through and for those who come to ramble.
The village is typical of the Gaillac area. Clinging to the hillside, the village looks down on a valley of amazing vineyards, like a shepherd watching his flock. The white stones of the village light up with each sunset and reinforce the bizarre sensation that here is a village floating up above the vines!
Campagnac is the perfect starting point for numerous rambles, either on foot, by bike, or on horseback. The undulating valleys that roll across a landscape bathed in ochre and green are ideal either for relaxed walks or more energetic rambles. The nearby Forest of Grésigne offers a more naturally rugged landscape, which is also perfect to help you get away from it all. If you look closely, you might stumble across some of nature’s hidden treasures, a bunch of edible mushrooms, maybe. And if you listen closely in September and October maybe you’ll be lucky enough to hear the call of a stag as it raucously announces the mating season.
Be careful, though. Campagnac is a popular name in the South West of France. Both the Aveyron and the Dordogne have their own Campagnac, but because nobody around here bears a grudge, all three villages are twinned!
A rich viticultural activity in Campagnac
It’s no surprise that the wine industry is important to Campagnac and there are plenty of winemakers to discover. An important element of this winemaking tradition is reflected in the magnificent pigeon loft at the entrance to the village. Why are there so many pigeon lofts and why are they such an iconic symbol of the Gaillac countryside? Don’t think it’s because we’re all ornithologists! Pigeon breeding was part of a strict organisation of social classes in the Middle Ages, with specific freedoms awarded by counts and lords. Pigeon breeding developed partly because of the money that could be made selling pigeon meat, but also because at the time pigeon droppings were used as an excellent fertilizer for grape vines.
