Shipping to Finland, summer tasting box and news from the field.

Summer is approaching Saint Pons de Thomières rapidly, so we wanted to send you a couple of quick updates.

Pallet leaving for Finland, act quick!

We have been collecting orders to Finland through our Instagram account for a few days. As before, we are shipping a full pallet to keep the shipping costs down, so we urge our Finnish friends to place your orders through La Robina > Kauppa as quickly as possible. We will not be sending another pallet for consumers until after the summer. The minimum order per customer is two boxes (12 bottles), and the cost of shipping per order is just 15 euros on the pallet, instead of standard rate of 35 euros. Use coupon code FINLAND2026 to claim the 20 euro difference. If you have any questions please email ismo@larobina.fr or call Ismo +33 6 69 91 59 98.

One of our new products that will work wonders in those light midsummer nights is ....

Summer Tasting Box of 6

We are beyond excited to bring to you the new white wine, DRAGONFLY, a 90% Grenache Blanc, 10% Muscat blend. Dragonfly is suitable for seafood, light salads, goat cheese and dishes with lemon and herbs. Its notes of rhubarb, white berries, citrus and nutmeg also complement grilled vegetables and light chicken dishes. We also bring back the BANAL rosé for the summer parties. This traditional, darker Languedoc rosé, has found its fans all over Scandinavia.

The summer tasting box also includes STARS HOLLOW, La Robina's lightest red, and of course the classic natural wine, DOUCE BRISE, our orange wine - a 90% Grenache blanc, 10% Roussanne blend. Our 2024 Douce Brise exudes summer scents, and subtle oxidation deepens its flavors including summer herbs and white plum. Serve orange wine with spicy Asian dishes, roasted root vegetables, mature cheeses and smoked fish. Its summer herbs, white plum and chewing gum notes also complement grilled vegetables and rich vegetarian dishes.

What's happening in the fields

Spring is a busy time in the vineyards. In early spring, before the plants wake up from winter hiatus, we cut all the long overgrown shoots. Fertilization also takes place in early spring, we use various types of organic fertilizers. Later in the spring, this year in late April-early May, the vines start to grow buds, which need pruning. We remove unwanted buds leaving room for growth, and keep the remaining buds healthy by ensuring no mold, sub-zero temperature, or animals get to the young shoots, leaves, and flowers. 

So far it’s been a nice spring with enough warm weather for the vines to get going, flowers are pollinated and we see grape clusters forming. Here’s a collection of images from our Grenache noir and Roussanne fields from April 3rd and April 30th. 

The fight against weeds is a year round task with all of the tools in the toolbox in good use, as you can see in the image Ismo plowing the field with a hoe, and on the lower left side image we tested turning the soil with a tractor. In our fourth vintage we are still testing out different methods to treat the soil. 

If you are interested in what’s happening in the fields, follow @rantalaismo and @domainelarobina on Instagram.

Friday evening tastings now open all summer

If you happen to be in our neighborhood, make sure to pop in on a summer Friday evening. Our tasting room has a new industrial style bar, and an upgraded bathroom that we claim to be the funkiest in Saint Pons! We have also started hosting live band evenings, follow our social media for event updates.

If anyone is thinking about visiting us as a group, get in touch and we'll help you plan your trip to our winery, and other surrounding wineries and sights. Bienvenue!

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How to get to Saint Pons de Thomieres:

Fly to Montpellier, 1.5 hr drive, or take a bus directly to St. Pons.

Fly to Toulouse: 2 hrs by car, or take a train to Castres, then a 1 hr bus to St Pons.

Fly to Barcelona: 3 hrs by car, or take a train to Narbonne, then a 1 hr bus to St Pons.

Fly to Paris: take a 5 hr train to Beziers, then a 1 hr bus to St Pons, or rent a car in Beziers.

Fly to Nice, 4.5 hrs by car, or take a train to Beziers, then a 1 hr bus to St Pons.

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SAS La Robina, 13 Route de Narbonne, 34220 Saint-Pons de Thomières, FRANCE

Ismo Rantala (anglais, finnois, suédois, français): Tel 06 69 91 59 98 |ismo@larobina.fr  

Thomas Busquet (français, anglais): Tel 06 19 36 89 20  thomas@larobina.fr 

 www.LaRobina.fr - Instagram @domainelarobina - Facebook: La Robina - TikTok @wifeofawinemaker