Niels, who co-runs House of Ven and whose family for many years owned a small house quite close to Mont Ventoux, first met Philippe Gimel in the early 2000s—just as Philippe was establishing his own vineyard.
Philippe Gimel is a winemaker with one of the Rhône Valley’s most compelling journeys behind him. Originally trained as a pharmacist, he brought his scientific precision and deep respect for natural processes into the world of wine. After studying oenology, he further refined his craft at a number of both classical and more innovative wineries, culminating in a leading role at the Perrin family’s iconic Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Already in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Beaucastel was among the world’s most celebrated producers, with wines receiving numerous scores of 94–100 points from Robert Parker / Wine Advocate. This environment helped shape Philippe Gimel’s philosophy on terroir, balance, biodiversity, and long-term, sustainable winemaking.
In the early 2000s, he founded his own estate, Domaine Saint-Jean du Barroux, located at the foot of Mont Ventoux. Here he works organically, with low yields, manual harvesting, and an uncompromising focus on expressing the character of the site. The result is wines of clarity, depth, and strong identity—representing a new expression of Ventoux that is gaining increasing international recognition.
On 28 February, Philippe’s wines will meet Kathrin’s Ven cuisine here at House of Ven, together with a gathering of passionate food and wine lovers and the Swedish importer, Kontext Wines.
