Portrait Richesses Croisiennes N°2

Meeting with Sonia – Founder of Beyond The Wine

Passionate about wine for many years, Sonia has evolved in the world of wine, running a vineyard with her family where she has developed her understanding and sensitivity to the terroir. This experience gave rise to a desire to share wine culture and what each region has to offer in a different way, for example through original and immersive wine tours.

Wine tours are very common abroad, but here I wanted to offer different, more lively experiences that showcase our region’s art de vivre and didn’t exist before.

This is how Beyond The Wine came about: a project that combines wine discoveries with unusual activities (horse riding, cooking classes, escape games, etc.).

Wine then becomes a common thread that opens up to untold cultural and human richness.

Present for the third consecutive year at Richesses Croisiennes, Sonia will this time be at Domaine de La Croix for a tour and tasting around one of our town’s iconic vineyards.

This event is a wonderful way to tell the story of our village. La Croix Valmer was built around wine-growing, with its 170 hectares of vineyards stretching down to the sea. The terroir, traditions, expertise… all of this is part of our identity and our Croisienne heritage.

Through her work, Sonia emphasizes the diversity of local wines: “Depending on the location of the vineyards—on hillsides or closer to the sea—the flavors differ and tell a unique story. That’s what I want to convey: the richness and variety that we are so proud of.”

In addition, it also offers wine tasting courses to enable everyone, whether enthusiasts or casual drinkers, to better understand wine and learn how to fully appreciate it.

When asked what Richesses Croisiennes means to her, Sonia doesn’t hesitate: “It’s about showcasing our region, our history, and our expertise. It’s about giving people a chance to see and taste the very best our region has to offer.”

And to conclude with a smile:

✨I can’t wait to share our Croisienne treasures with you. Come and enjoy!✨

Portrait of Croisienne Riches No. 1

Meeting with Pierre – National Park Ranger in La Croix Valmer

For more than 25 years, Pierre has devoted his professional life to protecting and promoting natural areas. A true nature lover since childhood (when he spent hours fishing and hiking at Cap Lardier), he considers this area to be an “absolute blessing.” Saved from urbanization, this iconic site tells a story of landscapes, heathland scrub, and traces left by time, for those who know how to read them.

He describes his job as “very versatile.” Combining naturalist knowledge, environmental management, and field responsibilities, he brings together awareness, education, safety, fire prevention, and respect for customs. It is a comprehensive role that can sometimes be demanding, but one that is always driven by the same conviction: preserving the richness of life.

2011 is indeed the date when the potential membership area was created, and 2016 is the year when the municipality joined the charter, but the site itself has been protected since its acquisition in 1978 and, above all, since 1984.

Since Cap Lardier was recognized as a protected area in 1978 and the potential membership area was created in 2011, Pierre has emphasized the importance of partnering with local authorities, complying with regulations related to environmental and maritime fishing laws, and maintaining constant links with the agricultural community in his work.

The richness of Croisienne can be seen at every turn: pine trees, typical Provençal vegetation, cliffs covered in seaweed, abundant biological diversity with nearly 800 species of beetles recorded, as well as rare and precious species such as Hermann’s tortoise (the only genetically pure population in France) and the return of the peregrine falcon and ocellated lizard. Since 2018, even wolves have returned, demonstrating the restoration of balance. Now, the inventory is no longer limited to the land: it also extends to underwater riches, proof that biodiversity is both terrestrial and aquatic.

For Pierre, the key lies in communication: raising public awareness, helping people discover nature without distorting it, inviting them to marvel at it while reminding them that nature “should be approached with humility.”

It is not just a matter of admiring, but of respecting and protecting.

When asked what the “Richesses Croisiennes” mean to him, his answer is immediate:

His childhood memories, his joy at having grown up in this unspoiled natural environment, his wonderment intact after all these years.

Everything points to one obvious conclusion: Pierre himself is one of the treasures of La Croix Valmer National Park. A happy man, in his element, witness and guardian of this unique natural heritage.

Thank you, Pierre, for this unique moment we spent together.