A Guide to Visiting Château La Coste in Provence (Art, Architecture & Wine)
There was a particular kind of silence on the rainy January Sunday I visited Chateau La Coste - no sun or crowds to distract, but a hush that highlights the alignment of architecture, sculpture, wine and landscape. You arrive through a tunnel of winter vines, the hills of the Luberon beyond, to the reflective pond crowned by Louise Bourgeois' spider. Even on a lonely Sunday, the restaurant was mostly full, but luckily no reservation needed. Over my glass of wine, I decided that the vineyards and wine-making are a separate feature of the landscape, worthy of another day's visit on their own. Today is for the devotion of architects, sculptors, and painters courting the land. At Château La Coste, the architects, sculptors, and painters have arrived like suitors, attuned to the cadence of wind through vines. Concrete and steel echo the horizon and trace the sky. Even the boldest sculptures seem to understand that they are the supporting cast to the terroir. There is something intim...
