Café Terrasse

Café Tereasse is named for the café terrace: small tables on the sidewalk, a glass of wine poured on a leisurely afternoon. Producer, Maison Cascavel, is a small artisanal winery in the Southern Rhône run by winemaker Alexis Valette. Valette works with a network of dedicated growers and stays involved from vineyard selection through harvest and vinification, reading each vintage in the vineyard and adjusting the winemaking to what the fruit is doing rather than working off a fixed formula.

The Producer

Maison Cascavel is not a traditional estate but a collaborative, small-scale winemaking project in the Southern Rhône. Rather than farming a single contiguous vineyard, the team works across a curated selection of parcels, carefully chosen for their ability to express freshness and typicity within each appellation. This approach allows Cascavel to focus on identifying standout vineyard sites while maintaining flexibility and precision in how each wine is crafted.

The People

Maison Cascavel was founded as a partnership between Alexis Valette, a young, promising oenologist, and Didier Robert, a highly respected figure in the Rhône Valley and Director of the Institut Coopératif du Vin. Together, they bring technical expertise and a contemporary take on Rhône winemaking. Valette leads day-to-day work with growers and oversees production, ensuring that the character of the site and stylistic clarity of the Café Terrasse project are reflected in the wines.

The Terroir

The vineyards for Café Terrasse wines are in the foothills of the Southern Rhône, around Mont Ventoux and the surrounding Mediterranean zones. Soils vary but usually include limestone derived red soils, sandy-clay mixtures, and marl with rounded stones. These soils offer excellent drainage and minerality. Warm days are balanced by cool nights and the influence of the Mistral winds. These conditions allow for fully ripened fruit while maintaining balance and lift.

Farming & Philosophy

All  growers for the collection are certified under Vignerons Engagés, with a focus on sustainable farming, vineyard health, and long-term site stewardship. Working closely with growers from parcel selection through harvest, Valette guides vineyard practices to ensure balanced fruit and consistent quality.

In the cellar, fermentations take place in stainless steel and concrete at controlled temperatures. Wines are bottled young to preserve freshness and fruit purity.