Le Mazel: The Most Important Thing Is to Be Honest

An archive interview with Gérald Oustric of Le Mazel, the keystone of the natural wine renaissance of the southern Ardèche.

Siblings Gérald and Jocelyne Oustric are the proprietors of Le Mazel, a 22ha organic estate based in the village of Valvignières. The Outrics took over the estate from their father, a cooperateur, in 1982, and continued to grow grapes for the local coop (of which Gérald was vice president) until the 1997 vintage. That year, inspired by the work of Marce…