It’s not everyday you get to illuminate the vast wine cellars of an 11 hectare winery in South West France. A favourite multi-faceted project for all of the skinflint team, a special large delivery of our vintage lights carefully made their way over from our UK workshop to the sun-soaked heart of the Luberon Natural Park in central Provence, for the restoration of the historical Mas des Infermières estate. But that’s not the only reason we’re excited.

Bought by film director Ridley Scott and family in 1992, their focus from the outset has been on preserving the heritage and Provençal winegrowing tradition of the region with a living, multi-generational and sustainably minded regeneration. Employing cutting edge technology to reduce its carbon footprint, the vines at the Mas are grown with respect for biodiversity, whilst the estate is Certified Bee Friendly. So we’re very pleased our restored lights are playing a starring role in this legacy.

On our tour of the winery, the scale of the project and its buildings are immediately visible, especially when we catch sight of around 30 of our XL Lobnitz Dock pendants (similar here) suspended high above in the rafters of the processing room. Meanwhile in the more cavernous wine cellar, it's our smaller Industrial Czech pendants (similar here) lighting up the French oak barrels used for ageing. In the retail area, the etched glass lenses from our 1950s Polish street lights provide soft downlighting on the finished display of bottles below.

Look closely, and you’ll also spot our RAF airfield landing lights in a special film exhibition based on Ridley Scott’s work. Yes, that is Matt Damon’s original space suit from The Martian underneath our lights…

Lighting design: Roundlight
www.masdesinfermieres.com