The story of Mas Amiel begins in 1816 when Raymond Amiel won the deeds to the property from the Bishop of Perpignan in a game of cards. If the game were poker this would be quite a story – if you believe it –but what makes this event all the more remarkable is that the two were actually playing an early version of the classic card game Old Maid. If only fate had taken a different turn that night, the bishop would have paired Monsieur & Madame Raisin the winemakers, Amiel would have been left, red-faced, holding the Old Maid, and the property in question would have fallen to the church. But thankfully there was no divine intervention on the night. The bishop left, fleeced of what could have been a prime source of communion wine, and Mas Amiel was born. After a chequered career the estate was purchased by a Charles Dupuy who cultivated it until his death in 1916.Charles’s son, Jean took over and started to produce high quality wine under the Mas Amiel label. He extended the vineyard, digging up the hillside to plant new vines.