The story
Tove and Arnstein Hernes had a dream most people only talk about over a glass of wine: to make their own. The difference was that they actually did something about it. Arnstein took his WSET diploma alongside his day job while the family was still living in Norway, and they learned French over years spent in Paris and Cognac – then began the search for a place. Not just any place. They would know it when they found it.
They did, in La Livinière, a village at the foot of the black mountains of Languedoc. The name comes from the Occitan «Lavineira», first mentioned in 1069 – "the place planted with vines." In 1999, La Livinière became the very first cru appellation in Languedoc, after a twelve-year campaign to have the distinctiveness of its terroir officially recognised. It's not a place you end up in by accident.
They took over in 2019 and kept the estate's dual calling: wine and olive oil. Around four hectares, organically farmed and certified in 2023, all hand-harvested – roughly 11,000 bottles a year from plots with varied soils: limestone, clay and schist. The climate, cool for Languedoc, with marked swings between day and night temperatures, gives the wines freshness and finesse.
The estate's flagship wine is called Cuvée Sòmi. «Sòmi» means "dream" in Occitan – a fitting name for a bottle made by a Norwegian couple who found their dream in a French village. Both Hibou and Sòmi have won gold at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris.
Editor's note
How I met them
I first met Arnstein and Tove at a restaurant in Beaufort. Arnstein, who once played for Rosenborg, noticed my son sitting there in a Godset shirt and kindly asked what the boy thought of his club. The answer came without hesitation, with a child's total lack of diplomacy: "Rosenborg sucks." Both Arnstein and Tove just laughed. That really says it all about them – people who are easy to like, who can take a joke, and who'll pour you a glass no matter which team you support.
Wines from this estate
Wines from Domaine de la Senche
Red wine
Cuvée Somi2019
Domaine de la Senche
Cru La LivinièrePolRed wine
Cuvée Somi — Magnum2019
Domaine de la Senche
Cru La Livinière
Red wine
Hibou2023
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisPol
White wine
L'Or de la Senche2025
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisPol
White wine
Le Blanc de la Senche2025
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisPol
Rosé
Midi2025
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisPolRosé
Midi — Magnum2025
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisUtsolgt
Red wine
Vieilles Vignes2022
Domaine de la Senche
MinervoisPol