Provence
The vineyards of Provence stretch over 200 kilometres between the Alps and the Mediterranean, from south of Avignon to Nice. Winegrowing here goes back a long way, having been introduced by the Greeks around 600 BCE. In fact, it was in Massalia (Marseilles) that they established the first vineyard in Gaul.
Nine AOCs have been established for Provence wines: Côtes-de-Provence, Coteaux-d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux-des-Baux-de-Provence and Coteaux-Varois-en-Provence (the four regional appellations), and Pierrevert, Bandol, Bellet, Cassis and Palette. The main grape varieties planted here are Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Tibouren and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds and rosés, and Sémillon, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon and Viognier for whites. Some 90% of Provence’s wine production is rosé, with 5% red and 5% white. Although rare in quantity, some extremely fine red and white wines come out of the region – Bandol is a good example of this when it comes to great red wines for laying down.
Among the most recognised estates in Provence are Trévallon, Terrebrune, Tempier, Tour du Bon, Pradeaux, La Bégude and Henri Milan.
