Provence wine

Throughout the region's history, viticulture and winemaking have been influenced by the cultures that have been present in Provence, which include the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Gauls, Catalans and Savoyards.

Over time, the viticulture and winemaking styles of the Provence have been influenced by a wide range of people, rulers, and cultures, including the Carolingians, the Holy Roman Empire, the Counts of Toulouse, the Catalans, René I of Naples, the House of Savoy, and the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Sunshine is found in abundance in this region with the grapevines receiving more than 3,000 hours per year, twice the amount needed to ripen grapes fully.

[4] In areas where the wind is particularly strong, the ideal vineyard locations are on hillsides facing south towards the sea, with the hill providing some shelter from the mistral's strength.

[4] The Côtes de Provence AOC includes 4 geographic designations that can place their names on the label: Fréjus and Sainte-Victoire since 2005, La Londe since 2008, and Pierrefeu since 2013.

Other grape varieties include Chardonnay, Clairette, Mayorquin, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Pignerol, Braquet and Roussanne.

[4] The Palette AOC is the smallest major wine area in Provence with most of the vineyards being owned by Château Simone.

The noncontiguous parts of the region include land southeast of the Palette AOC and on the outskirts of the Bandol and Cassis wine area.

The mountainous terrain near Villars-sur-Var in the northeast part of the area includes vineyards that can label their wine as Côtes de Provence.

The main grape varieties are Carignan, Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Tibouren with an increase in the use of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

More winemakers are tending to use temperature controlled tanks that allow a cooler fermentation process that is better suited to white wine production.

[3] The Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC is the second largest Provençal wine appellation, covering over 50 communes in the west and northwestern regions of Provence.

[4] The AOC rule requires that no two varieties can compose more than 90% of the blend with Carignan, Cinsaut and Counoise permitted but at a maximize usage of 30%.

The rule was adopted as producers had already converted to organic viticulture, eliminating the use of chemicals that could easily dispersed from the vines by the strong Mistral wind.

[8] Bandol AOC, located near the coast east of Marseille and Cassis, is one of the most internationally recognized wines of the Provence regions.

Based around the fishing village of Bandol, west of Toulon, the AOC is produced by 8 communes with silicon & limestone soils.

Those soils and the warm, coastal climate are ideally suited for the late ripening Mourvèdre grape, which is the major variety.

For both the red and rosé wines, Mourvèdre must account for at least 50% of the blend, though most producers will use significantly more, with Grenache and Cinsaut usually completing the composition.

The soils in the northwest region, from the communes of Évenos to Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, are composed of small pebbles and produce lighter, more delicate wines.

On the red clay that is scattered throughout the region, the wine produced is very tannic and must be tempered with increased blending of Cinsaut and Grenache.

The dry white wines are characterized by their full bodies, low acidity and herbal aromas that pair well with the local seafood cuisine such as bouillabaisse.

The region is sheltered by the surrounding Sainte-Baume mountains which have a tempering effect on the Mediterranean influences that are common throughout Provence.

This unique terroir has encouraged interest from Burgundy wine producers such as Maison Louis Latour to experiment with planting Pinot noir.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are rising in prominence, though some traditional Provençal winemakers view those grapes with suspicion and a sign of globalization and appeal to international tastes.

The nature and impression of the wines change significantly depending on whether they are consumed as an apéritif or paired with food, particularly the traditional flavors of Provençal cuisine.