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rovence has the distinc-
tion of being France’s oldest wine
region. The Phoenicians landed
on the beaches around Marseilles
with vines 2600 years ago, well
before the Romans conquered
Gaul and planted their vines.
Provence’s old capital, the town
of Aix-en-Provence, is still an
important wine area. Provence
is blessed with perfect climate:
sunny, dry days, with just enough
rainfall, and the famous “Mistral”
winds, blowing down from the
north, drying out the grapes and
protecting them from rot and other
diseases. Sea breezes temper the
hot rays of the sun.
Provence is
famous for
its crisp,
dry rosé
wines,
which
dom-
inate production.
What
could be more
idyllic
than sitting at a café
overlooking the sea, enjoying
some fresh seafood or fish, and
sipping a chilled Provence rosé?
But many producers are concentrat-
ing on red wines lately, and reds
now make up over one-third of
Provence’s wine production. And
I must say that their white wines,
formerly the weak
sisters
here, are now
better
than ever.
Here is a brief
rundown of
Provence’s eight
AOC wine zones,
and the wines of
each region:
Côtes de Provence:
The re-
gion’s largest zone (making about
75 percent of Provence’s
wine), in the southeast-
ern corner, covering 85
communes with over 400
producers. About 80 percent
of the wines produced here are
rosé, with 15 percent red, and 5
percent white. The main varieties
used for both red and rosé wines
here are Grenache, Cinsault,
Carignan, and Mourvèdre,
with more and more Syrah and
Cabernet Sauvignon taking the
place of Carignan.
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence: The
second-largest AOC zone, taking
in 50 villages, occupies the north-
western part of Provence around
the town of Aix-en-Provence. Em-
phasis here is more on red wines,
with 60 percent red, 35 percent
rosé, and 5 percent white. Both
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
have a stronger presence here,
along with
Grenache, Cinsault,
and Mourvèdre.
Les Baux-de-
Provence: Just
northwest of Coteaux d’Aix-
en-Provence, and south of the
Rhône Valley AOC zones, Les
Baux-des-Provence produces 80
percent red wines, many very dark
and full-bodied. The remaining 20
percent are dry, full-bodied rosé
wines. Grenache. Mourvèdre,
and Syrah predominate. Domaine
de Trévallon makes a powerful
Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah wine
here; Mas de la Dame is another
leading winery. Many starred res-
taurants are located in and around
the hilltop village of Les Baux-de-
Provence.
Coteaux Varois: Situated in hilly,
central Provence, Coteaux Varois
is known for its rosé wines, which
dominate production, but some
good reds are also made here.
Look for the good-value wines of
Château Routas.
Bandol: In southwest Provence,
bordering the
Mediter-
ranean, the
Ban-
dol
Wines of the world
Provence
France
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