Provence
Wine style: Rosé
Famous for sunshine, colourful countryside, tradition, Rosé & food.
climate: mediterranean
Get to know Provence
The beauty of Provence is legendary. Covering landscapes from the snow-capped Alps, to the shimmering blue of the Mediterranean including the ancient port city Marseille, founded during 6th century BC and glam cities of Nice, Antibes and St Tropez along the French Riviera.
The map highlights the major wine regions
Nice & Surrounds
Nice is a charming port town on the Mediterranean coast of south eastern France.
Surrounding Nice, is the very small but high quality AOC of Bellet. Nestled above are craggy cliffs high above the sea & Nice, are the medieval villages of Èze & Grasse, a picturesque village that also holds the distinction of being the world’s perfume capital.
Pictured: nice
Nearby on the coast are other famous beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez and Cannes, and the independent microstate of Monaco.
Within 2 hours inland you have the Var region, where winding roads reveal the perched villages and valleys of the Haut-Var, and then, ultimately, the mighty Gorges du Verdon –
which is Europe’s answer to the Grand Canyon.
The Var is also the oldest and largest winemaking region in Provence with quality red, rosé and white to explore. Côte de Provence, the largest AOC dominates in this region.
Pictured: gorges du verdon
Marseilles,
Aix-en-Provence & Surrounds
The vibrant colourful city of Marseille is an ancient marvel that was founded during the 6th Century BC by the Phocaeans (Greeks from Asia Minor). They also brought the first vines and began cultivating grapes in the colony.
From Marseille, follow the famous Calanque cliffs to Cassis and Bandol.
Cassis was the first AOC recognised in Provence for its quality wines and the only to produce mostly white wine. The vineyards are all terraced between the sea and the calanques. Continue east to Bandol another excellent AOC, a bastion for Mourvedre and aging potential reds.
North of Marseille is La Sainte-Baume and Sainte-Victoire massifs; and the village of Saint Rémy de Provence which squares and mansions were frequented by Vincent Van Gogh or Frédéric Mistral, the Alpilles hills, the town of Arles and the Camargue region, and so many other places.
Aix-en-Provence is another great base in the heartland of the Bouches du Rhône. From here explore Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, the 2nd largest AOC, and famous AOCs Les Baux de Provence, renowned organic and biodynamic producers, and Cotes de Provence Saint Victoire.
Pictured: gordes
Planning your trip
Wine regions to visit in Provence
There are 9 major AOCs across Provence, all of which boast spectacular surrounds from hilltop villages, deep valleys and coastlines. You can’t really go wrong spending time in any of these regions.
Want to learn more about Provence?
Experience Provence by taking an online course, attending a tasting or travelling to the region for yourself.
Provence Online Course now open!
What you’ll get:
- Learn about how the well-loved Rosé was created in Provence
- Build a solid foundation of knowledge about wine in Provence
- Receive access to the course for 1 year
- Join the FWS Facebook group for community support & events
- Access exclusive learning resources, maps, menus and other downloadables
Provence Tasting
Our Provence wine tasting event is now virtual!
Click the link below to register your interest and be the first to know when tickets go live.
Travel to Provence
Want to experience Provence for yourself? Join a 7 day Provence & Rhone Classic tour, or find out how you can customise your own tour. Enquire for 2021
