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The top 100% terroir events

in Provence this autumn!
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  5. The top 100% terroir events in Provence this autumn!

With its sun-packed fruit and vegetables and passionate producers with their lovely singsong accent, Provence has both flavours and love in its wines and colourful dishes. From vineyards to crops, the Provencal lifestyle combines food and festivities; save the date for these delicious autumn events!

The Fascinating Weekend to awaken your senses

Save your 3rd weekend in October for France’s wine and vine-themed wine-tourism showcase: the Fascinant Week-end. Come and discover the approved Vignobles & Découvertes professionals as the wine harvest draws to a close. While the wine starts to vinify, the actors around the Ventoux, the Destination Luberon, and the vineyards of Provence, Bandol and Sud Luberon, welcome you mid-October in a great atmosphere which is ideal for warm encounters. A wide choice of exhibitions, guided and cultural tours of the chateaux are on offer. Make the most of them and rediscover the Provencal wine-growing world: walks in the vineyards, visiting cellars with tastings, a wine cruise or a food-wine pairing tasting in a restaurant. Open your chakras in an open-air yoga workshop, vibrate during a concert with an electric repertoire or rise to the challenge of an escape game.

Fruity reunions at the Fête du Coing in Cotignac

The Fête du Coing (Quince Festival) which takes place each year late October in Cotignac to celebrate this emblematic Provencal fruit is full of delicacies, happiness and surprises. Provence gives you a treat with sunny days and beautiful yellow fruit. The quince production has brought fame to this characterful village with its typical streets and troglodytic dwellings. To taste quinces, head for the market where the producers will be delighted to share advice with you for making the best jelly. Visits of the orchards are also organised to discover where this fruit so beloved of the Provencal people is produced. Wander around during harvest season, breathe in the sun-kissed scent of the quinces and try them in all their forms. And don’t miss the Confrérie’s traditional costumed parade!

 

The Fête de la Châtaigne in Revest-du-Bion , the star of the Autumn

When Provence is once again clothed in its flaming finery, it’s time to gather the chestnuts which have just fallen on the red and orange soil. To celebrate the chestnut harvest in the Alpes de Haute Provence, head for the Fête de la châtaigne in Revest-du-Bion or Le Fugeret, late October early November. An ode to the good life and good food. There you can wander around the local producers’ market stalls in the bewitching smell of smoked chestnuts. The festival takes you back in time to your childhood memories. To end this escapade, stroll in the Provencal chestnut woods which take on their lovely warm colours in the autumn and are great for enchanting walks.

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    Discover the secret of Provencal olive oil at the Fête de l’Olivier in Ollioules

    Olives, the famous emblematic fruit of Provence, are harvested in the autumn and to music at the Fête de l’Olivier in the village of Ollioules, early October. You’ll want to dance to the folk music in the little streets and on the squares with their gentle Southern lifestyle. While you wait for the parade, you can wander around this pretty village with its Renaissance houses decorated with Provencal plaster work. When the procession arrives, follow it to the olive plantation. You’ve been dreaming of this and here’s the perfect opportunity, go behind the scenes of the still-working olive oil mill and the thousand-year-old savoir-faire. It’s a delight for your tastebuds, and you can admire some cooking demonstrations and fill your basket with local products in the market. Another key moment: the aïoli competition in the amphitheatre on Place Jean Jaurès. And you can end this traditional festival with a ride in an authentic horse-drawn carriage.

     

    Foire de la poire Sarteau in La Javie and Draix with their candied pears!

    Beautiful to look at and oh so delicious, Sarteau Pears are filled with the sweetness of Provence. The harvest is often abundant, and the red or white pears decorate the grazed orchards of Provence where trees and sheep thrive together. Come and taste them at the Fête de la Poire Sarteau in Draix or at the Foire de la Poire Sarteau, late October early November in La Javie. See how the freshly harvested pears are pressed and cooked and try them in all their forms: candied or as juice. A market of good fresh local products will heighten your senses during a delightful walk. A good opportunity to fill your basket with fruit from the old varieties of pear trees. Added bonus: there’s fun for the kids – Bourriquet can take them on his back for a tour of the village while others can ride on the ponies, hanging on tight to their manes as they trot away.

     

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      ©Luparinic

        The Week-end Gastronomique d’Avignon attracts those who love the good life!

        Give your tastebuds a thrill at the Week-end Gastronomique d’Avignon on late October. The town which is so much more than the capital of the wines of the Rhône valley offers new delights to food connoisseurs. Here in the Mecca of good taste, you’ll find the emblematic products of the Provencal terroir. The friendly atmosphere of the “Bienvenue à la ferme” network will allow you to discover their prestigious local products: foie gras, magrets, wines, champagne, cheeses, charcuterie, honey, jams… All so moreish. To complete these tastings, what better than expert advice from passionate producers to appreciate them even more ?

         

        Fête de l’Amande in Oraison, coming soon!

        Early October, the Fête de l’Amande in Oraison is back to reveal all the aspects of this nut in educational or gastronomic booths and cookery workshops. This delicious fruit with its proven nutritional properties has sweet-smelling and scrumptious surprises in store. During the festival, you’ll probably see the Fileuses d’Oraison in their Provencal costumes. Meet them and see the age-old gestures for breaking almond shells with an iron or a stone.

         

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          Discover the Provencal terroir during the Festival Ventoux Saveurs

          The most discriminate palates love autumn for its colours and its flavours. The Festival Ventoux Saveurs shares the same pleasures and offers taste walks rooted in the local terroir to gourmets. Set off on a gourmet wander in the Mont-Ventoux Natural Regional Park. During the 6 weeks and depending on what you want to do, the festival is a promise that you’ll taste the best of Provence. Open the doors of goat farms to discover a day in the life of a goat farmer. Visit the AOC Ventoux wine-growing estates and taste the nectar they produce on the spot. If you love art, some artistic moments are planned with storytellers and musicians. Set off with them on a melody of the senses.

           

          Sharing a passion for what is good at the “Autour du vin et des terroirs” fair in Draguignan

          You are keen on wine and food pairing and always on the lookout for new gems to try at your next aperitif? Late October in l’Espace des Collettes de Draguignan, the “Autour du vin et des terroirs” fair highlights a wide range of wines and local products. Stroll around this big local market and find your next little indulgence. And if you can’t make up your mind, the tasting can decide for you. It’s also a good time to discover olive growing. The contemporary art exhibition and the demonstration of herd husbandry are both impressive. And last but not least, while the kids play with the feathered and furry inhabitants of the mini-farm, sign on to one of the cookery workshops or, for the more manual among you, discover pottery or drawing.

          Explore the Gard region during the Fascinant Weekend

          The Fascinant Weekend offers a wide selection of events and activities: let’s focus on our favourites. Mid-October in the Camargue, ride on a trailer guided through the vineyard by the manadier and the breeding lands where bulls roam almost free. Wine-growers from the designation Sable de Camargue will let you taste their iconic vintages. Overlooked by the Cévennes and just above the petite Camargue, Château Beaubois offers an interactive walk to share the savoir-faire of this wine-growing family. Have you ever heard of the ancient tunnels of Sernhac? As you walk around and taste the wines, discover the historical remains of the famous aqueduct through the wines of the Domaine de Poulvarel. Lastly, the Vendanges de l’Histoire make a great comeback in the village of Chusclan decorated with straw, with its popup shops and an abundance of regional products. Old professions, Provencal songs, a vintage car rally and even farm animals all create a relaxed, fun atmosphere. On Sunday afternoon, take part in old-fashioned picking,  crushing and with the wine-growers on the village square.

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