Vignes Gigondas ProvenceOfficially recognized since 1941, the AOP Bandol designates wines produced in the vicinity of the town of the same name in the Var. Produced on a 1,600-hectare territory stretching from the Massif de la Sainte-Baume down to the Mediterranean, Bandol is considered to be one of the best red wines in Provence. The region’s natural microclimate and its limestone-rich soils contribute to its strong character.
Located in the middle of the Alpilles Natural Regional Park, the terroir of Les Baux-de-Provence AOP is spread over 219 hectares and covers 7 municipalities. Les Baux-de-Provence wines have the French AOP label and the European AOC label. The reds are characterised by their garnet-red colour and the fine notes of thyme and rosemary which are revealed during tasting. The beautiful salmon-pink rosés are delicate and fine on the palate. Not only is Les Baux-de-Provence a renowned wine-growing terroir in the region, but it is also one of the most beautiful villages in France with the most striking natural landscapes.
AOP Bellet is the only designation that refers to a wine produced on the territory of one municipality alone, in Nice. Its vines put down their roots on terraces located at altitudes between 200 and 400 mètres, on the heights to the west of Nice. Like many territories in the region, AOP Bellet enjoys particularly mild weather with no frost and no rain in the summer season.
Cassis, the oldest of the Provencal designations, obtained its AOC listing in 1936. Its vineyard, open onto the Mediterranean sea, stretches over the slopes of the Massifs des Calanques as far as Cap Canaille. Rooted in mountain soils and rocked by the Mediterranean winds, the vines of Cassis produce exceptional white wines on a territory of 96 hectares run by 11 cellars.
With a Mediterranean climate characterised by dry and windy weather, the AOC Coteaux de Pierrevert is rooted in a small 420-hectare vineyard bordering on the Vaucluse, the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var. Contrary to the other denominations in the region, the Coteaux de Pierrevert production mainly groups red wines (60%), rosés (30%), and white (10%).
With just 45 hectares of wine-growing land, the AOP Palette is one of the smallest designation areas in France. Located to the south of Aix-en-Provence, Palette takes advantage of the Arc River which runs through the territory and lends a relative coolness to the vines which grow there. Palette wines stand out from the other Provencal wines with strong, dark reds, and also whites and rosés with fine, floral notes.
In the south of France, the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) wines are produced according to a charter of the precise various criteria to be met, ranging from the delimitation of the wine-producing territory and its yield, to the different rootstocks used in production. Some of the main PGI wines in the region are the PGI Alpilles, Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône, Terre de Camargue, Vaucluse, Principauté d’Orange, Pays d’Aigues, Mont-Caume, Maures, Var, Argens, Coteaux du Verdon, Sainte-Baume, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and the PGI of the Alpes-Maritimes…
