This is the time of year when the insistent heat and stark light of summer have retreated and Provence is bathed in a warm, golden glow that is like a lingering caress just before the harsher days of winter. The mellow autumn season is the ideal time to explore this small piece of paradise on earth, which is also the oldest wine-growing area of France.
Vineyards have been component of Provence’s sunlit landscapes ever due to the fact Greek sailors initial landed on its shores in the 6th century BC. The rows upon rows of grapevines that stretch their dark, gnarled branches up to the sun are as a lot a component of the area’s scenery and history as the tortured shapes of the olive trees, which they resemble.
Now that the principal stream of visitors has departed, making it achievable to ramble at leisure, stopping when and where the spirit moves you, for a meal or an overnight stay, let us take you on a tour of five of the area’s top quality wine-growing areas.
In every one, we give you a uncomplicated recipe for earthly bliss: take a few excellent vineyards, add a selection of nearby gourmet restaurants and charming hotels — some of which can be discovered under one roof — and savour the mixture in a setting that is one of Nature’s masterpieces.
The initial vines had been indeed planted on the coast by the Greeks, when they founded Marseille, but it was the Romans who deserve the credit for spreading vineyards during Provence. Now, they carpet the area, from its Mediterranean seaboard to its verdant inland valleys and forested hills, appropriate up to its sculptured mountain ranges.
In Roman times, all the wine produced was rosé, and that is still the colour of wine most usually associated with Provence. But in addition to light, fruity rosés, ideal for summer drinking, the area also produces a wide range of hearty reds and some surprisingly crisp whites. The grapes traditionally employed for its reds are local varieties which includes Mourvèdre (identified as the dog-strangler!), Tibouren and Cinsault, now being blended with international names including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache. The whites are a marriage of Provencal old-timers like Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Marsanne, and relative newcomers to the area like Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Because 1935, when France designed a strict system of wine laws, the highest high quality wines from a specified region are granted A.O.C status — Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. It is a tightly defined certification of origin, ensuring that wines with the A.O.C. label have met a lengthy list of requirements, which includes permitted grape varieties, maximum yields, minimum alcohol levels and vinification strategies.
The wine-growing areas of Provence that follow have all earned the appellation classification: one as lengthy ago as 1936, one as recently as 1995. With that type of top quality assured, you will uncover the wines sliding down so very easily that we thought it perfect to supply a option of nearby hotel/restaurants where you can rest from your tastings and gather strength for the next lap of your tour.
All the vineyards we describe are happy to have you come and taste their wines, and the vast majority have English-speaking staff. The opening hours we list at the end of the article had been right at time of going to press, but it by no means hurts to give them a call just before you go, merely to check that there have been no adjustments.
Finally, prior to we commence, let us be very clear that we will be taking simply a couple of little sips from the vast and varied wine cellar that is Provence. We are just uncorking some sample bottles for you at a handful of remarkable vineyards. The area has a lot of other liquid assets for you to discover and add to your own personal address book. A votre santé!
Cassis: The oldest AOC in Provence (1936)
Let us commence at the very beginning, down on the Mediterranean Coast. Not far from where Greek sailors founded Marseille 26 centuries ago, the pastel-colored small port of Cassis nestles at the foot of Cap Canaille, France’s highest sea-cliff. From its picturesque harbour you can take a boat tour of the calanques, inlets of crystalline, deep-blue water carved into the white limestone coastline, or take the far more energetic selection of admiring their transparent depths from above, by hiking along the well-marked, spectacular GR98-51 trail that borders the coast.
Once the view of those sparkling depths has worked up a thirst, internal refreshment is at hand, in the form of the outstanding wines of Cassis, a special phenomenon in Provence. In contrast to all the other wine-growing areas, which produce mainly reds and rosés, a very good 75% of the wines of Cassis are crisp, clean whites, which are the perfect table companion to the well-known local fish stew, bouillabaisse.
On the hillside above Cassis stands Château de Fontcreuse, a stately residence once belonging to Colonel Teed, a British Army officer who fell in love with the region and launched himself into winemaking in 1922. Nowadays the estate is run on exemplary lines by Jean-François Brando, the head of the Cassis vintners’ syndicate.
In the village of Cassis itself, and blissfully totally free of any bus tours, mainly because they can’t park nearby, is the elegant Clos Sainte-Magdeleine, which has most of its grapes, all organically grown, planted in terraces on the slopes of Cap Canaille, around the impressive Art Deco mansion. Its floral whites, with a definite tang of the sea to them, easily cry out for some fresh seafood to accompany them.
You will come across a wide option of restaurants serving merely that on the seafront. One of the ideal is Nino +33 (0)4 42 01 74 32 (Menu: 32EUR).. Their bouillabaisse is the genuine article and the service is relaxed and friendly. Basically a modest way out of Cassis, in an idyllic setting at the tip of the diminutive presqu’ile (promontory) of Port Miou, La Presqu’Ile (+33 (0)4 42 01 03 77 Menus: 29 — 46EUR) is worth looking for out for its mixture of amazing food with a wonderfully romantic sea view. To either work up an appetite or work off your meal, there are five seaside tennis courts that can be rented by the hour.
If you would like to watch the sun set over the sea, you have until November 1 to book into Les Roches Blanches (+33 (0)4 42 01 09 30; rooms 90 – 260EUR) a 24-room, 4-star hotel in a excellent setting, which closes for the winter. The nearby 27-room Hôtel de la Rade (+33 (0)4 42 01 02 97 ; Rooms 90 – 140EUR) stays open year-round and will give you the impression of going on a cruise, with out ever leaving shore. Poised over the sea, its teak terrace with canvas-covered railings sets the nautical theme, which carries on inside, with seashell décor and brass portholes.
Bandol: The perfect-identified AOC of Provence (1941)
A short, scenic drive east of Cassis, the Bandol area spreads around the resort of Bandol, with terraced vineyards climbing from the sea up to the Sainte Baume mountain range.
“Top quality, not quantity,” is the motto of the region’s winegrowers, and they adhere to a punishing set of regulations to live up to that credo. Fresh rosés account for 55% of Bandol wines, but it is the gutsy, lengthy-lived reds made from the special Mourvèdre grape and aged in oak casks for at least 18 months, that have made the region’s reputation.
On Sunday, December 4, Bandol will hold its annual Fête du Millésime, a outstanding opportunity to taste the new wines of this year’s harvest. There is usually a theme – it is “Games” this year — and the wine producers have exceptional enjoyable acquiring dressed up. Join the crowd, which is plentiful but happy, wandering along the port from tent to tent, sampling and spitting, either into the spittoons supplied, or directly into the sea. By the end of the day, the fish in the harbour should have a difficult time swimming a straight line!
Like most beach towns, Bandol has a string of seafood restaurants along the seafront. One of the perfect is the busy Auberge du Port (+33 (0)4 94 29 42 63; Menus: 32 — 42EUR). If you go for the Wine Fair, make very sure you reserve! The additional casual Wine Bar of the Auberge, the oldest one in Bandol, serves an eminently reasonable 18EUR menu of grilled meats and fish, with wines by the glass.
Some of the very best Bandol reds, with a life expectancy of 20 years or additional in excellent years, come from Château Pradeaux, which has been in the Portalis family simply because 1752. Merely outside the beach town of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, with a perpetual sea breeze protecting the vines from diseases, the château was created in the style of a Roman villa. It is covered in rambling roses, and has an assortment of friendly dogs snoozing in different corners.
Appropriate in Saint-Cyr, is the four-star, 133-room Dolce Frégate (+33 (0)4 94 29 39 39; Rooms: 147 — 560EUR), a hotel with each modern comfort and convenience, as well as one of the top ranked golf courses in France. Its facilities also include an indoor heated pool, 3 tennis courts and a spa.
Basically 15 minutes away, at the foot of the medieval hilltop hamlet of la Cadière d’Azur, Alain Pascal, the new star among Bandol vintners, named his domain, Le Gros’Noré, in memory of his father, a corpulent man known as Honoré, or ‘Noré, for short. Alain, a former boxer, is a man who does not mince his words or compromise — especially on the top quality of his wines. Simply because 1997 he has been producing an great red and a exceptional Mourvèdre-dominated rosé.
At the top of the village, L’Hostellerie Bérard (+33 (0)4 94 90 11 43; Rooms: 80 — 259EUR; Menus from 44EUR) is an inviting stop for a meal or for the night. Both a welcoming 40-room inn housed in an 11th C convent and a fine regional restaurant, it has a great view from its luminous dining room. Chef René Bérard shares his palpable love and knowledge of Provençal food in the 4-day cooking courses he runs each month except January and August.
Côtes de Provence: The Greatest AOC of Provence (1977)
With a sprawling 45,000 acres of vines dispersed from Aix-en-Provence to Nice, this appellation provides wines of each colour and style. Rosés make up 75% of the production, reds account for 20% and whites for simply 5%.
The quickest way to get an overview of the immense quantity of vineyards is to visit the region’s Maison des Vins – the Vinotheque — in the medieval town of Les Arcs, on the river Argens. You are close to some spectacular scenery here, like the Pennafort gorges, where water cascades down deep-red rocks crowned by umbrella pines. At the Vinotheque you can sample a free of charge choice of Côtes de Provence that adjustments each week and get, at producers’ costs, any of the 600 wines that are kept in stock.
In the idyllic countryside simply outside Les Arcs, is Château Sainte-Roseline, a state-of-the-art vineyard located in a 12th century abbey. It is visited both for its consistently very good reds, whites and rosés, and for its Romanesque chapel, containing an immense mosaic by Chagall and, in a crystal reliquary, the remarkably well-preserved 14th corpse of Sainte-Roseline herself.
Also in Les Arcs is the recently built, magnificent Château Font du Broc, which combines two noble pursuits: winemaking and horse breeding. The château, with its stupendous Gothic-vaulted cellar, took four years of work and would be worth visiting even if you did not want to taste the wines. You would be wrong to pass them up, nonetheless. Every thing on this grand estate, where peacocks strut around self-importantly, is opulent and well made, and the luscious, prize-winning reds, as well as the full-bodied rosés, are no exception.
For dinner and the night, visit yet another marvel in the region: Chez Bruno (+33 (0) 4 94 85 93 93; Menu 56 – 110 EUR; Rooms: 84 — 130EUR), the truffle king of Lorgues. A genial, generous giant, Bruno will greet you in person, with the warmth of a lengthy-time friend. He also beams down as Jesus, from a humoristic mural of the Last Supper painted on the walls of his restaurant! Do not take offence, but do take second helpings! The truffle menus are a gastronomic experience not to be missed, and four rooms await those who wish to digest them in peace.
Opposite the deep-red cliffs of the Pennafort gorges, floodlit at night, the idyllic, Michelin-starred Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort +33 (0)4 94 76 66 51; Menus: 49 — 110EUR; Rooms: 185 — 220EUR) is a destination no self-respecting gourmet ought to pass by. Its ebullient owner and chef, Philippe Da Silva, dishes up such delicacies as a divine foie gras ravioli with Parmesan, and he generally adds small extras, leaving you groaning with pleasure at the end of the meal. His wife Martine watches over the elegant, 16-room hotel, making sure that Every thing is of the exact same high standard as her husband’s cooking.
Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence : The Most Elegant AOC of Provence (1985)
Stretching from the Durance River south to the Mediterranean, and from Mont Sainte-Victoire west to the Rhône Valley, this appellation covers some 4,000 hectares, where 75 vignerons produce 50% rosés, 45% reds and 5% whites. The rosés are fruity and uncomplicated-to-like, and the top reds do not basically resemble Bordeaux due to the fact of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape employed in them, but also for their capacity to age well.
The area’s centrepiece is the Wonderful town of Aix-en-Provence, which charms all who visit with its splashing fountains, honey-coloured mansions, lively cafés and fashionable shops. The exceptional painter Paul Cézanne was born and died here in 1906. To celebrate the centenary of his death next year, Aix, together with the National Art Gallery of Washington, is organizing a fabulous, not-to-be-missed exhibition of 110 of his works in the town’s newly renovated Granet Art Museum.
If you want to savour the charms of Aix, make the Hôtel Le Pigonnet (+33 (0)4 42 59 02 90; Rooms: 200 – 380EUR) your base for vineyard exploration. Set in showpiece grounds on the southern outskirts of town, it is privately owned, impeccably run and has a restaurant that is an attraction in its own proper.
From Aix, it is a short drive northwest along the N7 to one of the most gracious wine estates of the appellation. Château de Beaupré, a former stagecoach relay, was planted with vines in the late 19th C by Baron Emile Double. You will be warmly welcomed at the stately château with its courtyard and fountains, very likely by the offer Baron Double in person. He pours tasting samples generously from the estate’s expanding range of wines in all colours. Especially excellent and very good-value, are the red and white Château de Beaupré.
Attractive châteaux like Beaupré, with vineyards attached, are plentiful in the Aix countryside. A recent addition to this collection of architectural gems, only 7 km north of Aix, is the splendid Domaine de la Brillane. Built from the ground up within the last five years, the magnificent ochre-coloured building overlooks 18 hectares of vines that predate it, but had to be nursed back to health by the domain’s charming and energetic creator, Rupert Birch. Together with Mary Mertens, his partner in all of life’s adventures, he produces 3 organic reds that have easily began earning enthusiastic praise from the wine trade. Five tastefully decorated chambres d’hôtes, with sublime views out of each window, give you the chance to experience the every day life of the vineyard very first-hand.
One of the restaurant addresses Rupert and Mary could possibly well share with you is the Relais Sainte Victoire (+33 (0)4 42 66 94 98; Menus: 25 – 65EUR) correct at the foot of the magic mountain of Aix, which Cézanne painted so a variety of times. Its jovial owner René Bergès made headlines this spring when he decided to hand back his Michelin star simply because he was tired of the constant pressure of having to live up to the restaurant guide’s high expectations. Because his announcement, he has lowered his costs, but not his standards, and additional folks than ever have been coming to enjoy his Provençal specialties.
In surroundings that have none of the natural splendour of the Relais, correct beside a substantial shopping centre 5 km to the south of Aix, the 30-room Château de la Pioline (+33 (0)4 42 52 27 27; Rooms: 185 — 290EUR: Menus: 45 – 60EUR) proves that beauty can survive in the unlikeliest locations. Blessedly sheltered by a wooded park from the sounds and sights of frenetic commerce outside, the 16th C century, beautifully restored château is a hidden jewel. Young, talented chef Olivier Brissy serves classy cuisine in the classic beauty of the Golden Drawing room.
Les Baux-de-Provence: The Most Exclusive AOC of Provence (1995)
An basic hour’s drive east of Aix-en-Provence, the Alpilles mountain chain lifts its chiseled profile to the sky. Girdled by olive groves, almond orchards and vineyards, it is crowned by the dramatic ruins of the medieval citadel of Les Baux, from which the mighty warlords of the region, identified and feared as a “race of eagles” surveyed their domain.
The vineyards, spread below, had been once component of the Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence region, but earned their own appellation for the reds and rosés, which account for 90% of the region’s production, in 1995. By nature, they are wines with a marked earthy character that sets them apart. Organic and biodynamic production techniques are gaining ground among the local vintners, who think in working with nature’s rhythms to make the most unadulterated wines feasible.
Biodynamic techniques, which steer clear of all use of synthetic chemicals and treat the vineyard as a living entity to be respected, have been applied ever because 1989 at Château Romanin, simply a couple of kilometres east of St. Remy. The cellar, a magnificent underground cathedral dug into the mountainside, is a magical location, built on tellurian principles, i.e. on intersecting planetary force lines. Regardless of whether you think in such power fields or not, the complex reds and refreshing rosés made under its soaring arches usually win awards.
A short drive, punctuated by a succession of breath-taking vistas, will take you to La Cabro d’Or (+33 (0)4 90 54 33 21; Menus: 45 — 85EUR; Rooms: 180 – 450 EUR) an idyllic 31-room auberge set amongst Attractive gardens at the foot of Les Baux. The cuisine is Michelin-starred, yet you can eat there for 45EUR simply because its young chef, Michel Hulin, is extra interested in client satisfaction than a substantial profit margin. La Cabro closes from November to mid-December, reopening in time to treat your self with a unique meal throughout the Christmas season.
Within a few kilometers, in the hamlet of le Paradou, the 15-room Domaine Le Hameau des Baux (+33 (0)49 54 10 30; Rooms: 170 — 210EUR) is one of those unique addresses to share with close pals. A collection of character-filled old buildings — a barn, a cabanon, a chapel, a dovecote and a mill – have been restored with impeccable taste, keeping the relaxed really feel of a private residence, with basically the proper dash of contemporary boldness.
The second wine estate around Les Baux we suggest you visit, is a veritable showpiece outside Fontvielle, near the windmill that inspired the French author Alphonse Daudet to write his “Lettres de mon moulin”. Château d’Estoublon, originally built in the 15thC by Benedictine monks, was burnt down throughout the Wars of Religion and rebuilt in the 18th C. In January 1999 it was bought by the Schneider family, owners of Breitling watches. They spared no expense or energy to renovate the buildings and replant and revive the vineyard and olive groves. The estate has converted to organic winemaking and referred to as in Eloi Dürrbach, one of France’s top vintners, to supply expert help in producing wines that are full of character, tasting of the soil on which they grow. A visit to Estoublon gives you the opportunity to sample both the domain’s wines and its exceptional olive oils.
From there, pick one of different scenic routes to take you back up past les Baux, to the chic small town of Saint Rémy de Provence, with its tempting boutiques and markets. Many different international movie stars prefer its much more discreet charm to the resorts on the Mediterranean coast. To be pampered like a star, stop over in the sumptuous Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 92 04 40 Rooms : 150 – 260EUR). Its a variety of hedonistic comforts include a gastronomic restaurant (Menus: 53 – 88 EUR) a spa, a private putting green, a billiard room, tennis courts and, of course, a glamorous swimming pool.
Provence, Personally Yours Made-to-Measure, Made-for-Pleasure Tours of Provence with Journalist Ester Laushway For the reason that no two of us are precisely alike, your holiday in Provence deserves to be one-of-a-sort. I would like to help you make it a distinctive, personal experience – not tough in Provence! Besides spectacular scenery, a lengthy, rich history and vibrant culture, almost ideal climate, excellent food and wine, there is an exuberant passion for life in the air here: the master chefs, vintners, gardeners, and craftsmen all draw inspiration from this small piece of earthly paradise known as Provence.
As a journalist working here for the past ten years, I have been lucky sufficient to meet diverse of these talented, passionate people today, who hold the secret of how to turn living from an act into an art. It would be my pleasure to share my love of Provence and my private address book with you, by taking you on a personalized tour to exclusive restaurants, secret gardens and exceptional vineyards.
For further details, please contact:
Ester LAUSHWAY Tel: +33 (0)4 42 92 42 13
E-Mail : elaushway@aol.com
