Provence winery experiences & tours

Provence is a wine region in the far south-eastern corner of France, best known for the quality (and quantity) of its rosé wines and for its warm, mild climate. It is the oldest wine-producing region in France, with a history dating back over 2600 years.

The vineyards of Provence cover an area that measures roughly 200 kilometres (125 miles) from east to west. In this definitively Mediterranean climate – no Provencal vineyard is more than 55km (25 miles) from the Mediterranean – the vines enjoy around 3000 sunshine hours per year, along with an annual average temperature of 14.5°C (58°F).

Provence produces a wide range of high-quality wines, although it is best known for its rosé wines. The red grape varietals used to produce the rosé and red wines are Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mourvèdre. As for the white varietals Rolle (Vermentino), Clairette, Marsanne, Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano), Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, and Roussanne are the most popular.

The long, dry summers provide ideal harvest conditions in most years, leaving most of the region's grape-growers free from worry about unwanted rot and vine disease. The diversity of landscapes and soils, as well as micro-climates, gives each sub-region its own identity.
There are nine main sub-regions that are also appellations (AOC). The largest, Côtes de Provence, accounts for around 75% of all wines produced in the region. The other AOCs in Provence include Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, Coteaux Varois de Provence, Les Baux de Provence, Cassis, Bandol, Palette, Bellet, and Pierrevert.

The region's two most famous appellations are located between Marseille and Toulon on the Mediterranean coast. Bandol's deeply coloured, intensely flavoured reds are produced just 20 kilometres (12 miles) away from Cassis's herby, full-bodied whites.

Chateau de la Galinière

Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

The Château de la Galinière is located in lush greenery at the foot of the Cengle plateau, the first limestone step of the famous Sainte-Victoire mountain, just a short distance from Aix-en-Provence. Our 40 hectares of organically farmed vineyards provide a fresh and aromatic Côtes de Provence as well as an exquisite and mineral Côtes de Provence Sainte Victoire.

Chateau Paradis

Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

Château Paradis' vineyards cover 80 hectares in the heart of Provence, in the far north of the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence appellation, in a magnificent setting between the Sainte Victoire mountain and the Luberon. In the town of Puy-Sainte-Reparade in Provence.

Domaine Sainte Marie

Autre Provence

The Domaine Sainte-Marie has been a gem polished by Dominique and Christopher Duburcq in just a few years, they transformed this forty-hectare estate by reawakening its vines, unveiling all of their potentials through organic cultivation, and demanding vinification.

Villa Baulieu Vignoble

Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

The Domaine de Beaulieu is a 130-hectare wine and agricultural estate situated in the crater of Provence's only volcano. The land is home to almond trees, truffles, agroforestry, and, of course, wines. In the Coteaux d'Aix en Provence appellation, wine production is split between the Château Beaulieu range, which specializes in Rosé, and the Villa Baulieu range, which is made up of a few plots that produce solely Reds and Whites.

Chateau Malherbe

Cote de Provence

In Bormes les Mimosas, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the Château Malherbe wine estate extends over a unique and unspoiled terroir of 25 hectares, in the heart of the Provencal region. Here, on the grounds of the old farm of Fort de Brégançon, the Ferrari family has cultivated vines for four generations to organically produce the grapes used to make their organic AOC Côtes de Provence wine.

Château Canadel

Bandol

Canadel's history dates back to Roman times . The preventive archaeological excavations carried out before the construction of the cellar in 2013 made it possible to update a villa Roman equipped with an oil press and wine vats. The 5 bastides of the estate were built one after the other, between the 13th and 15th centuries. They are organized like a village around a chapel and canals which gave their name to the estate: "the water canal" which gave rise to Canadeau, then Canadel. In 2007, Jacques and Caroline de Chateauvieux fell in love with this "paradise on earth" and bought the estate with the aim of producing Château Canadel wine, and to establish their family there, back from Reunion. In 2009, they entrusted the reins of the estate to their daughter, Laure Benoist, agricultural engineer and her husband Vianney, agronomist and oenologist. During 5 years, they will tame the domain and build a cellar so that a new domain is born in Bandol . In 2014, the first bottle of Château Canadel was born.

Domain of La Font des Pères

Bandol

The Observantine monks adopted the Font des Pères estate in the 13th century, which is situated on an outstanding location with abundant natural resources. The first vines developed around this time, thanks to the efforts of the clergy, who, as excellent agronomists and aware of the wealth of this side of the hill, cultivated a variety of food crops, including vines. The Font des Pères estate is now located near Beausset,and the wines are made in the appellations of Bandol, Côtes de Provence, and IGP Mont-Caume, with an organic conversion underway. We have a farm-inn restaurant with a terrace with beautiful views in addition to wine production.

Domaine de la Bégude

Bandol

The Domaine de la Bégude, a vast territory of 500 hectares, including 30 hectares of vines, like an aerial balcony on the Big Blue, at the top of the Bandol appellation, swept by the mistral. Under the protective mantle of the Sainte Baume mountain, the vines are distributed like a mosaic in 55 plots in the heart of a fragrant scrubland. From this height, the view extends into the distance towards the bay of La Ciotat and the sea.

Domaine Terre de Mistral

Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

The story of Terre de Mistral tells of the meeting of two families that share a passion for Provence and a great desire to pass on and share their knowledge. This region, which is above all a producer of wine and olive oil, is located at the foot of Sainte Victoire, just 20 minutes from Aix-en-Provence. It also includes a gourmet restaurant, a local shop, and offers wine and cultural activities.

Peyrassol Commandery

Cote de Provence

The Commanderie de Peyrassol was established in the 13th century by the Order of the Templars in the town of Flassans-sur-Issole, in the heart of the Var hills. Its vast, fertile pastures have served as a welcome stopover and resting site for many pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. The estate has always recognized how to conserve its agrarian, wine-growing, and agricultural legacy as a symbol of Provencal heritage.