Known for its sunny weather, gorgeous lavender fields and wonderful rosé wines, the Provence wine region is perhaps one of the most underrated wine regions of France. It is located in the south-east coastal area of France and has a long history of winemaking.
Provence boasts a classic Mediterranean climate characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters. This region receives an abundance of sunshine with an average of 3000 hours per year – much more than is necessary for grapevines to grow. The region’s landscape is diverse between mountainous and coastal plots. Likewise, the soils are diverse with limestone in the west and granite in the east.
This variation is also evident in the different grape varieties that are planted there. However, the land conditions are only a part of the reason. The other part is Provence’s history being ruled by different intruders from the neighbouring states for much of its past, each planting their own grapevines.
The oldest records of winegrowing in Provence go all the way back to the 6th century BC when Greek colonists founded the city of Massalia, modern-day Marseille. This makes Provence one of the oldest wine regions in France. When the Romans arrived in the 2nd century BC, Massalian rosé wine was highly praised and they transported it throughout their trading routes.
The Roman rule vanished by the end of the 5th century AD and centuries of invasions, wars, and chaos began for Provence. At this time, much of the wine produced was made by Christian monasteries up until the 12th century, followed by a period of time when vineyards were managed more by great noble families.
This lasted until the late 1800s when Provencal viticulture was almost completely destroyed by the Phylloxera disease. It took a great deal of effort and financial resources to resurrect the wine region, but this effort combined with the arrival of the railway links gave Provence wine rejuvenation it needed.
As a wine-growing region, Provence was often scrutinized for its ever-changing grape varieties and a relatively small number of appellations for a region of this size. For instance, created in 1951, the AOC Côtes de Provence is the biggest and most well-known appellation. It has 50,000 acres of vineyards and produces three-quarters of all wine out of Provence, of which almost 90% is rosé wine. More than 14 varieties are allowed in Cotes de Provence.
Overall, the vineyards in Provence produce more rosé than any other region in the world, and 40% of all French rosé comes from here. These tend to be made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes in various proportions.
Work of the 21st century has been centred around deciding which grape varieties should be planted here. Encouraging the Granache, Cinsault and the sturdier Mourvèdre which resulted in a rise of excellent quality rosé wines.
Now, Provence is renowned for its considerable wine-growing potential, and there is a new generation of wine producers who are focusing their efforts on red wines too. Also, the coastal regions are seeing more and more white wines being procured increasing the diversification of Provence wine.
Provencal rosé has really been thriving over the last decade and many celebrities are producing their own trendy wines. Like Angelina Jolie’s Château Miraval or the newly launched Kylie’s [Minoque] Côtes de Provence rosé. Even rapper, Post Malone has his own rosé!
Map of appellations brought to you by Vins de Provence will help you discover the region. It allows you to click on your desired appellation and discover this area in more depth. It will tell you the size, production in litres breakdown of production between different styles, soil types etc. You can also learn how their rosé, red and white wines reflect the appellation. Check it out here.
We made some additions to our Provence Rosé offering. Check out our sales executive, Dan run through them in the below video.
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Also, make sure you check out our selection of wines from the Provence wine region here.
If you need a touch of pink on your wine list, these wines will certainly not disappoint. So, get in touch with us via telephone on 01524 737 100 or email [email protected] to get them listed in your establishment!
