The Wines of Provence

The history of wine making in Provence is a mixed bag. They claim to be the oldest wine-producing region in France, and this is quite true - the Greeks and Romans were making wine in Provence 26 centuries ago. Their zenith occurred before the age of railways when production was exceeded only by the vineyards of Bordeaux.

However, competition from the Languedoc hit Provence hard, and for much of the twentieth century good wines from Provence were thin on the ground. The traditional grape varieties, such as Mourvedre, are unreliable and unspectacular, but there are exceptions - Bandol, using the Mourvedre, has its own appellation and boasts wines of genuine distinction, and the neighbouring appellation of Cassis produces great whites.

The best-known exceptions to this rule, of course, are the full-bodied red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape - technically in the Côtes du Rhône region. Wines from this area have the highest alcohol levels in France, but boast other virtues too.

The saving grace of Provence has been that because it had no great distinction, vignerons were able to experiment, bringing in popular grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Many areas have recently been recognised with the award of their own appellations, and during our tour we'll try some fine wines from AOC Les Baux-de-Provence and AOC Côtes du Lubéron, granted appellation status as recently as 1988.

I've always found that in France the wines of a region are somehow appropriate to the cuisine and style of that area. While in Provence, we have the choice of some fine crisp white wines, some fruity red wines designed for drinking young, as well as the marvellous full-bodied reds of Chateauneuf du Pape. There is plenty of variety among the wines of Provence. They're generally inexpensive (with the notable exception of the mightily priced offerings from Chateauneuf), and like all wine producing areas of France, you'll discover personal favourites that you will never see in the UK.