A historically wine-growing department
The Vaucluse is a historically wine-producing department with no less than 4 major appellations (Appellation d'Origine Protégée, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, Indication Géographique Protégée, Vins Doux Naturels) and numerous crus. In this vast region, all types of wines are produced, dry wines in all three colours, natural sweet wines, many of which are starred!
Here is a journey through time where vines and stones are one.
The vineyards of the Rhone Valley
received a commercial boost in the 1st century with the Romans, who developed the cultivation of the vine. The Rhône and the papal court played a decisive role in the Vaucluse, allowing its expansion. Pope John XXII, a native of Cahors, brought in winemakers from the southwest who tried to follow the tastes of the curia. The pontifical influence was thus felt in the choice of vineyards, in the introduction of new grape varieties, but also in the wine-making technique. In the 14th century, the wines of the Côtes-du-Rhône took on the name of the wine region. It was under the impetus of one man, Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, that the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, AOC "Côtes du Rhône", was recognised in 1937. This was the result of the creation of the Syndicat général des vignerons des Côtes du Rhône in 1929, led by the same man, with the aim of defending the regional and local interests of Côtes du Rhône winegrowers.The Côtes du Rhône vineyard
is one of the oldest vineyards in France and the second largest wine-producing region in France after Bordeaux. Crossed by the Rhône River, which rises in Switzerland and flows southwards, vines flourish on both banks between Vienne and Avignon - the capital of the Côtes du Rhône since 1996 - and has an AOC vineyard within the city, located on the Rocher des Doms, right next to the Palais des Papes! The vineyard is divided into two regions: in the north, the Northern Rhône Valley (from Vienne to Valence) where Syrah is the dominant grape variety, and in the south, the Southern Rhône Valley (from Montélimar to Avignon) where Grenache reigns.Wines nowadays
A classification in three groups
One should not forget the two natural sweet wines (V.D.N): the muscat of Beaumes-de-Venise and the Natural Sweet Wine of Rasteau
Some figures
- 75,000 hectares covering 6 departments, 171 communes.- 7,000 winegrowers
- 386 million bottles
- 145 countries consume C.D.R.
- 21 grape varieties including 8 whites. The main varieties used are: Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Mourvèdre, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette, Bouboulenc- and others on a secondary basis - Cinsault, Picpoul, Carignan
Did you know?
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) guarantees that the product has been processed and made in a specific geographical area. The PDO label is a European sign. It protects the name of the product throughout the European Union. The French version of the PDO is the AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée).A short overview of AOC appellations
Strict specifications to obtain the appellation:
- plantation of 3000 to 3600 vines per hectare on average- in order to enhance the development of the vine, regulatory distances are imposed: 2 to 2.50 m between rows and 1.50 to 2 m between vines on the same row.
- type of pruning: goblet
- manual harvesting and sorting
⁃ winemaking: the secret, the heritage, the know-how of each winemaker!
To the south
, the AOC Luberon, which joined the AOC Côtes du Rhône in 1988 despite its distance from the Rhône Valley. The area of the appellation is limited to the north by the Calavon valley (Apt) and to the south by the Durance valley (Cavaillon, Pertuis, Manosque). The vines grow in an unspoilt environment and benefit from the mild Mediterranean climate. The rosé wines, which are in the majority, evoke strawberry or redcurrant; the reds are reminiscent of ripe red fruit, and the whites have aromas ranging from grapefruit to toast.The AOC Ventoux
, (known as "Côtes du Ventoux" to the old-timers), was created in 1973, extending in an arc around Mont Ventoux, from Malaucène to Apt, via Carpentras. Recent archaeological discoveries - 80 rocky wine vats - have shown that the vineyards in this area are among the oldest in France. Today, many wineries and cooperatives produce wines with powerful aromas: the reds evoke red fruits and spices, and tend towards truffle aromas; the rosés have a cherry and raspberry flavour; the whites have notes of narcissus and iris, with a touch of green apple and citrus. Here, 64% of the production is red, 32% is rosé and 4% is white.The AOC Côtes du Rhône
with its flagship, Châteauneuf du Pape, which takes its name from the fact that the popes residing in Avignon in the 14th century had a "secondary" residence, a palace, built north of the papal city. This vineyard, rich in 13 grape varieties, extends over 4 other neighbouring communes: Bédarrides, Courthézon, Orange and Sorgues. The trademark of the appellation: the rolled pebbles which, at night, restore to the grapes the heat stored during the day, thus contributing to a perfect ripening. In this fief, we do not produce rosé, the queen is the red which reveals notes of red and black ripe fruits, very intense and powerful wine but... all in smoothness. The white, with its floral notes of acacia, citrus and white-fleshed fruit, apricot and peach, is no less impressive. Today, 31% of the surface area of the AOC Chateauneuf-du-Pape is organically farmed.September 2006: Châteauneuf-du-Pape was classified as a "Remarkable Site of Taste" which highlights the dynamism of the women and men as well as the cultural and tourist potential of the village.
In the AOC Côtes du Rhône, there is not only Châteauneuf-du-Pape! There are also 4 grands crus -Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau- and 9 AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages -Cairanne, Roaix, Sablet, Séguret, Puyméras, Valréas, Visan, Plan de Dieu and the Massif d'Uchaux. 90% of the production is red, 6% is rosé and 4% is white
And natural sweet wines!
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Rasteau are as much appreciated as an aperitif as they are with dessert. A vin doux naturel is a wine obtained by mutage, i.e. by adding extra alcohol to the must to stop fermentation and retain some of the sugar.Another label: the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
Created in 1968, the vins de pays (red, rosé and white) have been recognised by Community regulations as Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) since 2009 and account for more than a quarter of French production.
A wine is a PGI if it bears the words "Protected Geographical Indication" or "Vin de Pays" or the PGI logo on the label.
The grapes come 100% from the territory, and the quality of the wine is controlled. This label offers more freedom to the winegrowers, particularly in the use of grape varieties (more than a hundred are authorised in the Vaucluse) and in the methods of vinification, which for the winegrower are a guarantee of creativity and discovery at each tasting.
In Vaucluse, no less than 6 "wine roads"!
Travelling through the vineyards on foot or by bike is the best way to appreciate the landscape, the soil, the terroir specific to each appellation, and of course to appreciate the hard work of the winegrower and to exchange with him.
These routes cross dozens of winegrowing villages and bring together more than 200 winegrowers. Each has its own map which allows you to find the addresses of all the labelled wineries that have adhered to a quality charter "Côtes du Rhône, Terroir d'accueil", those offering food or accommodation on site, tasting initiations or wine-related activities and leisure activities.
To understand and discover this environment, there are educational walks in the vineyards. There are signposted routes, with explanatory posters offering a life-size sensory trail. In the summer, guided evening walks in the vineyard are proposed, during which you will familiarize yourself with the use of the right words, visits that end with a tasting often accompanied by local products that are of course in harmony with the wine. Depending on the season, there are the aper'truffles offered at the foot of the Ventoux.
And also...
At the beginning of August, the festival of the Véraison in Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes place, and the last weekend of the month, the proclamation of the "ban des vendanges" in Avignon, the festival of the launching of the grape harvest in the Rhone valley, the main drinking, cultural and festive event in which the "Commanderie des Costes du Rhône", representing the entire appellation, takes part.
