Mont Ventoux AOC Vineyards Discover the Wines

Harvest or vendanges for wineries in the Ventoux usually takes place between the end of August and the last part of September. For those who don’t know this wine region, AOC Ventoux (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) is a vast area in the southern Rhône with over 150 wineries. And it’s a bit of a sleeper.

Contributor blog post by: A Table en Provence

Here is a video about this beautiful area and the international winemakers of AOC Ventoux wines.

Amazing Mont Ventoux

The flanks of Provence’s highest mountain – Mont Ventoux – have a fantastic diversity of terrain. In 1990, UNESCO granted the massif and surrounding area status as a Biosphere Reserve.

“The mountain hosts an exceptional floristic and faunistic richness thanks to its intermediate position between the Mediterranean and the Alps and the orientation of its slopes. The Ventoux summit is exceptionally rich in flora, with some sixty rare species. In the surrounding area, a great variety of trees can be found, notably the beech and juniper.” ~UNESCO website.

Covering 51 villages, this Biosphere Reserve is 90,000 hectares and has more than 1,500 plant species and 150 bird species.

AOC Ventoux Wines

The diversity of climate, soil and elevations also translates into prime land for agriculture. Below the summit of Mont Ventoux, there are cherry and stone fruit orchards, olive groves and thousands of grapevines.

Côtes du Ventoux vineyards achieved AOC status in 1973 for their winemaking expertise. Thus, an excellent place to start your education about these wines is at the cooperative.

Cave TerraVentoux (website)
Caveau de Villes-sur-Auzon
253 route de Carpentras
84570 Villes-sur-Auzon
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 61 79 47
This cooperative winery is the first to create biodynamic wines.
They have a selection of wines produced by the cooperative and participating vineyards.

In 2010, Côtes du Ventoux was rebranded as AOC Ventoux. There are 6,700 hectares of vines cultivated in this area of the Southern Rhône Valley. The region is divided into three distinct regions from north to south: the Malaucène basin, the Carpentras amphitheatre and the southern section closest to the Luberon vineyards.

“The Ventoux wines are produced by a total of 1,339 concerns which include 1,315 growers, 113 private wineries, 16 cooperative wineries, and 8 producer/merchants.” ~ Wikipedia.

Producers of AOC Vineyards

There is not enough space to list all 150 vineyards covered by the AOC Ventoux. So instead, we highlight a few below, in alphabetical order, and plan to add to the list as time and tasting permits.

Château Pesquié
1365 Bis Route de Flassan
84570 Mormoiron
Tasting Room: Open daily all year.

Brothers Alexandre and Frédéric, the third generation of the Chaudière family, manage all aspects of this Ecocert organic vineyard. The graceful home – a bastide – dates from approximately 1750 (read more).

Activities:
Take a walk through the vines.
Enjoy a winemaker’s picnic.
Book a guided tour.

©Château Pesquié

Clos de Trias
545 route de la Roque Alric
D90A
84330, Le Barroux
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 28 16 53
Tasting Room: Open Monday through Friday.

Domaine des Anges
2342 Chemin Notre Dame des Anges
84570 Mormoiron
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 61 88 78
Winemaker: Florent Chave

Sample wine of “angels” from this 16-hectare vineyard. This small vineyard produces quality wines near the chapel of Notre Dame des Anges.

Domaine de Fondrèche
2589 la venue de Saint Pierre de Vassols
84380 Mazan
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 69 61 42
Winemaker: Sébastien Vincenti
Tasting Room: Open Monday to Friday

This estate produces wine of all three colours on 40 hectares. The Fondrèche plateau with rocky soil is excellent terroir for red wines. While sandy, silty, limestone plots are well-suited for rosé and white wines.

Domaine de La Tuilière
D60 – Route de Joucas à Lioux
84220 Murs
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 05 73 03
Tasting Room: Open Monday to Saturday.

Discover the wines from this 40-hectare property. Watch for special evenings under the stars where you can sample wines by the glass.

Vindemio
1258 La Venue de Carpentras
84380, Mazan
Telephone: + 33 (0)4 90 51 60 20
Tasting Room: Open Monday through Saturday.

The 5th generation of Combe family winemakers blends wines from two plots: 8-hectares near Mormoiron and 4-hectares near Saint-Hippolyte-le-Graveyron.

Additional Information

The Winemakers of AOC Ventoux (website)

2023 will be the 50th Anniversary of AOC Ventoux

Paula Kane

From a background in advertising and design, Paula Kane has forged a career that combines her love of good food and wine with her expertise in marketing to produce highly successful culinary events across Canada. Paula first travelled to France 20 years ago and has been returning ever since. She received a scholarship from the James Beard Foundation to attend Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, from which she was graduated in 2009. She has completed the International Sommelier Guild Wine Fundamentals and recently, the Hautes Etudes du Goût program in gastronomy from which she was awarded a Masters degree from the University of Reims in Champagne, France. For the past ten years, Paula has spent part of her year in the Vaucluse where she cycles, cooks, drinks wine, explores and shares her discoveries with others on her website A Table en Provence. Recently she launched an online magazine —Olive + Sweetpea— dedicated to all things she is passionate about: food, wine, travel, home and women trailblazers.