Running east to west in Provence’s Bouches-du-Rhône department, the Alpilles (“small Alps”) is a mountain range, protected park, and agricultural area. Its rugged, arid alpine terroir suits growing grapes and olives on its flanks. Below, we cover ideas for touring the Alpilles vineyards in Provence, many of which also produce …

Provence’s Mediterranean climate includes warm, dry summers, mild winters, and soil well-suited for vineyards. It’s no wonder that the wine regions of Provence are well known for producing some of the best wines in France – and around the world. The following article overviews the Provence wine regions, wineries and …

Recently, in Provence, there have been some substantial acquisitions in the rosé wine industry. The most famous acquisitions are LVMH’s purchase of Château d’Esclans, Château Minuty, Château de Galoupet, Domaine des Grands Esclans, and Domaine du Jas d’Esclans (!) as well as Pernod Ricard’s purchase of Château Sainte Marguerite. Still, …

When I read on Kristin Espinasse’s blog “French Word a Day,” that her husband Jean-Marc, a wine professional, offered wine tours in Provence, I was in touch faster than you can open a screw-top bottle. We settled on a date for wine tasting in the Bandol and Cassis appellations. Although …

While in Provence, Göran Boman and his wife joined two wine professionals on an epic wine-tasting experience this spring. They tasted 192 different rosés from the region! My wife Maria and I had the chance to try our hand at being wine journalists when we tasted 192 rosé wines from …

Author and wine expert Göran Boman shares tips for wine tasting and exploring the vineyards in Provence. This part of the South of France includes wine-growing areas stretching within the urban limits of Nice on the French Riviera to the Northern Rhône Valley. While wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, villages such as …

The winery Château d’Esclans in the Esclans Valley north of Le Muy has had a strong ownership journey, to say the least. Thirty years ago, the winery was owned by the Swedish Match pension fund, with Lars Torstenson as the responsible winemaker, and since 2019 the winery is owned by …

Very rarely do you come across a Côtes du Rhône Villages so incredible that it might as well be a Gigondas wine. However, in this case, the red wine that we used in this wine pairing from Paul Jaboulet Aîné (2020) is a nice upgrade. It is big and bold, …

Springtime in Provence is an excellent opportunity to visit vineyards in the region. It is also a good time to participate in one of several organized wine walks. These strolls are only a few kilometres, and along the way, there are stations where you can try the wines of the …

As we turn our thoughts to spring, some foods and wines come to mind immediately. On the food side of things, my mind turns to spring vegetables: asparagus, peas, and fava beans. For wine, I find it time to leave the wintry red wines for a while and focus on …