This fabulous two centre wine and vineyard discovery itinerary takes in two contrasting wine producing areas in the south of France.
Southern Rhone valley vineyards
The southern Rhone valley has been described by Robert Parker as: “The greatest quality/price ratio of any top red wine region in the world”, which is saying something! The history of the vineyards of the Rhone valley dates back some 2000 years making it one of the oldest wine-producing areas in France.
It’s an area of contrasting landscapes in which there is a superb range of grape varietals. The wine production is held together by one common denominator which is the determination of the wine producers to create quality wines whilst respecting the environment.
It’s an exciting wine area with numerous up and coming wine estates run by individuals that are passionate about their chosen career.
In the company of our qualified expert local guide you will delve deep into the wine-making of the area. You’ll visit the vineyards, meet producers, learn about the wine-producing process and of course taste a wide variety of superlative wines too.
After the Rhone you’ll head south to the beautiful Var department where you’ll settle into your hotel in the heart of the Bandol vineyards of Provence.
Provence vineyards
It was the Greeks who planted the first grapevines in Provence 2600 years ago making Provence the oldest wine region in France.
In Provence today, making rosé is a speciality and a long-standing way of life. Over 89% of the vines are dedicated to rosé so it’s no surprise that Provence is the number one region in France for rosé production.
Provence has a sunny, dry and warm climate, excellent terroir and good range of varietals which are perfectly suited to this wine.
The sun-drenched rosé vineyards span some 200 kilometers from the Bouches-du-Rhône in the west to the Alpes Maritimes in the east.
Rosé wine produced in the Provence AOCs are delicate, fresh, fruity and generous. There is a wide variety of colours and flavours which you will discover on the professionally guided vineyard visits and wine tastings that we propose.
Overview
This two centre, fully flexible itinerary will form the basis from which Your Personal France will create your own personalised itinerary.
We suggest you fly into Marseille or Montpellier or take the train into Avignon from where you can hire a car.
If you have any specific wine-related interests then let us know in the form below and we’ll pass them on to our guides who will incorporate them into your itinerary.
The price for this tour of the Rhone and Provence vineyards will depend on the number of people, the time of year and which elements of the itinerary you wish to include.
Your Personal France can incorporate elements of this itinerary with any of the other trips on the website to create a complete trip to France. Extend your stay and explore the historic sites of Provence on our Historic Provence itinerary or discover the gastronomic delights of eastern Languedoc on this delicious foodie trip, for example.
