Cotes de Provence
Côtes de Provence AOC is the largest appellation of the Provence wine region in south-eastern France.
It covers roughly 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of vineyards, which produce the vast majority of Provence’s rosé wine. This appellation includes most of the viticulture in the Var department – essentially the eastern half of the Provence wine region – apart from 2250 hectares (5500 acres) due north of Toulon which is set aside for the Côteaux Varois en Provence appellation.
Although it also covers red and white wine, about 80 percent of Côtes de Provence’s output is rosé. This is made predominantly from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut grape varieties plus the quintessentially Provencal red grape Tibouren.
While clearly in the minority, the volume of red wine produced under this title (and elsewhere in Provence) is increasing and currently accounts for around 15 percent of the total. Grapes like the three key Rhône varieties mentioned above and Cabernet Sauvignon (introduced here in the 1960s) are being used by a new wave of winemakers keen to demonstrate that rosé is not the region’s only wine of interest. Only around five percent of Côtes de Provence wine is made from white grape varieties, particularly Rolle (Vermentino).
First established as a VDQS in 1951, the Côtes de Provence appellation originally covered 42 communes. It gradually grew over time until 1977, when it was granted full AOC status; today, the catchment area includes 84 communes. The vineyard area is divided into seven zones, six of which are divided by the Côteaux Varois en Provence appellation and low coastal mountain ranges such as the Massif des Maures and the Massif de la Sainte-Baume which are too treacherous even for hardy grape vines.
The most remote satellite of the appellation lies 40 kilometers (25 miles) apart from the rest, covering just a few hectares to the west of Villars-sur-Var, a hill village in the valley of the Var river that is surrounded by sub-alpine peaks and ridges reaching more than 1500 meters (5000ft).
The terroir covered by this appellation is varied – from the slightly cooler sub-alpine hills around Seillans in the north, to the coastal vines around the Golfe de Saint-Tropez in the east and the Baie de la Ciotat, between Bandol and Cassis in the west. The quality of the vineyard sites varies widely, as does the price and quality level of wines produced under the Côtes de Provence banner.
Three sub-appellations were granted to the Côtes de Provence in 2005, named after the communes of Fréjus, Sainte-Victoire and La Londe. They were established as a test bed for the development of further sub-appellations across the region. Accordingly, Pierrefeu followed in 2013. These names are reserved for red and rosé wines only – a further confirmation that Provence has recognized and is working on its key strengths.