Discovering Provence wines: where to start

AOP stands for appellation d’origine protégée, the French term for a protected designation of origin. It links a product to a defined geographical area and production requirements. AOC is the French national recognition; wine labels may retain this wording after registration as an AOP.

References: INAO — Appellation d’origine protégée / contrôlée (AOP / AOC)

Next, find the producer, cuvée name, colour and vintage. Keep these details together in your notes so you can identify the bottle later. An appellation gives you a starting point, but its name alone cannot describe every sensation in a wine or tell you whether you will enjoy it.

The Conseil interprofessionnel des vins de Provence, or CIVP, represents three appellations: Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois en Provence. These are the appellations within its remit, rather than a complete list for the wider Provençal wine region.

References: CIVP — Les trois appellations représentées par l’interprofession

References: CIVP — Carte des appellations

You do not need to learn the boundaries of each area before buying your first bottle. Remember the exact name of a wine you have tried. If you enjoyed it, ask what to taste next from that appellation to explore a different producer or style.

Cassis is a wine appellation named after the town of Cassis. It should not be confused with the blackcurrant fruit or the liqueur called crème de cassis. A Cassis white can be a starting point for exploring another colour from the region.

References: INAO — Cassis blanc

Bandol makes red, rosé and white wines. Mourvèdre is the main grape in its reds. A Bandol red therefore offers another route into Provence, while leaving its other colours for a future comparison.

References: Vins de Bandol — Vins et vignobles, trois couleurs

These examples make a manageable starting point when you are based in Marseille or Aix-en-Provence. They are suggestions for exploration, not a ranking of appellations. The particular bottle, your budget and the question that interests you should all guide your choice.

Our suggested starting exercise is a rosé from one of the three CIVP appellations, a Cassis white and a Bandol red. It is a way to explore different wines, rather than a controlled test of appellations. Colour, producer, vintage and winemaking also vary, so you cannot attribute every difference you notice to the place of origin.

1. Give your wine merchant a budget for the whole selection and the number of people tasting.
2. Ask for wines to enjoy now, and explain whether you will serve them on their own or with food.
3. Write down each full cuvée name and ask for its technical sheet.
4. Confirm serving advice for the bottles you choose instead of using the same temperature for all three.

For a more focused comparison later, try two rosés from the same appellation or two bottles from one producer. A narrower question will help you describe what changes without trying to explain the entire region in one afternoon.

Prepare a short note for each wine. Leave one line for its identity and another for the serving conditions. If you return to your notes a few weeks later, those details will make your observations easier to understand and the bottle easier to find.

• On the nose: is it subtle or expressive, and what broad family of smells comes to mind?
• In the mouth: what do you notice about freshness, texture or warmth?
• At the finish: which sensation remains, and how does it change?
• For you: would you like another glass, a particular dish with it or a different wine to compare?

An observation and a preference answer different questions. “This wine feels more rounded to me” describes a sensation; “I prefer it” records a personal choice. Both are useful. You can enjoy a wine without naming a precise aroma, and your preferences may shift during the tasting.

After a few bottles, resist drawing a conclusion about a whole appellation. Pick something you would like to investigate: another white, two contrasting rosés or a red alongside a particular dish. Keep the names of the wines and the reasons behind your choices.