AOC Ventoux
The wines of Ventoux grow in a protected terroir with exceptional levels of biodiversity.
The Mont Ventoux area has been listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1990.
The vineyards are worked in harmony with nature and with respect for the region’s historical and cultural heritage.
Ventoux’s red wines are supple and aromatic, their scents ranging from red fruit and spices to leather, liquorice and truffles. Their fame has spread to the other side of the Atlantic.
In their wake come the appellation rosés – fresh, with good length of flavour and notes of cherries, raspberries and flowers. Ventoux whites hint at iris, acacia and citrus.
Informations
Climate: Mediterrannean influenced to some degree by the proximity of the mountains. (Mont Ventoux and Monts du Vaucluse).
Soils: Limestone / Sandy / Clay
Website appellation: https://aoc-ventoux.com/
Key figures
Production surface area in 2023: 5 424 HA
Total production in 2023: 230 230 HL
Average annual yeld: 42 HL/HA
Export: 27%
Recognition in AOC by the I.N.A.O.: 1973
Communes : 53 communes in the Vaucluse.
Grape varieties
Main grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Carignan,
- Cinsault,
- Clairette,
- Grenache blanc,
- Grenache noir,
- Mourvèdre,
- Roussanne,
- Syrah
Secondary grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Clairette,
- Counoise,
- Grenache blanc,
- Marsanne,
- Marselan,
- Piquepoul noir,
- Rolle (Vermentino),
- Roussanne,
- Viognier
To know
History
Vines have been grown in the Ventoux area since ancient times; archaeological digs around the village of Mazan uncovered a potter’s workshop
dating from the 1st century BC, where the first known wine amphorae in France were produced.
The vineyards flourished during the Avignon Papacy, and over the centuries Ventoux wines, alongside other leading French wines, were served to the kings of France at the Royal Court.
In 1939, Ventoux’s winegrowers formed a union, the Syndicat des Vins de Ventoux to promote the quality and characteristics of the region’s wines.
Thanks to their efforts, their wines were awarded Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) status in 1953, and were promoted to AOC in 1973.
Climate
Moderate Mediterranean climate, influenced to some degree by the proximity of the mountains. (Mont Ventoux and Monts du Vaucluse).
Soils
The Vaucluse terroirs are made up of sediment deposited by seas in the Tertiary at the base of the limestone massif of Mont Ventoux. They
show an astonishing range of geological formations including three types of soil:
• red soils resulting from limestone degradation;
• soils comprising a mix of sand and ochre clay;
• detrital soils with a covering of rounded cobbles or limestone scree broken away from the mountain.
Geography
The vineyards lie in the east of the Rhône Valley, across 53 communes in the Vaucluse, bordered in the south by the Calavon. The area is listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Varieties and flavours
The appellation’s red and rosé wines are made from its principal varietals, black Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Reds show notes of red fruit, blackcurrants and blackberries, sometimes developing more complex flavours of vanilla and liquorice. They have good texture and length on the palate.
Rosés made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault or Carignan are riding the current trend for easy-drinking wines to take us through from starters to dessert.
For white wines, the main varietals are Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache blanc and Roussanne. Auxiliary varietals are Marsanne, Rolle (Vermentino) and Viognier.
Associated appellations
