People from northern climes are constantly drawn to the bright, fragrant land on the Mediterranean. The strangers rebuild dilapidated wineries and soon surprise with exquisite wines. The Alsatian Marcel Ott is considered a pioneer of Provençal wine quality, having established his respected domaine there a good 100 years ago. Swiss came and Danes, later wealthy settlers from Germany. The Japanese are interested in investing in Provence. They scout out worthwhile objects by helicopter.
The influx of foreigners has still been good for viticulture. The local winegrowers are rural and often make very simple wines. The tourists swallow it. If, after the heat of the day, you enjoy the coolness of dusk and the view of Mont Sainte-Victoire glowing purple in the evening light, then an ice-cold rosé is a delicacy. The traveler always only notices how poor the quality really is once he has taken a few bottles home with him.
In 1977, the Côtes de Provence received the Appellation d'Origine Contrôllée (AOC) and was thus named an outstanding quality wine region. Since then, the winemakers have made a lot of effort. Noble vines such as Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre were planted. A lot of money was invested in cellar technology. Decent presses and air conditioning systems are a given today.
Cooling is everything: When the grapes are heated into the wine press and the juice immediately begins to bubble, all the fruity aromas disappear. However, if fermentation is controlled by cold, the taste is retained.
Making a good rosé is one of the most difficult things in winemaking. The aim in the region is a peach-colored wine that smells of raspberries. Almost all rosé wines here are fruity, dry and have an elegant light color. The specialty of Provence is and remains rosé, not white wine and not the actually quite good red wine.
With up to 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, Provence has perfect conditions for growing wine. Making a rosé from the grapes that is so enchantingly charming that it almost becomes a way of life is, as I said, an art in itself that the winegrowers of Provence have demonstrably mastered. There are nine AOCs (growing areas with designation of origin) spread over around 29,000 hectares, with the three most important accounting for 90% of the wines produced.
We at Augustas Box also love the fine rosé wines for every occasion, especially in summer with light dishes.
Sante,
Sylvia