A period launched by the harvest ban
The traditional grape harvest fair takes place in late summer. This event celebrate the beginning of harvest. The « grapes brotherhood commander », dressed with a traditional suit, drinks the first grape juice and all the guests are invited to taste producers wines.
In the past, this event was the occasion to get the tithe. This tradition dates back from 1309 in Vinsobres, a small village situated in the Drôme Provençale. A notarised agreement was found and mentioned that Saint-Césaire of Arles had the right to received it.
Nowadays, this event doesn’t exist anymore in Vinsobres…
The different wines
The “Côtes du Rhône”
We find the same soils as in the AOC Côtes du Rhône but the criteria taken into account, climate and soil, are applied with more rigor given the production rules of this appellation. Generally stony limestone clay soils give wines more dense, generous, ample, fleshy, with powerful aromas. The arid and stony soils offer pleasant, elegant, fine and fruity wines. Recognized for their specificity, the Côtes du Rhône Villages with geographical name reveals their common production on their label. In the Baronnies in Drôme Provençale, only one commune is recognized, it is: St-Maurice-sur-Eygues.
The “Côtes du Rhône Villages”
Dezelfde bodems worden gevonden als voor de Côtes du Rhône AOC, maar de criteria waarmee rekening wordt gehouden, het klimaat en de bodem, worden strenger toegepast gezien de productieregels van deze benaming. Over het algemeen geven kalkachtige kleigronden een wijn die dicht, genereus, ruim en vlezig is met krachtige aroma’s. De droge en stenige bodems geven aangename, elegante, fijne en fruitige wijnen. Erkend om hun specificiteit, de Côtes du Rhône Villages vermelden de gemeente waar de wijn geproduceerd wordt op het etiquette. In de Baronnies in de Drôme Provençale, wordt 1 gemeente zo erkend, het is: St-Maurice-sur-Eygues.
AOC Côtes du Rhône
« Côtes du Rhône » wines are present in 171 towns over 6 departments characterized by a generous sunshine. Climate, land, variety of wine and human will give « Côtes du Rhône » wines its typical features. AOC producers work together every day with one goal : to guarantee the best wine, from cultivation to blend. 90% of the production are red wines, all generous, fine, pleasurable and spicy.
AOC Vinsobres
Vinsobres wines are produced on 4 different lands. They are characterized by their freshness and tannin finesse. From Grenache and Syrah, they are balanced between red berries and spices.
Les Vins des Baronnies d’Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) / The Wines of The Baronnies (PGI)
Les Coteaux des Baronnies
On the slopes of the Baronnies provençales, more precisely at the foot of Mont Ventoux, we find the Coteaux des Baronnies.
It is a land rich in color that invites us to discover a beautiful landscape. It is also the topography of this territory that will give Côteaux des Baronnies all its peculiarities. At an altitude of 600 meters on average and a fragmented relief, still wild, the entire vineyard will be between 300 and 700 meters above sea level. The majority of the wines that will be produced there are of red colors, like the predominant wines of this production area. There is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Grenache Noir. Côteaux des Baronnies PGI (Protected geographical indication) wines translate into a true balance, a stable structure, and silky tannin. They are also very complex and offer a real diversity. It is also the mountainous air that will be a common thread and that we will find in all of its wines. As for white wines, they have more liveliness and there are some tones of fresh and exotic fruits.
It is this multitude of offers that will fill many palates!