Enjoy a vineyard tour of Provence and the French Riviera with your luxury car rental.
The roads of the Riviera have become famous due to stunning movie sets and TV shows which highlight the curves and panoramic views available to those who stick faithfully to the coastal roads. However, set slightly further back into the countryside and away from the glitz and glamour of coastal towns including Cannes and St Tropez lies an equally stunning drive through the famous vineyards of Provence. World renowned for the crispness and light pink colour, the Rosés of Provence are very versatile, but are not the only colour that is produced in the region. Read on to discover some of our favourite vineyards in the region.
After touching down at Nice Airport, visitors can reach their first vineyard in just a matter of minutes. Have a convertible car rental waiting for you at the airport and within 15 minutes you could be in the vineyards of Bellet in Western Nice. Twice a year, all of the vineyards in the area hold an open day with wine tasting tips from experts and of course some cheese and bread to help soak up the grape. Bellet is not just famous for its Rosé and offers a variety of red wines that come from the ‘folle noire’ grape, which grows somewhat erratically in the region.
Moving further to the West via a very scenic coastal drive, visitors to the region can encounter more traditional Provencal wines with a trip to Chaberts Estate located to the north of Toulon. Chaberts owner Betty-Ann Cundell describes to guests that the world-renowned light pink colour that Provence Rosé wines have become famous for is a trend that originated in St Tropez, the glamorous town located just a 45-minute drive from her estate. Dark pink varieties are no longer in fashion, so everybody in the region – including Chaberts - is making the lighter variety. However, this is not to say that Chaberts only specialises in Rosé and their tasting sessions offer guests the chance to experience white, red and pink. There are a variety of award-winning wines on offer in the estate and the cuvee prestige red is sure to be a winner for those who enjoy the Syrah variety. The estate has won 38 different awards for vintages of all colours since 1974, so it is fair to say that guests could end up spending the entire day there.
However, there is more of the region’s wine to be tasted. Slightly further back to the East, and even closer to the seaside resorts of St Tropez and St Raphael, lies the Domaines Ott’s Clos Mireille, which is located between Hyères and Borme Les Mimosas. Many experts rate this as the Rosé to discover along the coast and in this region of the Var. The vineyard offers several varieties of Rosé and is situated in a simply stunning location, with panoramic views over the sea. With over a Century in the same family, the wine growing techniques have been fine-tuned to perfection and visitors now benefit from this extensive practise to taste some of the finest wines in the region.
Please note that it is worth your while to call ahead of schedule to ensure that they are open to the public, as indeed it is for any of the vineyards mentioned in the article. Cheers!
Where to Stay:
Many seem to be coming round to the school of thought that a villa rental trumps even the most luxury of hotels. Your own private pool, dining as and when you like and of course the chance to bring back your own bottles of wine from you wine tasting excursions makes for the perfect relaxing holiday. Affinity Holidays France has an extensive range of private villas set in stunning locations near to many of the vineyards mentioned in this article.
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