The appellations around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence
Around Marseille, several appellations d’origine contrôlée can be visited in the same week, sometimes on the same day. Each has its own area, defined in specifications published by INAO, France’s national institute for origin and quality. A few landmarks:
- Cassis: recognised in 1936, the appellation lies within the single commune of Cassis, between the sea and the cliffs of Cap Canaille, some twenty kilometres from Marseille. White wines account for the largest share of its production;
- Bandol: recognised in 1941, it spreads over eight communes of the Var, including Le Castellet, La Cadière-d’Azur and Sanary-sur-Mer. Its vines climb in restanques, terraces held up by low stone walls; the reds, based on Mourvèdre, are aged for at least eighteen months in casks or large oak vats;
- Palette: on the edge of Aix, across Aix-en-Provence, Meyreuil and Le Tholonet, recognised in 1948, a vineyard of just 43 hectares in 2009 according to its specifications;
- Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence: recognised in 1985, an area of 49 communes stretching from the Durance to the sea, and from the Rhône valley to Mont Sainte-Victoire;
- Côtes de Provence: recognised in 1977, mostly in the Var but also in fifteen communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône, from La Ciotat to Trets, with rosé making up most of its production. At the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire, the Sainte-Victoire designation has its own area: see our Aix-en-Provence chauffeur page;
- Luberon: recognised in 1988 as Côtes du Luberon, across 36 communes of the Vaucluse around the massif, it belongs to the Rhône valley vineyards;
- Les Baux-de-Provence: recognised in 1995, across seven communes of the Alpilles, from Les Baux to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Landmarks taken from the specifications published by INAO. This page names no estate: the choice is made with you, according to your wishes and each estate’s visiting conditions.
One day, two or three estates
A day among the vines is built around a few appointments rather than a checklist: two or three estates with lunch in between work better than five visits back to back. Neighbouring appellations pair naturally:
- Cassis in the morning, Bandol in the afternoon, by way of La Ciotat: see Cassis and the Calanques;
- Palette and Sainte-Victoire, on the edge of Aix, before dinner in town;
- the Luberon and the Alpilles, between hilltop villages and the estates around Les Baux: see Luberon and the Alpilles.
You book a chauffeur by the hour or by the day: for the time set out in your quote, the chauffeur drops you at the estate, waits during the visit and drives you to the next stop. We do not quote journey times: between Marseille, Aix and the Var, they depend on the hour and the traffic.
Who arranges the visit?
Visits and tastings are organised by the estates, which set their own conditions: opening days, advance booking, group size, a tour of the cellars or a simple stop at the tasting room. There are two ways to go about it:
- you book the estates yourself, then send us the addresses and times, and we plan the journeys around them;
- you ask us to approach the estates for you: the request is then handled by our concierge service. Under our terms and conditions, the file is opened with a file-opening quote and a study fee, paid before any work begins. We make the request, but cannot promise the outcome; the answer and the conditions remain the estate’s own, and are shared with you before anything is booked.
Your chauffeur, a member of the Federation, takes care of the driving, and is neither a guide nor a sommelier: the visit is led by the estate.
After the tasting, nobody has to drive
This is the simplest reason to hand the day to a chauffeur: after a tasting, nobody has to get behind the wheel. In France, it is illegal to drive with 0.5 g of alcohol per litre of blood or more, and from 0.2 g for drivers on a probationary licence. Those who do not drink enjoy the visit just as much: the landscapes, the cellars, the history of the place.
If you plan to bring back cases bought at the estate, say so in your request, together with the number of passengers and bags, so that the car provided has room. For a group, a van such as the Mercedes V-Class or several cars can be arranged, depending on the availability of the Federation’s members.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health. Please drink in moderation.
From your hotel, the station or the airport
The day can start at your hotel in Marseille or Aix, or as soon as you arrive at the station or the airport; it ends at the address of your choice. List every stop in your request: each one is included in the quote, then in the confirmation voucher you receive before departure.
To begin, a message is enough: let’s talk about your day, or find all our details on the Contact page.