Ventoux AOC (known as ''Côtes du Ventoux AOC'' until 2008) is a

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...

-growing AOC in the southeastern region of the

Rhône wine region The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, where the wines are produced in 51

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...

of the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety- ...

'' along the lower slopes of the Ventoux mountain and at the foot of the

Vaucluse Mountains The Vaucluse Mountains (French: ''Monts de Vaucluse'') are a mountain range of the French Prealps located in the departement of Vaucluse, between the Luberon Massif and Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; oc, Ventor, label=Provençal ) is a mountai ...

. The neighbouring appellation of

Luberon AOC Luberon (known as ''Côtes du Luberon'' until 2009) is a French wine-growing AOC in the southeastern extreme of the Rhône wine region of France, where the wines are produced in 36 communes of the Vaucluse département. The neighbouring appellat ...

stretches along its southern border and is separated from it by the

Calavon The Calavon (french: le Calavon, also called ''le Coulon'') is an long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse '' départements'', southeastern France. Its drainage basin is .Malaucène Malaucène (; oc, Malaucena) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography Malaucène is a typical provençal village located in Provence (South of France) at the foot of Mo ...

basin, the foothills of the Mont Ventoux to the east of

Carpentras Carpentras (, formerly ; Provençal Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm; la, Carpentoracte) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. ...

and to the north of

Cavaillon Cavaillon (; Provençal: ''Cavalhon'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France.

are less ravaged by the

Mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Micropl ...

due to some shelter afforded by the Ventoux-

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from wes ...

mountain range. Archeological discoveries of wine making equipment have dated that wine has been produced in the area at least since around 30 AD.

Wines

Red and rosé wines are made from,

Grenache Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditi ...

Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeus ...

Cinsault Cinsaut or Cinsault ( ) is a red wine grape whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria, Lebanon, and Morocco. It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache and ...

Mourvèdre Mourvèdre (also known as Mataro or Monastrell) is a red wine grape variety grown in many regions around the world including the Rhône and Provence regions of France, the Valencia and Jumilla and Yecla '' denominaciones de origen'' (DOs) of ...

, and

Carignan Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Medite ...

(maximum 30%). Other varieties which may be used to a maximum of 20%.The red wine is distinctly characterised by its aromas of black fruit, spice, and pepper. White wines are produced from

Clairette blanche Clairette blanche is a white wine grape variety most widely grown in the wine regions of Provence, Rhône and Languedoc in France. At the end of the 1990s, there were of Clairette blanche grown in France, although volumes are decreasing. Cla ...

Bourboulenc Bourboulenc is a white wine grape variety primarily grown in southern France. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône, Provence and Languedoc. Bourboulenc is a late-ripening grape variety with tight bunches of large grapes, that can ...

Grenache blanc Grenache blanc (also known as garnatxa blanca in Catalonia) is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol a ...

, and Roussane (maximum 30%). A Primeur wine is also produced in all three colours. The minimum alcoholic content for all wines is decreed at 11%. The reds, which comprise approximately 80% of the production, are light and fruity. All wines are generally consumed while they are still young.

Economy

The Ventoux wines are produced by a total of 1,339 concerns which include 1,315 growers, 113 private wineries, 16 cooperative wineries, and 8 producer/merchants. The vineyards are in the communes of

Apt Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment. Apt may also refer to: Places * Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence * Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France * A ...

Aubignan Aubignan (; oc, Aubinhan) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Close to Beaumes-de-Venise and the famous Côtes du Rhône vineyards, Aubignan is, itself, locally famous for ...

Beaumettes Beaumettes (; oc, Lei Baumetas) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography The village lies on the right bank of the Calavon, which forms all of the commune's southern bo ...

, Beaumont-du-Ventoux,

Bédoin Bédoin (; oc, Bedoin) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography Located at the base of Mont Ventoux, it is the starting point of one of the three routes to the summit o ...

, Blauvac, Bonnieux, Cabrières-d'Avignon, Caromb,

, Caseneuve,

Crestet Crestet (; oc, Lo Crestet) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also * Château de Crestet * Dentelles de Montmirail * Communes of the Vaucluse department The followin ...

, Crillon-le-Brave, Entrechaux, Flassan,

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (; oc, La Fònt de Vauclusa or simply ) is a commune in the southeastern French department of Vaucluse. In 2018, it had a population of 585. Its name comes from the spring of the same name; the name Vaucluse itself comes f ...

, Gargas, Gignac,

Gordes Gordes (; oc, Gòrda) is a commune in the Vaucluse département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The residents are known as ''Gordiens.'' The nearest big city is Avignon; smaller cities nearby include Cavaillo ...

, Goult, Joucas, Lagnes,

La Roque-sur-Pernes La Roque-sur-Pernes (, literally ''La Roque on Pernes''; Occitan: ''La Ròca de Pèrnas'') is a commune in the southeastern French department of Vaucluse. In 2020, it had a population of 417. History After the Second World War hundreds of Ba ...

Le Barroux Le Barroux (; oc, Lo Barós) is a village and commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It had a population of 629 in 2017. History Its current name derives from the Latin ''Albaruff ...

, Le Beaucet,

Lioux Lioux (''Liuç'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department *Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Le ...

Loriol-du-Comtat Loriol-du-Comtat (; oc, L'Auriòu de la Comtat) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,520. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department T ...

Malaucène Malaucène (; oc, Malaucena) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography Malaucène is a typical provençal village located in Provence (South of France) at the foot of Mo ...

, Malemort-du-Comtat, Maubec,

Mazan Mazan (; oc, Masan) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The town is 4 miles (7 km) drive east of Carpentras, one of its neighbouring municipalities, and 21 miles (34& ...

, Méthamis,

Modène Modène (; oc, Maudena) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department The following is a list of the 151 communes of the Vaucluse depar ...

Mormoiron Mormoiron (; oc, Mormeiron) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography and geology Mormoiron is located 12 km East of Carpentras; also nearby are Mont Ventoux and A ...

, Murs, Pernes,

Robion Robion () is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The new part of the village runs along the D2 road, and the old part of the village is clustered at the foot of the Luberon mou ...

Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; ca, Rosselló ; oc, Rosselhon ) is a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of th ...

, Rustrel,

Saignon Saignon (; oc, Sanhon) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The nearest town is Apt. There is a bakery/cafe, two restaurants, and a general store. The school has about 100 s ...

, Saumane, Saint-Didier,

Saint-Hippolyte-le-Graveyron Saint-Hippolyte-le-Graveyron (; Provençal: ''Sant Ipolite lo Graveiron'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Sites and Monuments *Stone column topped by an iron cross. *Chat ...

, Saint-Martin-de-Castillon, Saint-Pantaléon, Saint-Pierre-de-Vassols, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt,

Venasque Venasque (; oc, Venasca; la, Vindasca) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The area has many tourist attractions, such as the nearby Mount Vaucluse, a park with several ten ...

, Viens, Villars and

Villes-sur-Auzon Villes-sur-Auzon (; oc, Vielas d'Auson) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department The following is a list of the 151 communes of th ...

.All data: INAO, April 2007

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ventoux Aoc Rhône wine AOCs 1973 establishments in France Geography of Vaucluse