Côtes de Provence

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Varieties of interest

Terroir

• The geographical area of the Côtes de Provence appellation extends from the limestone lower Provence in the west and north to the crystalline lower Provence of the Maures and Esterel massifs in the south and east.
• The Côtes de Provence appellation area is delimited across 84 communes, divided between 68 in the Var, 15 in the Bouches-du-Rhône, and one in the Alpes-Maritimes, on the banks of the Var river.
• The north and north-west winds, notably the Mistral, are the most significant, their influence decreasing from west to east, and these cold winds clear the sky and dry out the atmosphere.
• The crystalline and metamorphic massif of the Maures, in the south and south-east of the Var, is formed of granites, gneiss, and mica-schists wrapped in phyllades, and the vineyards there are planted in pockets at the heart of pine and cork-oak forests.
• A complex geology with a dominant east-west orientation structures five major natural zones: the Maures massif, the Permian depression, the Triassic plateau and Jurassic hills, the Beausset basin, and the upper Arc basin.

• The name "Côtes de Provence" was first officially used in 1858 by the first association for the defence of the Provençal vineyard, before being recognised as a simple appellation in 1943.
• The ministerial orders of 1953 and 1955 gave concrete form to the wines' reputation through a classification of 23 estates as "crus classés", ahead of recognition as an appellation d'origine contrôlée in 1977.

• Still rosé wines, pale pink in colour, accounted for 89% of production in 2009, far ahead of red and white wines.
• Red wines fall into two types: fruity wines made from short maceration, meant to be drunk young, and wines for long ageing with powerful, silky tannins obtained through long maceration.

• In the Sainte-Victoire sector, carbonate, stony, free-draining soils along with a cooler climate that delays ripening account for livelier, more structured rosés and reds with rich tannins.
• In Fréjus, the very stony, warm soils, the high temperatures, and the particular wind pattern (including "La Montagnère") soften the wines' acidity in favour of aromatic richness and sugar content.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Côtes de Provence Fréjus AOC (PDO)
• Côtes de Provence la Londe AOC (PDO)
• Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges AOC (PDO)
• Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu AOC (PDO)
• Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 27 avril 2026 publié au JORF du 30 avril 2026, JORF 30 avril 2026
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVP