Les Baux de Provence

les Baux-de-Provence AOC wines are produced in eight villages clinging to both sides of the Alpilles mountains. United in an association and recognized since 1995 by an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the winegrowers of Les Baux-de-Provence have been united since their first vines were planted by a shared desire to preserve their land intact, naturally protected and dried by the mistral wind.

Today, the Les Baux-de-Provence AOC is unique in that 85% of its geographical area is cultivated using organic or biodynamic farming methods. And for more than ten years, the majority of winegrowers have been calling for this specific feature to be included in the decrees governing their appellation, which would enable them to become France's first organic AOC for wine. The new specifications, approved on April 1, 2009, did not fulfill the winegrowers' wishes, but the debate is open at the INAO.

The wines of Les Baux-de-Provence are based on a terroir consisting of very stony soils in the form of glacis, alluvial cones, scree, or lithic gravel. The climate is Mediterranean, with mild, dry winters and hot, dry summers. The Les Baux-de-Provence appellation produces red, rosé, and white wines. Domaine Hauvette, Château Romanin, and Mas de la Dame are excellent examples of producers in this appellation.