Any place that you stay in Provence is only a hop and a jump to the wine cellars of vineyards and wine cooperatives, which are sprinkled about the countryside, where you can buy direct from winemakers for prices well under retail.
Now, when you are out and about in the region and require a quality bottle or a case of Southern Rhone wines – or one from another wine region – here are some fine wine shops where you will find a superb selection and advice.
Aix-en-Provence
Cave du Félibrige, Vins Fins & Spiritueux, 8, rue des Cordeliers, Aix-en-Provence, Tél 04 42 96 90 62, cavedufelibrige@orange.fr, Website
Top wine ship in Aix run by wine pros Francois Barre et Vincent Stagetti (photo above). Selection from all major regions in France. Enthusiastic service.
Arles
Cave de Trinquetaille, 8 Av. de la Gare Maritime, Arles
Open Tues – Sat 9:00 a.m. – 12:30p.m. , 3:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Email:contact@cavedetrinquetaille.com, Tél 04 90 96 64 34, Website
Elodie and Romain just celebrated their tenth anniversary as Cavistes in Arles. A superb selection of wines from southern France. Try the Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin (Cairanne) and the Syrah of Domaine du Tix (AOC Ventoux),
Avignon
Le Vin Devant Soi, 4 rue du Collège du Roure, Avignon, Tél 04 90 82 04 39, Email contact@levindevantsoi.com, Open Monday 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tues – Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Website
Offering more than 130 labels from the Rhone Valley and the Languedoc-Roussillon, Le Vin Devant Soi has 32 wines available for tasting during store hours.
Apt
La Cave du Septier, Place du Septier, Apt, Tel 04 90 04 77 38, Website
Open Monday 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 07:00 p.m., Tue – Sat9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 07:30 p.m.
Best wine shop in the Luberon. Great selection of bottles from the Southern Rhone and all the major wine regions in France.
Ménerbes
Getting around the Luberon appellation for tastings at the farflung wineries can eat up days as well as petrol.
La Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon has a unique wine shop which offers only wines of the Luberon from about 50 vineyards for the same price that the wines are sold at the wineries. There is also a shop on the main floor offering olive oil and delicacies of the region.
Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon, Place de l’horloge, Ménerbes, Tél. : 04 90 72 38 37 Wine Shop open daily from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Monday and Friday evenings. Website
Wine Tours – 3 to Pump Up Your Wine IQ
Aix-en-Provence / Marseille
Provence Wine Tours offers a range of full-day and half-day regular wine tours from Aix or Marseille with distinct itineraries to various wine appellations.
Tours include private visit to wineries, meeting winemakers and tastings. Transportation in a minibus.
Booking can be made online at Website. Facebook.
Avignon
From Avignon, the major appellations of the Rhone Valley – Châteauneuf du Pape, Vacqueyras, and Gigondas – as well as the Côtes du Rhône Villages are included among the six distinct wine circuits offered by Avignon Wine Tours.
Departures Monday to Saturday, leaving at 9:00 a.m. and returning at 5:30 p.m., with lunch at a wine bistro restaurant. (Photo above: Avignon Wine Tours at Le Tourne au Verre in Cairanne)
Book by Avignon Wine Tours Website. Tel 06 28 05 33 84,
Malaucene
Rhone Wine Holidays: A unique all-inclusive package at La Madelène, an elegantly renovated priory where a single price covers tutored tastings, visits, accommodation, all meals at La Madelène and out at restaurants.
Your hosts are Philip and Jude Reddaway. Philip migrated from the corporate media world in London to studying wine and qualifying as a WSET approved wine instructor. He ran a number of successful wine courses in Brighton and London before moving to France.
Choose between a three-day tour (three nights lodging) of Selected Domaines of the Southern Rhone, or a one-day tour (one night lodging) of “Rhone Stars.” Consult website listed below for details and pricing.
Rhone Wine Holidays: La Madelène, route d’Entrechaux, Malaucéne, France, Tel 04 90 62 19 33, Email rhonewineholidays@googlemail.com, Website