Provence is in the southeast of France. Its identity as a geographical region is a hold over from the days of the Roman Empire. Its western border is the Rhône River and its eastern border is Italy. Provence includes the French Riviera and is famous for its sun, color (Van Gogh spent a respectable amount of time in Arles, painting the countryside), traditions, wines, food, and language (Provençal). Its main attractions include the city of Avignon and the wide variety of villages which can be easily explored by car or bicycle on the network of country roads and highways.
Most French cities have their own websites and tourist offices (which offer a wealth of information in many languages), allowing anyone interested the means to find what they are looking for. Provence is a vast and beautiful region, and merits a long trip, not just a few days or a week. To truly appreciate this region you must be the type of traveler who likes food, wine and local crafts. It is recommended to make your own itinerary, and make it flexible enough to enable you linger at an outdoor cafe or winery or take in an interesting Roman ruin when the moment takes you. There is a "joie de vivre" attitude throughout this area that is contagious, especially after two glasses of the regional rose and a picnic of cheese and sausage from the local farmers.
Those interested in literary interpretations of provincial life should look up the works of Marcel Pagnol and if wealthy British expatriates are your thing, Peter Mayle.
WINE
Provence (Provençal) wine comes from the French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France. The Romans called the area nostra provincia ("Our province") which gave the region its name - just north of the Alps it was the first Roman province outside Italy.
Wine has been made in this region for at least 2600 years since the ancient Greeks founded the city of Marseille in 600 BC. Throughout the region's history, viticulture and winemaking has been influenced by the cultures that have been present in Provence, from the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Gauls, Catalans, and Savoyards. This diverse influence has left a legacy in the large variety of grapes that are used to make Provençal wine, which include local varieties of Greek and Roman origins as well as Spanish, Italian and traditional French wine grapes.
Today the region is known predominately for its rosé wine, though wine critics such as Tom Stevenson believe that region's best wines are the spicy, full flavoured red wines. Rosé wine currently accounts for more than half of the production of Provençal wine with red wine accounting for about a third of the region's production. Unlike the 'blush' wines like White Zinfandel known in the US, Provençal rosés are rarely sweet and almost always dry. White wine is also produced in small quantities throughout the region with the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) region of Cassis specializing in white wine production. The Côtes de Provence is the largest AOC followed by the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence. The Bandol region near Toulon is one of the more internationally recognized Provençal wine regions
WINE TASTING
All wine in this region must be tasted. While all are of fine quality, a local favorite is the rosé. Unlike the sweet, cheap stuff many of us remember from the seventies, Provencale rosé is dry, light and a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon picnic of bread and cheese.
HOW TO REACH
Train connections from Lyon and Paris are excellent. The TGV fast train gets you there in about three hours. Typical gateway cities include Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, and Valence. From these cities, one can easily explore the beautiful region. On Saturdays in the summer season, a Eurostar service operates to Avignon direct from London
