In deepest Provence in the Cotes du Luberon (the setting for Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence
Every Thursday from April to October (and more days in July & August) the Chateau offers a guided tour of the winery and gardens with a wine and olive oil tasting to finish off!
The Cotes de Luberon AC wines have really been transformed in recent years, I recall visiting the Cooperative in the early 1980s, before the area back from the coast became fashionable - the wine and winery were a little rustic. Peter Mayle and his ilk have transformed the region by inflating house and land prices, such that some winemakers sold up, leaving behind those who were passionate about their wines and who could make a quality product. There has also been a move away from the co-operative cellars to individual domaines, and the wine became a full AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controllee) in 1988.
The wines of the Cotes du Luberon AC essentially use the classic Cotes du Rhone grape varieties - Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault for the reds and rosés, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Rolle (Vermentino) for the whites. A characteristic of the region is that due to its relative eight, the nights can be a little cooler than in the valley; this effectively gives the vine a little "rest" from the intense heat of the day, and hence the wines will tend to be more aromatic and more elegant.
Chateau Val Joannis wines are stocked in the UK by Richard Granger Wines
For more info see www.val-joannis.com
THE GARDENS Sitated on the southern slopes of the Luberon mountains, the Château Val Joanis stands proudly in the middle of its immense estate and boasts impressive rose gardens, orchards, olive groves and an old-fashioned vegetable garden. "A lovely garden à-la-française, rows of pottery, cypress-bordered lanes, ancient fountains, the old stone pool…"
Just to cap it all, the area is also part of the Parc Naturel Regional du Luberon with its protected environment, stunning views and great walking country.
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