Provence

Provence is France's oldest wine region. The Greeks planted vines here before the Romans arrived, and wine has been made on these hillsides for more than 2,600 years. The great appellations of the region — Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Bandol, Palette — represent some of the finest wines in France.

But it is rosé that Provence is most famous for today. The pale, dry rosé of Provence — utterly unlike the sweet rosés of elsewhere — is the wine of summer in the South. Served cold, in a café in the shade of the plane trees, it is perfection.

The olive trees of Provence are among the oldest cultivated plants in France. Some of the trees in the Alpilles were already ancient when the Romans arrived. The oil they produce — fruity, peppery, complex — is classified under the AOP designation, guaranteeing its origin and quality.

The moulin — the olive mill — is an essential part of November in Provence. Families bring their harvest in sacks and crates, and within 24 hours it is converted to oil. The cooperative mills operate around the clock during the harvest season, seven days a week.