GEOPGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF THE COTES DU VENTOUX REGION
A large area in southern France is fondly known as Provence. Within it are a number of smaller administrative regions called départements.
Nestled in the foothills of Mount Ventoux (1,912 m), the "Côtes du Ventoux" vineyards stretch to the south and to the west. All of the fifty-one communities which are considered as "A.O.C. Côtes du Ventoux", are in Vaucluse département. (A.O.C. stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, in other words a very specific and official national standard applied only to high quality wines.)
The local climate, which governs the life of the grapevine, makes the region attractive to the many tourists who flock to the area throughout the year. After a hot dry summer, the three remaining seasons are surprisingly mild.
The Mistral, a well-known prevailing north wind, chases away the clouds and bestows the region with 300 days of sunshine per year. The thirty kilometres that separate the Côtes du Ventoux wine growing region from that of the Rhone Valley provide a buffer against the wind.
The Mistral often blows through the streets of Avignon for up to 120 days a year, in Châteauneuf du Pape sometimes up to150 days a year, but in the ancient city of Carpentras near us less than 60 days. Nonetheless, the relatively few days of rain are sufficient for grapevines, which can tolerate even drier climates (annual rainfall of 600 to 750 mm).
Forty minutes away by car, Avignon, "City of the Popes", is the district capital. It is situated on the major north-south expressway at the point where it divides and continues on either towards the Côte d'Azur and Italy or Languedoc-Roussillon and Spain. Avignon is only three hours from Paris via high-speed train (TGV) and the Marignane International Airport in Marseilles is only one hour from our beloved Mount Ventoux.
A one-hour drive takes you to Montpellier or Marseilles and
the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. It is two hours to the nearest ski resort
in the Alps.
