Chateauer og vinsmagning

Hele Provence-området er fyldt med god vin. På kortet ses de mange vinslotte tæt på Ollioules, der ligger i det kendte vinområde BANDOL. Man kan besøge vinslottene for at smage og købe den lokale vin, der oftest er af meget høj kvalitet. Typiske åbningstider, der kan variere fra slot til slot, er: 

Sommer
April-september: mandag-lørdag 8-12 og 14-19
Søn- og helligdage: 10-12 og 16-19

Vinter 
Oktober-marts: mandag-lørdag 8-12 og 14-18
Søn- og helligdage: lukket

Vinslottene ligger tæt i BANDOL vindistriktet

Nærmeste vinslot er "Domaine Terrebrune"

Her er en link til en liste over nogle af de bedste producenter af BANDOL-vine:

Oplysninger på engelsk om områdets vinproduktion:

The oldest wine-producing region in France had its first vines planted by Phoenicians over 2000 years ago. Today this ever-more popular sun-drenched province boasts vine-laced hills, poetic villages, picturesque ports, and rugged backcountry. 
Numerous grapes are used in Provencal wines, but the main varieties for reds and rosés are Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Whites are generally produced from Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and Sémillon grapes. Since the vineyards are often small and spread out, much of the production is carried out by cooperatives, which, along with many individual cellars, welcome visitors. 

The Côtes de Provence rosé wine, dubbed petit rosé, is the most typical and plentiful of Provençal wines. There are five other A.O.C. regions. The hills behind the Côte d'Azur's star city, Nice, harbor the Bellet vineyards where vines are planted among fields of cultivated flowers. Bandol reds, which come from vines planted on terraces of craggy hills behind the port town, are among the best of Provence and must contain a high percentage of Mourvèdre. The white wines of Cassis are grown on slopes facing the sea. The tiny Palette appellation, south of Aix-en-Provence and well protected from the famed Mistral wind, produces red, white, and rosé wines of age-old renown. The Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, named for the town famous for its stately Cours Mirabeau plane-tree-lined boulevard, produces mainly red wines. 

Provence boasts four regional appellations (AOC Côtes-de-Provence, AOC Baux-de-Provence, AOC Coteaux d'Aix and AOC Coteaux Varois) and four local appellations (Palette, Cassis, Bandol and Bellet). 
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Regional appellations
• AOC Côtes-de-Provence
This covers a good third of the Var department, extends into parts of Bouches-du-Rhône and is also found in a small enclave north of Nice. The appellation produces large quantities of wine, mainly rosés (80%). Being the products of a broad range of different grapes and soils, they present a wide diversity of characteristics. 
• AOC Coteaux d'Aix 
The 3500 hectares of the AOC Coteaux d'Aix, situated to the west of Aix-en-Provence and to the south of Avignon, produce mainly rosés (70%). The reds are moreover often worthy of interest, and some of them can be left to age for 2 or 3 years and deserve to be discovered. 
• AOC Baux-de-Provence
The AOC Baux-de-Provence area, lying around the splendid village of the same name (which is however unfortunately very popular with tourists), forms an enclave within the western part of the AOC Coteaux d'Aix area. It was accorded recognition in 1995, and is distinctive in its stricter production standards and clearly defined permitted grape varieties, using grenache and syrah as the basis for its wines. The appellation covers 300 hectares and produces only reds and rosés.
• AOC Coteaux Varois
AOC Coteaux Varois was accorded recognition in 1993 and extends over 1700 hectares: 60% of wines produced are rosés, 35% reds, and 5% whites. Whilst many of these wines are somewhat light and must be drunk when young, more and more producers are trying to produce quality wines.
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Local appellations
• AOC Palette
This very small area to the south of Aix-en-Provence produces red, white and rosé wines. The whites in particular are worthy of interest and are among the best white wines of Provence.
• AOC Cassis
Planted on a dream site at the foot of very high cliffs, this is a very old-established vine-growing area. It covers 175 hectares, of which 123 are planted with white grapes. Indeed the white wine is the most interesting wine the appellation produces: it is lively and at the same time has depth and can very easily be kept for 3 to 8 years. The rosés are among the best rosés in Provence, and the reds are only a minute proportion of the wines from the appellation.
• AOC Bandol
Spread out over several of the communes around Bandol, the appellation covers 1300 hectares and produces whites, reds and rosés. The reds, being made from the mourvèdre grape, are full-bodied and high in tannin. They are often of excellent quality and vary greatly thanks to the multiplicity of grape varieties allowed in their production. They can be kept for 10 years or more and are an ideal accompaniment for red meat and game-birds. The rosés still account for almost 60% of the wines produced and are in general also to be recommended.
• AOC Bellet
A minute area on the hills to the north of Nice and with a very good reputation. Its 32 hectares produce an excellent wine which you will only find in Nice. The whites are totally characteristic and aromatic, and the rosés are produced using a large number of different grapes. Two local grape varieties (folle - or fuella - and braquet) gives the reds a truly distinctive quality. Bellet wines are highly recommended as accompaniments to the famous cuisine of Nice.