Autumn 2023

The Vendange
in Vaucluse
© Valerie Gillet, Vaucluse Tourism
Witness the timeless tradition of the vendage – the grape harvest, in Gigondas in
the heart of Provence. It’s a great way to exercise the body and free the mind says
Jeremy Flint…
The countryside around the beautiful Vaucluse
department of Provence is home to sweeping
vineyards which carpet the landscape and
fertile territories encircling historic villages.
Within the scenic vistas of this picturesque
corner of South-eastern France lies the wine
growing commune of Gigondas, nestled
between the magnificent panoramas of
Vacqueyras and Séguret, one of the most
beautiful villages of France.
Here, in the southern Rhone Valley,
vineyards flow from the shores of the river to
the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail,
a small mountain range (up to 2000 feet high)
offering spectacular hikes for nature lovers.
Gigondas has been the home of winemaking
for centuries. It’s said that Roman soldiers
planted the vines and created wine estates.
As far back as 1591, records reveal that wine
commerce flourished in the area.
Gigondas wines are renowned worldwide and
they even rival the more famous Chateauneufdu-Pape
wines. And like Châteauneuf,
Gigondas wines are created mainly from the
grenache grape, supplemented by a variety of
others, but the grapes are grown at a higher
elevation than Châteauneuf’s and on different
soils. 99% of the wines grown in Gigondas are
red. In 2021, the village celebrated its 50th
anniversary as the first Côtes du Rhône village
to be awarded Cru status appellation.
Autumn is the perfect time to visit the
vineyards, especially during harvest time,
known as the vendange. Driving through this
spectacular part of Provence on my way to
explore the Montmirail mountains and passing
through Gigondas, I stopped to follow the
sound of chatter and laughter from a vineyard
and came across bobbing heads, flashes
of purple and a tractor with a large trailer
attached to the back. Grapes plucked by hand
were being filled by the bucket load. This was
the annual grape harvest, a timeless tradition.
In fact, it was the last day of the harvest at the
vineyards that are part of the unique, historic
estate of Saint Cosme, the oldest in the
region, held by the same family since 1490. 15
© Jeremy Flint
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