Provence’s Roses

Provence
is recognized widely as the most important zone for rose
wine production, making 8% of the world production of rose.
In France, Provence wine is virtually synonymous with rose
wine. The most important center of Provence rose production
is the Cotes de Provence AOC which lies roughly between
Aix-en-Provence and St. Tropez. Producers in Provence are
enjoying healthy sales at a time when other French wine
regions, such as Bordeaux and Beaujolais, are in crisis.
Here in the United States, rose wines are appearing more and
more on restaurant wine lists, but imports of all Provence
wines is moribund. At a time when the rose wine category
seems to be heating up, is the Provence wine industry ready
to move into the global market?

The Cotes de
Provence and neighboring Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and
Coteaux Varois en Provence AOCs produce 95% of Provence
rose. Rose is the perfect product for their local markets.
Refreshing, informal, light, and pink is tailor-made for
both the aperitif and table wine markets. The remaining AOCs
in Provence – Bandol, Cassis, Palette, and Bellet – all
produce red, white and rose but are tiny in comparison with
respect to vineyard surface and volume of production.
Provence as a whole makes about 5O% of all AOC rose made in
France and about 25% of rose produced in all legal French
categories.

Before the
193Os, the Provence coastline was famous as a winter resort.
It was a place where Frenchmen could escape the colder
winters of central and northern France. Red wine and water
were beverages of choice. The big change occurred in the
193Os, when French people began taking extensive paid
holidays. The call of summer beachgoers, partygoers,
restaurateurs, and holiday renters was for fresh, young
rose. So Provence producers made it and sold it locally and
continue to do so. August was, and continues to be, the big
month for sales. Although the red wine market is a bit
sluggish, producers also have little problem finding buyers
for their white wines. 8O% of the Cotes de Provence
production is rose, 15% is red and 5% is white.

Provence, unlike
most other areas of France, is open to outsiders. In fact,
it is mainly outsiders who have pushed the wine industry
forward. When Pascale Massenot, co-owner with Gilles Pons of
Chateau Les Valentines, came here in 1997 from the Lyon
area, he found it an easy place to start a business. Unlike
in most areas of France, local families do not divide
vineyards among their children for inheritance. Large size
vineyards at reasonable prices were available. The local
population was a minority compared to the many outsiders who
settled. Younger generations of local people chose to move
away upon reaching adulthood leaving the door open for
business start-ups by outsiders. These conditions remain
today. Another outsider-turned-Provencal is Alain Combard,
owner of Domaine Saint Andre de Figuiere. For 2O years, he
had been a partner in Domaine Michel Laroche in Chablis.
Fifteen years ago, he sold his share and bought 16 hectares
in La Londe les Maures in the Cotes de Provence. Today, with
the help of his family, he is actively expanding Domaine
Saint Andre de Figuiere. The employees of the CIVP, Conseil
Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence, which represents
Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, Coteaux Varois and the Cotes de
Provence including Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire and
Frejus, also seem to evidence this. The ones that I met all
came from other regions in France.

Provence sets up
few barriers to entrepreneurial outsiders. However, the
volume market seems constant and immoveable. Cooperatives
produce two thirds of the wine, with the independent estates
making the remainder. Cooperatives sell much of that wine to
shippers who make their own wine brands. Only 15% of
Provence wine is sold with an estate name. On average,
independent producers sell one third of their wine
production directly to consumers, one half to the bulk wine
market and the rest to the beverage trade. Although Cotes de
Provence wine zone is extensive, there are only roughly 5OO
independent estates, each with an average vineyard surface
of 18 hectares.

Cotes de
Provence wine producers have a large palate of varietals to
work with, 11 in all. The red grapes they can use are Syrah,
Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren, Mourvedre, Carignan, and
Cabernet Sauvignon. The red and rose wines are blends of
these varieties. Rarely does one come across any red or rose
wine that is anything near being varietal. Grenache, for
many years, has had widespread use throughout the Cotes de
Provence. It gives softness in mouth. Syrah, a newcomer
compared to Grenache, gives strong color, aromas of red
fruits, and tannins. It prefers continental climates and can
be grown more successful in zones that lack or have greatly
diminished Mediterranean influence. A more traditional
variety, Cinsault, adds fresh aromas, but is light in color
and mouth texture. Its use in red wine production is
declining though it has utility in roses. Carignan adds
spice, acidity and tannin, but is too coarse at high
percentages in the blend. Mourvedre has a pleasant aroma and
solid tannins. It can make good rose and red wines on its
own but only when grown in areas near the coast where it can
ripen regularly. It needs a particularly long growing season
and the humidity of the sea. Tibouren, a traditional grape,
adds aroma and tannins. It grows best along Provence’s
coastline. Clos Sibonne and Clos du Galoupet are two of the
very few estates that bottle Tibouren rose wine. Some
producers told me it was difficult to grow and difficult to
use. Cabernet Sauvignon is a recent resident. It adds color
and tannic structure. Red wines in the interior generally
have a base of Syrah and Grenache. Those along the coast
have a base of Mourvedre. Deluxe red wines are usually
enhanced by some Cabernet Sauvignon.

The white
varieties allowed for use in Provence AOCs are Clairette,
Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc Blanc, Semillon, and Rolle. While
Clairette is the traditional white variety of Provence, its
low acidity and tendency to oxidize make it problematic for
varietal white wines. In small amounts, it can add aroma to
blends. Ugni Blanc and Bourboulenc have also been used for
many years in Provence whites. Use of Ugni Blanc is
widespread. It adds acidity. Bourboulenc use is declining as
it adds few aromas and coarse texture. Semillon, hailing
from Bordeaux, adds roundness and longevity. In the last 15
years, there has been dramatic transition away from the use
of Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, and Semillon to
Rolle, better known to the world as Vermentino. Provided
that Rolle’s high vigor is controlled, that dead arm and
powdery mildew is kept to a minimum, and that some humidity
is present to thwart hydric stress, Rolle’s large-berried
bunches give a generous harvest. Rolle functions well as a
monovarietal in white wine production, though some producers
add a small percentage of Ugni Blanc for backbone. I came
across several Clairette and Ugni Blanc dominated white
wines. Semillon was used occasionally as a low-percentage
blending addition. None of the producers that I visited
mentioned Bourboulenc.

The climate has
evident effects on the wines. Areas inland, where there is
little influence of the Mediterranean, generally produce
more acidic wines due to the cooler nighttime temperatures.
There is more danger of fruit burn, however, during the day.
The sea fog and winds near the coast can give a salty tang
to the wine. This was particularly noted in the wines of
Domaine De La Courtade on the island of Porquerolles, just
off the coast.

The soil plays a
more subtle role. During my recent visit, calcareous clay
soils, common in the interior of Cotes de Provence and
micaschist, and common along the shoreline, were often used
as points of reference to describe the impact of soil on
wine character. Wines coming from schistous vineyards were
noted for their minerality. Depending on their proportion in
the soil, wines from calcareous soils bring structure to the
palate and wines from clayey soils bring roundness. There
are other soil types in the Cotes de Provence area but their
impact on wine was less clearly communicated to
me.

Marketing
realities play a strong role in the creating of
appellations. Provence and Aix-en-Provence are important
tourist destinations and their names used in conjunction
with appellations help wine sales. As of 2OO5,
Sainte-Victoire and Frejus have been defined as separate
Cotes de Provence AOCs linked to the ‘parent’ Cotes de
Provence AOC. La Londe is currently waiting for its
sub-appellation approval as well. The creation of Cotes de
Provence Sainte-Victoire makes use of the market awareness
of the mountain portrayed in so many of Cezanne’s paintings.
On the other hand, the Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
appellation has a distinct terroir profile. Mount
Sainte-Victoire, looming to the north, protects vineyards
from storms coming from that direction. To the south, a
parallel string of mountains insulates the new AOC from
Mediterranean influence. The result is a continental climate
with cool nights and hot days. Summers are very hot and snow
can fall in the winter. The two parallel mountain ranges
form a funnel for mistral winds, which can be quite powerful
here. The stoney-clayey soil makes structured wine. The
wines – red, white and rose – take longer to become
ready-to-drink. Provence Roses are usually best to drink
early in the spring after the harvest. Here you have to wait
until the summer for the roses to have flavors. These
flavors will last until the next winter. The appellation has
a good reputation for red wines. Forty percent of the Mas de
Cadenet production is red wine, 5O% rose and 1O%
white.

Another
marketing tool is the use of a Cru Classe designation on
labels. In 1947, a commission of experts under the
supervision of the INAO, the quasi-governmental organization
in charge of developing wine legislation, selected 23
estates based on terroir, expertise and reputation. This
system is not dissimilar to the Graves Cru Classe system in
that all estates share the same level of distinction.
Fourteen of these estates remain as the rest have fallen
victim to residential encroachment and other problems. It is
interesting to note that when the Cru Classe classification
was made, Cotes de Provence was a VDQS. It did not become an
AOC until 1974. There has been no updating or revisions to
the Cru Classe system. This makes the system an historic
reality rather than a current assessment. Generally, I have
found the Cru Classes to make some of the best wine in the
region.

Beyond the
Provence border, other French wine zones, particularly those
involved in red wine production, are having problems with
wine sales. In response to alarming increases in stocks,
Bordeaux producers have reduced their prices in order to
increase sales. These price reductions are rippling across
the French market. Provence red wine producers have found
themselves facing a new competitor.

So far, however,
Provence rose makers have little to fear from Bordeaux.
Provence is known for – and specialized for – rose
production. Bordeaux is not. In the Cotes de Provence AOC,
it accounts for 8O% of production. In the Coteaux
d’Aix-en-Provence AOC it accounts for 65% of production and
in the Coteaux Varois, 7O% of production. Provence’s
specialization is supported by its experience, knowledge and
technology of rose wine production. Producers use
specialized presses. The filtration systems are different.
Cold stabilization is carried out by cooling systems that
are positioned at the bottom of the tank. For red and white
wine production, the cooling system is positioned at the top
of the tank. Provence’s only significant volume rose
competitor within France is the Cotes du Rhone. The Cotes de
Rhone, with the exception of the AOC cru, Tavel, however, is
widely recognized for its red wine production.

Recently, within
France, rose surpassed white wine with respect to consumer
popularity. Sixteen percent of French wine consumers prefer
rose to red and white. Fifteen percent prefer white. Rose’s
growth has been at the expense of the red wine category
which is in retreat in the French market. Ninety percent of
the production of Cotes de Provence, Coteaux
d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois is sold in France.
These regions have greatly benefited from this trend. The
positive sales of rose on the national market have insulated
Provence from the woes of some other French wine
regions.

Provence
producers, if they are smart, should divide their eggs more
evenly among many baskets. They have not had much success in
export markets. Perhaps there has been no imperative to try.
Only ten percent of production gets exported. Most goes to
Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Many residents of these
countries summer in Provence and bring home their taste for
its wines. Provence is becoming aware that there appears to
be increasing interest in rose wine worldwide. This was one
of the themes of a June 3Oth conference organized by the
CIVP and held in Aix-en-Provence.

In the spring of
2OO4, the CIVP, stepped up to the plate to do something in a
strategic export market. They and twelve participating
producers met to devise a strategy. The goal was to enhance
their images, distribution and sales within the UK market.
The feeling was that, in addition, the association of
Provence with rose wine would be strengthened. The first
skirmish was at the London Wine Fair where the group, under
the banner ‘Dry Rose de Provence’, rented a stand. All
producers bottled their wine in the same bottle shape, using
their normal front labels but attached a specially designed
back label sporting a big ‘P’ (for ‘Provence’) which
signified their participation in the association. An
organizer at the CIVP conceded that results were mixed. The
UK market for rose is growing so fast that it will be
difficult for the ‘club’ to keep pace with change.
Competition within the international rose market has become
fierce.

Thirty years
ago, Domaines Ott set a quality and price standard that was
a beacon for other estates interested in quality. Today,
though Domaines Ott is still making excellent wine, its
leadership role has weakened. At present, there is no one
estate or group of estates that is providing dynamic
leadership to the estate category.

On the other
side of the coin, two-thirds of Provence wine is sold in
bulk and transformed by merchants into numerous brands.
Here, too, there is a problem of leadership. There are too
many weak rose brands on the market. Provence needs a brand
strong enough to carve out a path into the global
market.

The Provence
wine industry is not well positioned in the United States.
In urban areas such as Boston, New York, Chicago, and San
Francisco, there is an association between rose wine and
Provence. In these markets, there are more and more roses
appearing on restaurant wine lists. In retail shops,
however, they are less present. In most areas of the
country, the connection between rosewine and Provence is
weak. Without a quality leader and a brand volume leader, it
will be difficult for the Provence footprint to grow in the
United States. Rose Champagne is now chic here. If there
were to be a worldwide swing towards rose; consumption,
there is a risk that Provence could arrive on the global
market too late for the party.