Senior Wine Lovers Discover Provence

I am pleased to introduce Emilie & Guillaume THYEBAUT to our Senior Citizen Travelers. Emilie and Guillaume are organizers of self-guided tour packages, especially for senior citizen travelers. Grab your coffee and   enjoy Emilie’s thoughts on wine tasting in Provence. 

The Provence region, located in the South East of France is a true marvel for gourmet and history lovers. Independent senior travelers will find there everything they need to have a real taste of France.

From the Mediterranean Sea, in Marseille and the nearby Calanques Creeks in Cassis…to Montélimar area – half way to Lyon – Provence is not one single region but a medley of many different landscapes, wine terroirs and local traditions.

Senior travelers who may stay in the main tourist roads, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles, Marseille might miss the ambiance, the colors and flavors that make this region so special. It is really important to drive in Provence and get lost in the little roads weaving in gorgeous sceneries to really feel the beating heart of this part of France.

Seniors Meet Côtes du Rhône Wines

In the strict sense of the term the Provence wines includes 9 different AOC (protected appellation of origin) : Côtes du Ventoux (near Bedoin, Carpentras), Costières de Nimes (in Nimes area – Western Provence), Côtes du Luberon (East of Avginon), Côteaux de Pierrevert (near Sisteron), Côteaux d’Aix en Provence, Côteaux Varois (East of Aix), Bandol and Cassis (both nearby the Mediterranean Sea, East of Marseille).

When visiting the area, wine lovers should not miss the neighbor protected appellation of Côtes du Rhône – including Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines which are among the best red wines in the world. Chateauneuf-du-Pape town is only 35 minute drive from Avignon.

There are many different ways to taste Provence wines and wine makers have developed a lot of different tools for travelers to discover the regional products.

Seniors Walk in the Vineyards

Many Provence wine makers have installed signs in their vineyards so senior travelers can discover the terroir before tasting the wines. It is very important to understand the features of a soil to better taste a wine.

For those who don’t want to walk, they can also drive a sand dune buggy 2 seat vehicle in the vineyards – following a local guide.

Some wine estates have found a nice solution to the drink & drive issue: after the tasting, they offer a great picnic in the estate – often with tables in the vineyards – so travelers can eat local cold cuts, cheeses and fruits – and rest – before driving. This is a simple activity but it might be one of the best memories of your trip!

Some local guides are very knowledgeable and take travelers to wineries they could not find by themselves. That’s a great way for wine connoisseurs to taste some specific wines they have identified in advance…or for wine “apprentice” to get introduced to wine tasting in several cellars – to be able to compare different types of wines.   Emilie