To the East of Aix-en-Provence, nature has made the Arc Valley ideal for viticulture, one of the most perfect imaginable. Mount Sainte-Victoire to the north and the Sainte-Baume massif to the south create a corridor which protects the valley itself. This microclimate has elements of a continental climate favourable to wine growing. It is therefore protected from maritime influences and is naturally healthy, thanks to winds which regularly blow along it. Vines were already being cultivated in Roman times. Their cultivation developed further in the middle ages, under the influence of the great monastic orders.

Old vine

Since the 2005 vintage, the creation of the Sainte Victoire AOC has allowed the differentiation of its wines from the mass of Cotes de Provence AOC wines. All the plots were analysed, evaluated and catalogued. Only the best were classified as appellation Sainte-Victoire.

In addition, the criteria of the Sainte-Victoire appellation are tougher than those of the Cotes de Provence in terms of the maturity of the grapes, the permitted yields and the winemaking techniques. The goal of all this is to give higher quality wines.

The appellation Sainte-Victoire applies only to rosé and red wines. White wines retain the appellation Cotes de Provence.

80% of the vines of Chateau Grand’Boise are classified AOC Sainte Victoire.

Some figures:
The AOC Sainte-Victoire covers 3000 Ha (7400 acres).
It includes 7 communes in the Bouches-du-Rhone department and two in the Var.
There are 28 estates or caves co-operatives.
Total production: 150,000 Hl. (3.3 million gals)

The Terroir

The wine estate

The Terroir

The wine estate