Collection: Red Côtes de Provence from our vineyards

The answer is definitely yes, Côtes de Provence red is one of the best wines to give as a gift. In the Provence region, you'll find elegant, high-quality wines at low prices. Whether you're looking for a gift for a birthday, Christmas, retirement, or even just for the pleasure of giving, red wine from Provence is sure to please. In the Côtes de Provence AOP wine region, the richness of the terroir makes it easy to find wines for all tastes, and at the best prices.

What are the characteristics of your wines?

Château de Berne red 2019:
The Grande Cuvée is made from old vines cultivated with low yields. A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers a beautiful dark garnet red color with purple highlights. A very expressive nose with aromas of ripe black fruits, spices, and flowers. On the palate, the attack is fresh and light, supported by velvety, melted tannins and aromas of black fruits.

Great Red Harvest 2019:
The Berne Grande Récolte is the house's flagship cuvée. A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache Noir, its garnet color is brilliant with purple highlights. On the nose, it reveals notes of black fruits, Ente plums, licorice, and pepper. On the palate, the attack is supple, the tannins initially melting with a spicier finish.

Berne Inspiration Red 2016:
A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carignan. The eye is captivated by a beautiful cherry-red color. The nose is expressive, revealing notes of red fruits mixed with spices, a light, powdery, and elegant woodiness. The palate is quite structured, with a supple and fresh attack, offering a creamy roundness and a fresher, longer finish.

Terres de Berne Red 2020:
A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep red color with garnet highlights. It offers a nose of black fruits with spicy notes enhanced by a hint of mint. On the palate, the attack is supple and round with persistent fruity aromas. The finish is fruity with a touch of licorice.

Saint-Roux le Pigeonnier Rouge 2022:
A blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, it reveals a beautiful carmine color. The nose is open, with red and stewed fruits, a hint of pepper and licorice, and discreet notes of roasting and woody spices. On the palate, the round and ample attack reveals a wine with a beautiful structure and harmony.

UP Ultimate Provence red 2019:
A blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, its color is carmine red with purple highlights. Modern and generous, it offers notes of red fruits and spices. Upon tasting, this wine combines notes of ripe red fruits with those of warm spices. It has a very beautiful structure and persistence.

How to taste a red wine?

First, to taste a wine, you should know that a wine connoisseur only needs one or two sips. The first step is the eye. Indeed, the color of the wine, namely its color and appearance, already gives indications about the nature and quality of a wine.

The second step is the nose. First, the first nose, that is, smell the wine without moving it, to see if it is closed, discreet, or open. If it is closed, you can decant it to open it. Then comes the second nose: after swirling it, smell it to appreciate its aromas.

The third step is the mouth. There are two techniques for tasting a wine: chewing or gruming. Chew it for a few seconds like food; the saliva will mix with the wine and bring out its texture and structure. Gruming means sucking in air through the mouth to more easily recognize the flavors and aromas.

Finally, the fourth step: synthesizing your impressions. Whether you liked this wine or not, use retro-olfaction to perceive the different aromas of the wine. Are they pleasant, powerful, etc.? How is its length in the mouth, the intensity of its aromatic persistence, etc. And as a general rule, the longer a wine lasts in the mouth, the better it is.

What is the difference between organic and non-organic red wine?

• Definition of conventional wine: wine whose cultivation and vinification do not respect the principles of organic or biodynamic agriculture. Synthetic chemicals and oenological inputs are permitted.
• Products authorized for the cultivation of conventional wine: all synthetic chemical products authorized in agriculture such as insecticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, etc.
• Amount of sulfites allowed for conventional wine: a red wine can contain up to 150 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites). A white or rosé wine can contain up to 200 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).
• Aorganic wine, what is it: it is a wine produced using agriculture and vinification methods without synthetic chemicals. The main AB and Bio Europe labels are the means of guaranteeing this approach.
• Products authorized for growing organic wine: it is possible to use chemical products of natural origin, however, certain synthetic products are an exception, notably calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), paraffin oil (from petroleum) and copper compounds (copper hydroxide, copper oxychloride, cuprous oxide, Bordeaux mixture and tribasic copper sulfate).
• Quantity of sulfites allowed for organic wine: a red wine can contain up to 100 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites). A white or rosé wine can contain up to 150 mg/l total SO2 (sulfites).

What grape varieties are used?

Syrah Noir, from France (Rhône), Grenache Noir, from Spain, Cinsault from France (Provence), Cabernet-Sauvignon from France (Bordeaux), Carignan from Spain and Mourvèdre from Spain.

How are the grapes for a red Côtes de Provence grown?

The vine, like many plants, follows the cycle of the seasons: in March/April, it is bud break, the buds begin to develop, the vine awakens. Then comes, in May/June, flowering when small flowers appear and already have the shape of future bunches of grapes. This is the time for pruning, topping and disbudding, in other words the removal of useless branches. In July, it is the time of fruit set, the grape berries are born in the fertilized flowers, in August the veraison, the moment when the grapes enlarge, ripen and take on their red color and become less acidic, enriched in sugars and aromas. This maturation will last until the harvest.

What sulfites are used?

Typically, these are sulfites or sulfur, otherwise known as sulfur dioxide (SO2), sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, or sulfiting agents.

What food and red wine pairings do you recommend?

Provence red wine generally pairs well with grilled meats, charcuterie, traditional Provençal dishes such as headless larks and all fresh pasta in tomato coulis, grilled rib of beef on vine shoots, stews and stews, and will pleasantly surprise with Asian flavors. Not to mention cheeses such as Saint-Nectaire, Rocamadour, Fourme or Salers.

Are your red wines environmentally friendly?

Since February 2021, the 175 hectares of Château de Berne have been certified organic. This approach is part of our commitment to protecting a bountiful nature, just like the people who cultivate it. The wines are also crafted in this spirit of respect for nature and people.

Does red wine contain preservatives?

The purpose of adding sulfites to wine is to counteract the harmful effects of oxygen on the wine to prevent it from turning into "vinegar". Sulfites are an antioxidant that limits the oxidation process of wine and an antiseptic that fights against yeasts and bacteria present in wine, thus helping to maintain a balance of the microbial flora of the wine, conducive to better conservation.

How long can you keep red wine from Provence?

In the southern regions, particularly Provence, tannins are often pronounced and acidity is sometimes lower. The texture is often rich, dense, and fleshy. On beautiful terroirs, near the sea, and granite, schist, or limestone soil, the red wines of Provence can offer significant aging potential, often beyond 10 years.

What are the best vintages of Côtes de Provence red?

The region, the château, or the grape variety alone do not determine the quality of a vintage. It is also determined by the quality of the grapes, influenced by the weather conditions of the season, sun exposure, temperature, and the work of the winemaker. That said, the best years for red Provence wines over the past twenty years are: 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2005, and 2003.