Day-by-day estate-visit plans for Provence: weekend, first-timer and deep-cellar editions.

Day-by-day plans

Three days in Bandol ★ 4.7

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in Bandol and head inland to La Cadiere d'Azur for a mid-morning appointment at Domaine Tempier, the historic Peyraud family estate that drove the 1941 Bandol AOC. Taste across the Mourvedre-led red and the structured rose.
    Afternoon
    Drive up the corkscrew road to Chateau de Pibarnon at 300 metres altitude, an upper-slope Bandol vineyard. Cellar tasting at the Saint Victor family estate.
    Evening
    Dinner in Bandol on the port; nightcap of Bandol rouge at a local cave a manger.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Morning at Domaines Bunan in La Cadiere d'Azur, one of the consortium's founding houses across Moulin des Costes and La Rouviere.
    Afternoon
    Drive to Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer for an afternoon appointment at Chateau Pradeaux, the Portalis family's Mourvedre estate above the village.
    Evening
    Dinner in Bandol; evening glass at the port watching the sunset over the Bay of La Ciotat.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Final morning at the Maison des Vins de Bandol in Le Castellet to taste a comparison flight from the 51 producers of the AOC under one roof.
    Afternoon
    Optional drive 30 minutes west to Cassis for the afternoon, comparing Cassis Blanc at Clos Sainte Magdeleine to the Bandol whites just tasted.
    Evening
    Drive back to Marseille or onward.

Alpilles biodynamic tour, four days ★ 4.8

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. Mid-morning visit at Domaine Hauvette, Dominique Hauvette's biodynamic Alpilles estate that has farmed without chemicals since 1988.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon at Chateau Romanin, the cathedral-cellar biodynamic estate at the foot of a Templar ruin on the north slope of the Alpilles.
    Evening
    Dinner in Saint-Remy.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Drive to Saint-Etienne-du-Gres for a morning at Domaine de Trevallon, the Durrbach family's IGP Alpilles Cabernet-Syrah cult estate that sits outside the Les Baux AOC because the blend was excluded in 1995.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon in Mouries at Mas de Gourgonnier, the Cartier family's organic-certified estate making Les Baux rouge and rose for a fraction of the cult-estate price.
    Evening
    Dinner in Saint-Remy.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Cross the Alpilles south to Le Puy-Sainte-Reparade for a morning at Chateau La Coste, the vast Cotes de Provence estate that pairs biodynamic farming with an outdoor contemporary-art trail.
    Afternoon
    Free afternoon to walk the La Coste art trail or visit a second cellar in the Aix appellation.
    Evening
    Dinner in Aix-en-Provence; nightcap in the Cours Mirabeau district.

  4. Day 4

    Morning
    Morning at Chateau Simone in Meyreuil for a final visit at the historic estate that works the bulk of the tiny Palette AOC.
    Afternoon
    Optional Sainte-Victoire foothill drive past the Cezanne motifs before departure.
    Evening
    Depart Aix or onward.

Provence Cru Classe tour, five days ★ 4.7

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in the Golfe de Saint-Tropez and start at Chateau Minuty in Gassin, a Cru Classe Cotes de Provence estate making the M de Minuty entry rose and the slate-bottle prestige cuvee.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon visit at Chateau d'Esclans in La Motte for the Whispering Angel and Garrus tasting flights, the estate behind the Whispering Angel programme.
    Evening
    Dinner and overnight in Saint-Tropez or Ramatuelle.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Drive to Bormes-les-Mimosas for a morning at Chateau Leoube, the organic-certified Cru Classe estate on the seaward coast.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon at Domaine Saint Andre de Figuiere in La Londe-les-Maures, the Combard family's organic Cotes de Provence La Londe estate.
    Evening
    Dinner in Bormes-les-Mimosas.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Morning at Chateau Sainte Marguerite in La Londe-les-Maures, one of the 18 surviving Cru Classe estates from 1955 and a current reference for organic Cotes de Provence.
    Afternoon
    Drive west to Domaines Ott Chateau de Selle in Taradeau for the afternoon, the founder-Ott estate from 1912.
    Evening
    Dinner in Lorgues or Le Thoronet.

  4. Day 4

    Morning
    Inland to the Provence Verte for a morning at Domaine de Triennes in Nans-les-Pins, the Burgundian-led IGP Mediterranee estate of Aubert de Villaine and Jacques Seysses.
    Afternoon
    Drive south-west toward Bandol; afternoon arrival in La Cadiere d'Azur.
    Evening
    Dinner in La Cadiere or Le Castellet village.

  5. Day 5

    Morning
    Final morning in Bandol: appointment at Domaine Tempier to close the tour at the estate that drove the 1941 AOC campaign, taking in both the rose and the late-released Mourvedre red.
    Afternoon
    Optional stop at the Maison des Vins de Bandol in Le Castellet before driving back to Marseille or onward.
    Evening
    Departure.

Marseille, Cassis and Bandol weekend ★ 4.5

  1. Day 1

    Morning
    Arrive in Marseille. Mid-morning drive east along the Corniche des Cretes to Cassis for an appointment at Clos Sainte Magdeleine on the cliff edge.
    Afternoon
    Walk in the Calanques National Park behind the Cassis vineyard or a second Cassis cellar visit.
    Evening
    Dinner in Cassis or back in Marseille.

  2. Day 2

    Morning
    Drive east to the Bandol AOC and start with a morning at Chateau de Pibarnon, an upper-slope cellar at 300 metres altitude.
    Afternoon
    Afternoon at Domaine Tempier in Le Plan du Castellet, the Peyraud estate that drove the 1941 AOC campaign.
    Evening
    Return to Marseille for dinner.

  3. Day 3

    Morning
    Final morning in Marseille at one of the city's natural-wine bars or at the Maison des Vignerons Independants tasting rooms.
    Afternoon
    Optional MUCEM museum visit; departure.
    Evening
    Depart.

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Itineraries in Provence, FAQ

When is the best time to visit Provence for wine?

Peak wine-travel season in Provence is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.

Do I need an appointment to taste at Provence estates?

classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.

What hours do Provence cellars and tasting rooms keep?

most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.

How does tipping work at Provence tastings?

tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.

What is the one wine to try in Provence?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Provence rewards trust.

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