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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.