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Saint-Paul cherishes its living memory of fields formerly swathed in beautiful wines. Trade exchanges between the Greeks established in Antibes and the Ligurians settled in Saint-Paul go some way to explaining why wines were planted in Saint-Paul as early as the 6th century before our era. The Romans furthered the development of wineyards in the 5th century and in the 9th century Christianity proved to be a cultural motor. Medicine played no small role in the expansion of the wineyards, attributing curative properties to wine By the end of the Middle Ages, a substantial part of local land was covered in wines. Winegrowers had all they needed to produce wine: a vat, a press, barrels and utensils. Grape treading was pretty much the same then as it is today. In the 16th century, a prosperous period, celebrations were held to mark the feast of Saint Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers. In 1538 and 1700, François 1 er and Vauban respectively visited Saint-Paul and sampled the delicate local wines served at table.
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In the 18th century, production really took off and vineyards sprawled across more than 600 acres of land. They fuelled a flourishing trade that even involved expeditions to Nice and Antibes. In 1990, the municipality awarded a lease on land in the commune reserved for winegrowing to an association. Responsible for running the vineyards, the association planted Mourvèdre, Braquet and Clairette grape varieties. By 1998, a good twenty producers had gained reputations for the quality of their wine and their care of the land, vines and harvest, not to mention the wine making and ageing processes and the upkeep of their barrels.
Grape varieties for white wine:
Grape varieties for red wine:
The most recent varieties :
Non-classified varieties:
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| Visit Saint-Paul's vineyard | ||
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Guided tour of the vineyard followed by a tasting session for groups or individuals. Reservation necessary for groups. 1466 route des Serres |
Domaine Saint Joseph Two hectares of vines beneath the western ramparts of Saint-Paul, plus one hectare in Tourrettes sur Loup (10 minutes away), where you can taste wines, apéritifs, salted olives and the estate's Nice 160 chemin des Vignes |
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A selection of rare fine wines from Provence, wine grown in Saint-Paul and prestigious Chateauneuf
du Pape vintages. A sommelier-consultant in an authentic 14th-century cellar presents specialities
such as rare local wines from Saint-Paul, Saint-Jeannet, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Villars sur Var, not to mention the wine made by the monks on Ile Saint-Honorat. Groups welcome for tastings on the |
saint paul on the french riviera in south france-wine wineyard
La petite Cave de Saint-Paul (Laurent Paoli)