The Wines of Ventoux - Part 1

Welcome to my two part mini documentary in Ventoux, one of my favourite places on earth, where wine and cycling take centre stage.

Recognized since 1973, the Ventoux AOC spans 53 communes at the foot of Mont Ventoux, where the climate and geology shape wines with a strong identity. The mountain, rising to 1,912 meters, creates a unique microclimate: warm days, cool nights, and the influence of the Mistral wind promote slow, balanced grape ripening, preserving their freshness. The diversity of soils - limestone, clay, sand, marl, ochre, and more - forms an exceptional geological mosaic, offering a rich aromatic palette. Combined with emblematic Mediterranean grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Clairette, Vermentino, Roussanne, etc.), these terroirs produce elegant, fresh, and expressive wines. As the backbone of the appellation, Ventoux guarantees wines of unique character, marked by freshness and finesse.

The Ventoux AOC, located at the heart of two regional nature parks and two UNESCO biosphere reserves, benefits from remarkable biodiversity across a vast forested area. Since 2021, the appellation has been implementing an ambitious environmental strategy: cover crops are present on two-thirds of the plots, biodiversity is monitored annually, 150,000 reusable bottles are marketed, prospective climate tools are being developed at the plot level, and methanization experiments are underway. A land of mixed farming, Ventoux combines vineyards with a rich agricultural production—fruits, truffles, lavender, cereals, olive oil—that fuels a high-quality local wine and gastronomy offering.

A big thanks to the AOC Ventoux team who supported me on my trip around the region.

Thank you to Norman Kergoat for letting us use his drone footage.

Many thanks to all the people who spent time with me, shared their passion, culture, cuisine and of course, their delicious wine.