Provence
by Allyson Noman
2025 Bandol Rosé
France | Provence
Nothing cries Summer has arrived! quite like rosés from Bandol, and Alain Pascal’s rendition, full of luscious white peach and resinous herbs, clamors after the activities Provence is known for: relaxing cafés, strolls through outdoor markets, late evening dinners with brothy bowls of bouillabaisse, and hot grills laden with whole fish and brochettes (precisely the kind of feasts for which the ever-hospitable and culinarily-skilled Alain is known). One whiff of this wine as it swirls in your glass will color the day with laid-back decadence.
2025 Bandol Blanc
France | Provence
This blend of classic Provençal white varieties—Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and Bourboulenc—goes double time on citrus and sea spray and, in an especially sumptuous vintage such as this, beeswax and honeysuckle. I don’t know about you, but I need a wide-brimmed hat and white linen outfit, stat.
2024 Cassis Rouge
France | Provence
Jonathan Sack produces an array of whites and rosés as gorgeous as his seaside domaine—a cape covered by rows of vines, jutting into the aquamarine Mediterranean. “The fish can almost nibble the grapes,” Kermit notes in Adventures on the Wine Route. This inaugural shipment of Jonathan’s first rouge to hit our shores surprises and delights in a familiar, yet different, way: deep, red-fruited Grenache and juicy Cinsault are dazzling when kissed by the region’s salty brine, lavender, and thyme. A quick chill brings the perfect uplift, and—dare I say—this red is made to pair with those nibbling fish!