I’ve noticed over the years that my wine drinking is often guided by a correlation between a wine region’s climate and my local weather. In the cooler months I gravitate towards cooler growing regions: Loire, Burgundy, Piedmont. And when the weather heats up, I find myself reaching for bottles from warmer viticultural areas: the Languedoc, Corsica, and most of all, Provence.
     Warmer weather also means moving the cooking outdoors to the grill, and the fragrant whites, classic rosés, and hearty reds of Provence are an ideal match for the depth and soulfulness that comes from cooking with fire. Early season veggies like Savoy cabbage and spring onions are stellar with a good char, and their sweetness marries well with both the exuberant stone fruit of Clos Sainte Magdeleine’s Cassis blanc and the more reserved, herbal Bandol blanc from Domaine de Terrebrune. Summer squash and zucchini are delectable when grilled, well-seasoned and drizzled with olive oil, and jive with structured Bandol rosés from Terrebrune and Gros ’Noré. Choose the former if you like your pinks lean and mean, the latter if you prefer a bit more body and fruit. Lastly, bring out your best cuts of meat—I’ve been grilling loads of hangar steak recently because it’s delicious and almost impossible to mess up—for structured reds like Gros ’Noré’s ripe, muscular Bandol rouge and Domaine Hauvette’s stately Cornaline, where the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah and Grenache is a revelation, a sort of wild, mountain-woman version of Bordeaux.
     So as the days lengthen and the weather heats up, grab this sixer of Provençal reds, whites, and rosés to enjoy with whatever you throw on the grill. It’s the perfect complement to the flavors of summer.