The appellation
Situated in the south of the Rhone Valley, Vacqueyras is a Provencal village full of character, with its picturesque narrow streets converging towards the church, its houses leaning against the ramparts, the surrounding wall of the Vassadel’s noble chateau, the Cours Stassart, the dry-stone walls and its cottages and wells.
The Provençal name “Vacqueyras” comes from the Latin “Valléa Quadreria” which means “valley of stones”.
The town is defined by its authenticity and the ‘art of living’. The first traces of vine cultivation here date back to the middle ages which the village was devoted to mixed farming: olive orchards, mulberry trees for silkworm breeding and vine growing.
In 1414, the first land registry of the Comtat Venaissin indicates the presence of vines in the village, and in 1448, taxes levied on the grape and wine harvests are mentioned.
The vine has therefore always been cultivated in Vacqueyras, and today it is the primary crop of the village with 1,460 hectares dedicated to it.
History of the appellation:
In 1937, the village of Vacqueyras was located in the Côtes du Rhône appellation area. In 1955, it joined the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation which was then notified by decree in 1967. Finally, Vacqueyras acquired its own “CRU” appellation on 22 February 1990, by decision of the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (INAO), a decision ratified by publication in the Journal Officiel on 15 August 1990.
The Cru of 3 colours:
The Vacqueyras terroir is a defined geographical area within which the physical and biological environment (climate, soil, grape variety) and a set of human factors interact.
Protected by the Dentelles de Montmirail overlooking the village, the Vacqueyras vineyard benefits from a diversity of soils and terroirs; pebbles, fine sands, clay, marl, saffron, sandstone, gravel and fragments of white limestone.
A land of red, white and rosé – the winegrowers, guided by their ancestral know-how, enhance the unique features of this terroir and create meticulous blends giving the wines finesse, harmony and balance.