I’m currently on the road in Provence. It’s a beautiful time of year to be here. Harvest has just begun in many areas; in others it is a week or two away. It’s sunny but not scorching hot, and the bulk of the tourists have gone home, so it means that the roads aren’t permanently jammed. I’m travelling with a small but jolly band – Amelia Singer, Natasha Redcliffe (of Westbury, the UK PR company who run the Wines of Provence account), and Caroline and Valerie of the CIVP.

We have been busy visiting some very interesting producers, as well as the rose research institute. Rose is the big story here. It represents the vast majority of wines from the region, and it’s something Provence does very well. And in the UK last year sales grew by close to 60% in both volume and value (May 2014 year to date). But I have also had some excellent whites and some very good reds. For now, just some pictures.