The vineyards around Uzès belong to the Duché d'Uzès appellation, one of the youngest in France and one of the most interesting. Rosé, red, white, grown on limestone and garrigue, often by families who have been here longer than the vines.
Granted AOC status in 2013, the Duché d'Uzès appellation covers roughly thirty communes around the town. The terroir is Mediterranean limestone with garrigue influence. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre dominate the reds. The rosés are dry, mineral, and increasingly serious. Several domains welcome visitors without appointment, most with tasting rooms that feel more like someone's kitchen than a showroom.
The countryside between Uzès and Nîmes is striped with vines and punctuated by olive groves. The roads are quiet, the light is southern, and in late afternoon the limestone glows the same colour as the wine. A vineyard drive here is not a planned activity. It is what happens when you take the smaller road.
The wines of the Gard are best discovered at their source. Ask locally for current recommendations. In Uzès itself, Le Portalet and Le Bec à Vin offer carefully chosen selections from small regional producers. The Saturday market often includes vignerons pouring from the barrel. The wine here is not expensive. It is good, and it is honest.
Two restored apartments in a 17th-century stone house near Uzès, Gard, South of France. The vineyards begin at the edge of the village.
Send an enquiry