Sainte-Victoire is a sub-appellation of the Cotes de Provence, the core appellation of the Provence wine region in the far south-east of France. Located in the west of the Cotes de Provence catchment area, just east of Aix-en-Provence, Sainte-Victoire is named after the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. This highly visible 11-mile (18-km) limestone ridge demonstrates the high limestone content of the local soils. It was a favorite Provencal landscape of the artists Cezanne and Picasso, both of whom lived nearby.
The Sainte-Victoire vineyards are spread between the communes of Chateauneuf-le-Rouge, Meyreuil, Peynier, Pourcieux, Pourrieres, Puyloubier, Rousset, Le Tholonet and Trets. Only Puyloublier's vines are actually located on the slopes of the Montagne itself, with the remainder planted just to the south and south-east of the ridge. The Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire title covers roughly 5500 acres (2225ha) of land – around a tenth of the Cotes de Provence's total of 50,000 acres (20,250ha).
As is fitting for a sub-region of Provence, 80% of Sainte-Victoire wine is rose, with the remaining 20% being entirely red. White wines produced in the area are sold under the general Cotes de Provence title.
Cinsaut, Grenache and Syrah and Mourvedre are the key Sainte-Victoire grapes and are dominant in both the red and rose wines. They are accompanied by small quantities of various other Provencal grape varieties, including Mourvedre, Carignan, Provence's star rose grape Tibouren, and even the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon.
