Var is an IGP title for red, white and rosé wines from the administrative department of the same name on the southern coast of France. The department is most famously home to the Bandol and Cotes de Provence AOCs, making full-bodied red wines and light, fresh roses respectively. Wines that do not meet the requirements set out by these AOC-level appellations have the option of using the Var IGP denomination instead.
The department is covered with low coastal mountain ranges such as the Massif des Maures and the Massif de la Sainte-Baume, and viticulture is found sporadically throughout. Var has a classic Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters with low rainfall. However, vineyards do best on sites where there is a cooling influence from the Mistral wind from the northwest.
© Wikimedia/Adrian777
There is a distinct split in soil types in the department, as the borders of the IGP are determined entirely by administrative borders rather than similarities in terroir. In the west of the department, the soils are primarily limestone with a classic Provencal landscape of garrigue scrubland. In the east, the crystalline soils are made up of quartz. In general, the terroir is well-suited to viticulture, as porous soil structure throughout the area allows for good water drainage.
In keeping with the Provencal character of the region, the Var IGP is dominated by rosé wines, largely made from Mediterranean grape varieties like Grenache, Carignan and Cinsaut. Red wines are also made from these grape varieties, and the tiny amount of white wine that is made using the IGP is predominantly Vermentino, or Rolle, as it is known locally.
Three further geographic indicators exist under the Var IGP, all of which may append their names on bottles along with the IGP title. These are: Argens, Coteaux du Verdon and Sainte-Baume.
The departmental Var IGP has replaced the previous Vin de Pays du Var denomination. This is due to sweeping changes in French wine law: the Vin de Pays category has been replaced by Indication Géographique Protégée, and the VDQS category has been removed altogether.
