Vacqueyras

Vacqueyras ( Occitan: Vacairaç ) is a southern French community and a wine-growing region of the southern Rhône, 1076 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011). The municipality is situated on the southern edge of the dentelles de Montmirail, 18 km east of Orange and 12 km north of Carpentras at an altitude of 147 meters and is part of the Vaucluse. It is the birthplace of the French-Italian troubadours Raimbaut de Vaqueiras.

History

Finds from prehistoric and Roman period show that the area of Vacqueyras has been inhabited for a long time. The church is mentioned for the first time in 1137 as belonging to the diocese of Orange. At that time the village was called Vachairas or Vacairaz. In the 15th century, the municipality receives a city wall.

Until the 18th century, largely self-sufficient, taking at this time due to emergent trading links the cultivation of olives and vines resistant to. In addition, taking advantage of the city wall temporarily for rearing silkworms. After the devastating frosts of 1929 and 1956 froze the olive trees, so almost a monoculture of vines originated.

Winery in Vacqueyras

The vineyards of Vacqueyras received on 25 August 1967 Status Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages. On February 22, 1990 Vacqueyras was given its own Appellation d' Origine and has since been on a par with Châteauneuf -du -Pape or Gigondas. The AOC Vacqueyras, which is distributed to the municipalities Vacqueyras and sarrians, has 1,300 hectares of vineyards, which are farmed by 175 growers. 130 wineries are members of the local cooperative, the remaining 45 wineries are self- marketer. In the year 2001 48.500 hectoliters of wine were harvested. 96 % of the crop are red wines, rosé and 3% only 1 % of it is white wine. The AOC regulations allow a maximum yield of 36 hl / ha. Open to the Grenache (at least 50 %), Syrah, Mourvèdre (both at least 20%) and Cinsault (maximum 10%). When white wine grape varieties Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier are grown. The red wines have a shelf life of five to seven years.

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