Vaucluse
in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Peter Mayle did the Vaucluse no favours in terms of keeping it quiet, but the region has absorbed the attention without losing what made it worth writing about. The Luberon villages, Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, sit on their hilltops with the self-possession of places that have been there considerably longer than their reputation and will outlast it comfortably. Mont Ventoux rises above the plain with the authority of a mountain that has humbled more cyclists than it cares to count. The Côtes du Rhône vineyards of Gigondas and Vacqueyras produce wines of serious quality at prices that still feel reasonable by French standards. The markets, the lavender fields in July, the truffle season in winter, the particular quality of the light in late afternoon when the mistral has cleared the air: the Vaucluse delivers on its promise, which is more than can be said for everywhere that has been written about quite so extensively.