Vineyard Bursting With New Growth In Spring

(click on picture for larger image)

Old vines are bursting with new growth in the spring.  Since grapes only grow on new wood, the vines are cut back right to the stumps.  New branches grow and it is on these new branches that the grapes grow.  Old wood doesn't produce grape clusters.

Vines Against and Ocher Cliff

(click on pic for larger image)

Two symbols of Provence are vineyards and ocher.  This pic combines them both.  A vineyard in the foreground is profiled against an ocher cliff in the background.

A Vineyard in the Back Yard

(click on picture for larger image)

This pic has it all.  Look closely in the background over top of the car, and you will see the vineyard.  The back yard where the car is parked has cherry and almond trees.  This is a bucolic setting in Provence.

The Essence of Provence

(click for larger image)

The essence of Provence is orchards, vines, wines and a beautiful countryside with historic architecture.  This picture says it all.

Ocher Cliff

An ocher cliff overlooks a vineyard in the valley in Provence.

The View From the Vineyard

The view from the vineyard across the valley to hills is always spectacular, and very pastoral.

Walking Through the Vineyard

I was walking through a Provence vineyard. I looked down and saw a snail shell and a ladybug.

Incredibly Old Grape Vine

The older that a grape vine is, the thicker it is. This old specimen has been pruned many many seasons and still is producing in a Provencale vineyard.

Bucket of Rocks

This bucket of rocks was in the vineyard. Limestone rocks are spread on the ground at the base of grape vines to both reflect the light and hold the heat for the vines. This is an ancient technique that is still practiced.

Large Vineyard

A large vineyard spreads out in the sun beside neatly manicured topiary trees, while the majestic mas (manor house) reposes in the trees behind the fields of vines.

Vineyards in the Valley

Vineyards checker the valley, laid out in neat squares in the Provencal sun.

The Banana Leaf

I was on the balcony of a cafe in a hilltop village, overlooking this lordly mas (Provence manor house) framed by greenery and a vineyard in its back yard. Then it struck me how far south we were. The big green leaf showing in the right of the picture, is the leaf from a huge banana plant.

Living in the tropics as I do, I see banana plants all over. They are planted as huge ornamentals. However, it was startling to see it overlooking the vines in Provence.

A mas (or Provence farm manor) stands majestically amid vines and orchards in the Luberon valley.

Rows and Rows of Vines

Rows and rows of vines stretch across the valley, framed by cherry trees.

The Mas

The large building is a mas, or a farm manor house in Provence. It is surrounded by vineyards.

Peugeot and Backyard Vineyard

I took this shot of the Peugeot. The Lovely One dislikes the size of this car because it is difficult to maneuver in the narrow streets. The passenger door is open, because I spilled a liter and a half of water all over my diary and notebook that organises my life, and the carpet had to dry out.

As I looked at the pic, I was tickled to see that the vineyard in the backyard was in the picture (highlighted area).

Poppies and Old Vines

Poppies grow wild in the margins of an old vine vineyard. The grape branches are cut back every year since grapes only grow on new wood. So the bottoms of the vines grow thicker and thicker with age.

Vineyards and Orchards

Vineyards and orchards line the Provencal hills in neat rows, tracing the contours of the land as far as the eye can see.

Grape Buds

Bunches of grapes are starting to form that will end up being this year's vintage of Provencal wines. This is the promise spring in Provence.