Bandol: The Best French Wine Region You've (probably) Never Heard Of

We were in Nice, France for six weeks and looking for a new side trip that would take us away from the city for a few days. Then we discovered Bandol, the wine region located on the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Toulon, and thought: that's it!

A two-hour train ride from Nice, with a short change of trains in Toulon, and we were in the small seaside town of Bandol. There really isn't much here, just a marina and beaches and waterfront dining...it's not a town you go to for a lot of action. But our first day we were thrilled to find a bakery dedicated to tarte tropézienne, also known as "la tarte de Saint-Tropez."

This is not a pastry for the faint of heart, consisting of a halved brioche filled with a mix of two creams, thick pastry cream and buttercream, and topped with pearl sugar and, perhaps, fresh berries. This was our first "meal" upon arrival in Bandol and it was fantastic! Not a bad way to begin our three-day visit. (Note: you can find tarte tropézienne in patisseries as well as in a dedicated shop in the Nice airport).

The town and pastry aside, the real reason we ventured to the region was the wine. Bandol’s vineyards are among the oldest and most celebrated in France, uniquely dominated by the structured Mourvèdre grape. Joe organized a private all-day wine tour with Richard, the owner of Bandol Wine Tours. Richard picked us up first thing in the morning to begin our epic day (his daughter was visiting from London and joined us, which made this extra fun). We had three very different vineyard experiences planned for us, each one offering something special, unique, and delicious.

First up: Domaine Olivette, a wine estate that has been in the same family for 200 years and is one of the oldest in the Bandol appellation. We were fortunate to have Jean-Luc, the family's current patriarch, share tastings of many of their wines. The estate is beautifully rustic and accentuated by permanent exhibits of sculptures and paintings the family has placed there over the years. Chatting with Jean-Luc, learning about the history of the family and the wines (and Jean-Luc's ski years), and tasting some really special bottles made this a truly memorable way to start our day. We walked away with a case of reds, whites, and rosés to remember this special place.

Richard shared his knowledge of the region and the wines as we made our way to our next stop: Domain Lou Capelan. This felt less grand than our first stop but the views...spectacular.

The medieval hill town of La Cadière-d'Azur, first recorded in 993, looked down at us from across the vines.

This family-run winery is renowned for crafting authentic Bandol wines, with the family's winemaking history in Provence dating back to 1934. Today, the domaine spans over 40 hectares of vines across the limestone soils of La Cadière and Le Castellet communes. The estate embraces organic farming practices and continues to harvest both their Bandol and Vins de Pays grapes manually.

Although this was an unassuming spot, the wines were truly fantastic, the tasting was like sitting around with friends, and, in addition to leaving with a case of our favorite red and white wines, we couldn't resist taking home some of the local jams.

That beautiful medieval town on the hill? That's where we were heading next to enjoy a spectacular lunch at the Michelin restaurant Riva. Located in the family-run Maison Bérard, Riva is known for its Provencal cooking by father-and-son team Jean-François and René Bérard. The food was amazing, rivaled only by the view over the vineyards of Bandol. The gazpacho soup, something we would never typically order, was absolutely one of the most delicious items we've ever tasted.

After exploring the village to walk off our lunch, it was time to head to our final destination: Domaines Bunan. Domaines Bunan is an acclaimed, family-owned winery founded in 1961 by brothers Paul and Pierre Bunan. As the largest domaine in the region, this was truly interesting because the estate spans three distinct terroirs, each imparting a unique character to its wines.

Moulin des Costes features steep, terraced vineyards of marl, limestone, and sandstone that produce classic, robust Bandol wines. Château la Rouvière is the south-facing property that boasts old-growth Mourvèdre vines that look out toward the Mediterranean Sea. And Bélouvé sits under a unique microclimate and produces crisp, aromatic Côtes de Provence AOP wines. What was crazy was that we could see the different vineyards across the valley and yet the wines from each terroir tasted dramatically different. There was no mistaking the differences the soil, location, and weather made in the grapes.

While this was the largest operation we visited, the kindness of the people was present in every interaction...including when they let us step into the packing line to help prepare the bottles for shipping! In fact, we left with a case.

We've been to plenty of wine regions across Europe and beyond (and would be in Provence a few weeks later to taste wines there), but Bandol truly surprised us, and Richard was the perfect guide to show us what we'd been missing. The wine was some of the best we've ever tasted and you just can't beat the beauty of the region. The star of this side trip was definitely the vineyards, the wine, and the stunning surroundings.

If you're looking to spend a few days away from Nice, and enjoy your wine, this is absolutely a must-do...just a quick train ride!

Come along on our next adventure! Follow us on Instagram (Worldwide.Wizas) and Subscribe to our blog today!

Enjoy a taste of our travels with drink recipes on Instagram - Worldwide.Cocktails.