Luberon

Luberon has a long, distinguished history, dating back to the Lagozza Culture some 5,000 years ago. Headstones carved to resemble human figures bear witness to the presence of an early farming community in the area, while the vineyards have been there since ancient times. Wine was introduced here by the Greeks, who also planted the first vineyards, but viticulture truly began to flourish under the Romans, particularly around Aigues. A bas-relief depicting barrels was found at Cabrières d’Aigues, along with various vessels for holding wine, including amphorae and demi-johns similar to the ones depicted on the memorial stone at Cabrières. The Calvet Museum in Avignon holds an exhibit known as the “Treasure of Apt” - the finest known set of bronze wine-drinking vessels apart from those found at Pompeii, dating from the 2nd or 3rd century. The Luberon vineyards flourished in the Middle Ages, particularly during the Avignon Papacy, then enjoyed varying degrees of success from the Renaissance through to the early modern era. Growth intensified again towards the end of the 19th century and between the two world wars. Since the 1970s, Luberon’s winegrowers have been involved in a series of major projects to upgrade and modernise the appellation vineyards; as a result, they were awarded Luberon AOC status in 1988.