Vacqueyras AOC, Wine appellation in Vacqueyras and Sarrians, Vaucluse, France

Vacqueyras AOC covers 1,500 hectares of vines in the communes of Vacqueyras and Sarrians, on the left bank of the Ouvèze at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The terraced plots, in pale sandy soil, are planted mainly with Grenache Noir, at least 50%, plus Syrah and Mourvèdre, at least 20% combined. The appellation makes red, white and rosé wines.

Vines were already recorded in Vacqueyras in the 15th century, when the Livre Rouge of Carpentras listed plots of two to twelve fosserées in 1414. The terroir joined the Côtes du Rhône AOC in 1930, became Côtes du Rhône-Villages on 11 June 1955, and gained its own AOC by decree signed on 15 August 1990, the first in the region since Gigondas in 1971.

Since 1997, Vacqueyras winemakers have been chosen each year to produce the "cuvée spéciale du Festival" for the Avignon Festival. The village also holds a winegrowers' fair every 13 and 14 July, with free tastings for 3,000 to 5,000 visitors and a 14 July picnic for over 1,000 people.

The vineyard lies on the left bank of the Ouvèze, at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, spread over Vacqueyras and the garrigues of Sarrians. The best plots sit on the Plateau de Garrigues at 100 to 400 metres; lowland plots give warmer, heavier wines. The white letters "VACQUEYRAS ET SES VINS" on the wooded hillside mark the approach to the village.

Red wines represent about 97 percent of annual production, with Grenache as the dominant grape in the region's Mediterranean climate. This strong focus on a single wine type is uncommon among Rhône appellations and reflects the area's specialized approach to winemaking.