Appellation
Costières de Nîmes
Identity card
AOPRedRoséWhite
Rhône Valley › Southern Rhône · Recognised on 4 July 1986
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Between Languedoc and the Rhône, on a pebble plateau south of Nîmes.
- Reds and rosés: Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah at least 60% of the vines.
- At most 60 hl/ha and at least 11.5% natural alcohol, all colours.
Grape varieties
RedRosé
Accessory varieties: Carignan, Cinsaut, Marselan (grape entry not yet written)
Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 60% of the holding's vines
Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Marselan · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 50% of the blend
Rosé: the white wine grapes are allowed, at most 20% of the vines
White
Grenache BlancMarsanneRoussanne
Accessory varieties: Bourboulenc, Clairette, Macabeu, Vermentino, Viognier
Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne · at least 50% of the holding's vines
Viognier · 20% at most of the holding's vines
Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne · at least 60% of the blend
At least two principal grapes, each at most 80% of the vines
Production rules
60
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 148 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14.5 % ABV across 97 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 147 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: The "costière", a stony plateau between Nîmes and Camargue
- Soils: Rolled pebbles in red sandy clay
- Climate: Mediterranean; mistral and sea breezes from the Camargue
Wine style
- Red
- red fruit when young
- spicy, vegetal with age
- elegant yet structured
- medium-term ageing
- Rosé
- bright colour
- fresh and broad
- small red fruit
- dried fruit
- White
- balanced and lively
- white flowers
- citrus
- white-fleshed fruit
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
3 March 2025
Order of 3 March 2025 approving the specification of the AOC “Costières de Nîmes” (JORF no. 0057 of 7 March 2025, text no. 16; BO agri no. 11 of 13 March 2025). Appellation first recognised as “Costières du Gard” by the decree of 4 July 1986.
Labelling terms
- The name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label
- The words "Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône" may appear
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Costières de Nîmes »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
An appellation of the Gard covering 24 communes between Nîmes, Beaucaire and Saint-Gilles, where Languedoc meets the Rhône valley, of which its specification calls it the southernmost part. The vineyard lies on the "costière", a stony plateau covered with rolled pebbles in red sandy clay, between the Vistre plain and the Camargue. Recognised in 1986 as "Costières du Gard", it makes mostly red and rosé wines, and a little white.
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Costières de Nîmes
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