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Vins de Provence to host tasting area at Hampton Court Palace Festival

The live concert series held in the former home of King Henry VIII will showcase Vins de Provence rosé wines, with free nightly tastings.

From 10-25 June, Vins de Provence will offer Hampton Court concert-goers the opportunity to try pink wines from the region’s three appellations – Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois en Provence.

Six nightly tastings, free of charge, will see wine experts David Kermode and Nina Cerullo walk visitors through the blush-coloured wines from the South of France, explaining the subtleties between each appellation, as well as the best food to pair the wines with.

The complimentary 15-minute “speed tastings” will take place in the Palace garden grounds every half hour from 6pm. All visitors need to do is head to the East Front Gardens to register for their slot.

Also known as the CIVP, Vins de Provence represents 551 producers and more than 90 local négociants from the aforementioned appellations. Together, its members produce 96% of Provence’s Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) wines. Rosé accounts for 91% of Provence’s wine production.

This year, the outdoor music concerts at the Palace include performances by Elbow, McFly, Michael Ball, Crowded House, UB40 and The Human League, set against a backdrop of Tudor history. Built in 1514, with extensive renovations added up until 1694, Hampton Court Palace includes a maze, a Royal tennis court and what was once the world’s largest grapevine. It overlooks the River Thames and was one of Henry VIII’s favourite residences.

The Palace grounds boast 60 acres of tended gardens, amongst which the concerts take place. The gardens are home to a variety of wildlife, including the descendants of Henry VIII’s personal deer herd.

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