Ventoux takes in the southern and western slopes of Mont Ventoux in the Vaucluse, 51 communes between the Rhône valley and the mountain, on limestone scree, clay and the stony terraces of the Carpentras basin. The appellation dates from 1973 and the name changed from Côtes du Ventoux in 2008, dropping the slopes but keeping the mountain, which is the point: at 1,912 metres it dominates everything around it and cools the vineyards at night.

That altitude and the air coming off the mountain make Ventoux fresher than most of the southern Rhône, with harvests up to two weeks later than on the plain. Grenache and Syrah lead the reds, with Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, and the wines are lighter and more aromatic than those of Châteauneuf an hour to the west. Rosé is a third of production and the whites come from Clairette, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne.