The Gulf of Saint-Tropez is far bigger than Saint-Tropez, and most of the yachts in it are not on the famous quay. Port Grimaud, the canal village built from 1966 to François Spoerry’s design, where the houses have their own moorings, Les Marines de Cogolin next door, and Sainte-Maxime across the water together hold a great deal more of the fleet than the Vieux Port does.
They are also where you can actually get things done in August. Saint-Tropez in high season is a town with one road in, and a delivery to the quay competes with every tender, every restaurant and every visitor on the Riviera. The berths across the gulf have road access, space and none of that, which is why a good many crews base here and take the boat across for the evening.
Our own van serves this whole gulf same or next day from Antibes. We would rather deliver to Port Grimaud on a Wednesday than fight the Saint-Tropez quay on a Saturday, and for a yacht that will be in the area for a fortnight we will plan a single proper delivery rather than a series of anxious top-ups.
This is the heart of Provençal rosé country and the vineyards start immediately behind the gulf, Côtes de Provence proper, with the more serious Côtes de Provence La Londe and the Massif des Maures estates just west. We carry the labels guests ask for by name along with the small-production rosés that will surprise them, plus the full international range.