France—The Southern Rhone River Valley: Avignon | Châteauneuf du Pape | Gigondas | Vacqueyras
View from the top of Les Baux-de-Provence
The southern Rhone River valley is probably Jeremy’s No. 2 favorite wine region in France. Like most of the French wine regions, wines are designated based on the village in which the grapes were grown. Châteauneuf du Pape (We’ll use CdP for short.) is known as arguably the best of the best in the region, but as with anything there is the good, the bad and everywhere in between. We are also very partial to the wines from the villages of Gigondas and Vacqueyras, which are neighboring villages, but a little more mountainous in topography. We chose to focus on these three areas during out time in this part of France. Here are the basics of understanding wine from the Southern Rhone:
This region is technically part of Provence, locals are adamant at being recognized as from Provence, and not “the Rhone River Valley.”
The main red grapes used here are Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and Mourvedre.
There is a region known as the Northern Rhone near Lyon, France that tends to use more Syrah, while the Southern Rhone tends to be more Grenache heavy. The main differentiation between these grapes is that Syrah tends to give you more of those pepper and spicy flavors, while Grenache is a bit more subtle and floral.
Speaking of the “hierarchy” of the wines—any wines you see from the region labeled as “Cotes du Rhone” are the entry level, and they would have grapes grown all over the valley. Don’t be fooled by the term, “entry level” with these wines! They tend to be the best quality for the money wines on the market, in our opinion.
The vibe in general in the villages and the wineries in this region is far more unassuming and laid back than what we felt in Champagne and Bordeaux. It’s not a knock on the people in either of those regions, everyone we have met has been amazing and hospitable. It’s a vibe that’s hard to describe. For those who have tasted in California wine regions , I would equate it to the vibe in Napa versus the vibe in Solvang or Los Olivos.
Jeremy and Valerie at the Palais des Papes (Pope’s Palace) in Avignon
Itinerary
Day One
Tasting: Domaine du Pegau
Tasting: Beaucastel (We couldn’t get into the winery itself, so we tasted at their wine shop in CdP village)
Tasting: Domaine Pierre Usseglio
Day Two
Les Baux-de-Provence – Medieval Castle
Tasting: Domaine Mas de la Dame
Les Baux-de-Provence – Medieval Castle
Domaine Mas de la Dame
Domaine Mas de la Dame
Day Three
Tasting: Clos de Caveau
Tasting: Domaine des Bosquets
Tasting: Domaine de Mourchon
Tasting: Domaine Des Girasols
Collage of the Village of Gigondas
Day Four
Valerie and Jeremy explore Avignon
Collage of Avignon
Breakfast View from Hotel in Avignon
Collage of Avignon
Tips:
Avignon is a beautiful little town with an interesting juxtaposition between the truly ancient and a vibrant, young university town. Definitely spend some time walking around the old town within the ancient Roman walls.
Other than wine tasting, take some time to go see two things:
The ruins of the Pope’s old “vacation” castle at the top of the village of CdP. The Nazi’s occupied it in the second world war and then blew it up on their way out, but the ruins of what is left are interesting to see up close and the views of the valley are stunning.
If you have a car or hire a tour service, head out to Les Baux-de-Provence. It is a medieval village, castle and strong-hold, really. At the top of some very steep cliffs. It’s fun to walk around the old village and again, absolutely stunning views! Keep your eye out for Jeremy’s namesake chapel, named after Saint Blaise. We were told that if you are there in the summer, just be prepared for massive crowds and parking way down the mountain with a pretty intense hike up to the village.
Jeremy at the Saint Blaise Chapelle
