Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Thankfully a slightly later start this morning, as we didn’t need to be off the ship until 9.15am. The weather is certainly warming up, but we weren’t expecting over 27 degrees at this time of the year.

En-route to some wine tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we first visited the old ruins of the castle. It must have been a grand place at one stage but was destroyed (not by the Germans, but by the allied troops, it tuns out!

The castle commands great views of the region, and it sits above the village, which meanders out below.

What surprised us most as we travelled across the roads through the vineyards was the various methods the wine makers choose in planting the vines.  All vines are quite short - not the tall trellised style we are used to, but the most surprising thing is the soil preparation. Some vignerons choose a rocky base for planting, others prefer river-bed stones, many have mustard seed plants or arugula growing wildly at the base of the vines.  It makes for an unusual but beautiful sight. As irrigation is not allowed, the rocks help hold the moisture and stop the roots from drying out in the hotter weather, and help retain the warmth in the cooler months.

We spent an hour or so wandering through the village, admiring the gorgeous old buildings, trying on hats, checking out the espadrilles and admiring some gorgeous clothing that was very overpriced! We met at the fountain in the town square before heading to our wine tasting venue.

The winery was called Domaine Condorcet .... and here, after a guided tour of the winery and explanatory talk from the winemaker himself, we were treated to generous tastings of three local wines - one white and two reds. 95% of the wine production in this area is red wine, 5% white with  no rose. With only 5% white wine made in the region, it is never exported..simply saved for the locals. Lucky locals (and us)!

 

Santé!