Avignon was neat, but now it’s just a fading image in the rear-view mirror. We’re on our way to Chateauneuf du Pape. We’ve heard enough about the wine. We want to see the place for ourselves.
As we left the outskirts of Avignon, the cityscape gave way to roads lined with shrubs called “maquis” and olive trees. We passed the occasional vineyard on a small plot of land, usually with a farmhouse nearby. Maybe for making wine for personal use? Don’t know.
How Could Anything Grow in That?
All of a sudden, the scenery changed and we found ourselves surrounded by nothing but vineyards on all sides. We must be getting close!
The gnarled vines looked like those you might see anywhere, but not the ground underneath. It was nothing but rocks. They looked dry as a bone and had a reddish hue. If the vines hadn’t been there, it’d look like we had landed on Mars. How could anything grow in that?
We pulled over to the side of the road, parked the car, and stepped out to get a closer look. Yep — nothing but rocks, but with vines growing out from them. They say the best wine-making grapes grow under conditions where the vines are stressed. That way, the vines have to give everything they’ve got to make each little grape.
Stressed vines don’t yield as much fruit, but the resulting grapes have more concentration of flavor — or something like that. My guess is that these are some seriously stressed vines!
The Little Town of Chateauneuf du Pape
By now we could see the little town of Chateauneuf du Pape in the distance. It’s on a hill rising up from the otherwise flat landscape. The hill is topped with the remains of some ancient-looking walls. They’re all that’s left of the Avignon popes’ get-away palace among the vines, Chateauneuf.
We reached Chateauneuf du Pape and parked in the first lot we came to. We walked toward the center of town and came to a nice square with a fountain. As we explored the quaint little town, we saw numerous places offering chateauneuf du pape tastings. That gave us an idea for the next time we’re in the neighborhood. (See below).
It was lunchtime. When we were walking around town, we saw a restaurant that looked perfect. We managed to find it again and went inside, where a wonderful aroma had emanated from the kitchen. Oh boy.
Lunch
Our server offered two specials of the day: lapin, (rabbit), and lièvre, (hare). I was feeling pretty good about my French at the moment, so I asked what the difference was between a rabbit and a hare, because I thought they were the same thing.
“Nonh.” (That’s the sound of the French “no”). She went on to explain… Un lapin is a cute, cuddly little bunny raised on a farm, never having to lift a paw. Un lièvre, on the other had, is a brown, far-from-cute, wild rabbit that can run like a cheetah.
For lunch we opted for the two specials. I’d have le lièvre, and my now-hungry Better Half would have the cute little bunny. Uh, I mean le lapin.
I’ll spare you the details and just say that that meal will go down in our personal history as one of our favorite lunches of all time. Washing it down with large glasses of chateauneuf du pape probably didn’t hurt.
After lunch, we meandered back through the country roads to Aix-en-Provence. We took our time. Our internal clocks had been slowed way down by that amazing lunch.
A Few Years Later…
On a subsequent trip to Provence, we booked a wine tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape. It took place in a cave right in town. We found the place, descended down a flight of stairs, and went inside.
The room was small, and to our surprise, full of people. A group of eight guys from Norway had booked a tasting at the time as ours. Two people behind a counter were sorting things out. Hmmm… Wine tasting in a group with eight other people. Not exactly what we had in mind.
They sorted things out quickly. The eight Norwegians went into another room with the younger of the two people behind the counter. That left us with fellow in charge, Guy. We didn’t know it yet, but we were in good hands.
The three of us went into another small, dimly lit room. We sat comfortably around a low table made of wooden crates, surrounded by cases of wine. On the table in front of us sat three glasses and six bottles of chateauneuf du pape.
They’d designed the lighting in the room to highlight the table. Those glasses had bowls that were as big as grapefruits, and they sparkled in the light. I was thirsty!
Our guide, Guy, led us through a delicious, leisurely journey into the world of chateauneuf du pape. I’d say it was just about the perfect wine tasting experience. We’d never drink a glass of chateauneuf du pape the same way again.
To be continued…
Notes
Our exceptional wine tasting experience in Chateauneuf du Pape was provided by Guy at Les Caves St. Charles.
Lunch was at Le Pistou, but as of May 2022, their website says that the restaurant has been sold.
