France: Châteauneuf-du-Pape

A group of visitors walk through the vineyards towards Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

It was the wine that brought us back to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 2015 vintage is a good one in France and being temporarily homeless we figured it would be a good time to stock up. While we were there we were also able to do some early reconnaissance on the 2016 vintage, which may well top 2015.

Though Châteauneuf ranks as one of the easiest wine appellations in France to taste and buy wine in, cave visits are always a bit of an adventure. For us there’s a lot of driving up and pushing the button that says “Sonnez” (meaning “ring”, as in the bell) and hoping that we will be let in for a tasting. Sometimes it works and we are allowed in to try the estate’s wines. Other times no one answers the bell or we are told we can’t taste and we go on to the next winery. It’s hit and miss.

The characteristic rocky vineyards of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation

Though there are numerous tasting rooms in the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape a car is useful to get to some wineries in the surrounding vineyards.

Châteauneuf has plenty of excellent wines produced by 180 different wineries. But like all places you never know what you are going to find from an individual producer. It is always a bit of an adventure. With well over a hundred cellar doors theoretically open for visits the biggest challenge is figuring out which ones to try to visit.

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We returned to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in May of 2018.

One of the numerous bars and restaurants in the small village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape