We will be in Avignon, Bonnieux and Cassis during June. Could anyone recommend the names of a few wineries or wine tours that we should visit while we are there? Any additional wine-related info would be appreciated as well, i.e. is there a particular wine that's a must-try in this region, etc.
Welcome to ST. We will be neighbors in June. We are renting a house in Goult, which is very near Bonnieux. We are going to Val Joanis, for its vineyard and its famous garden. My MIL is an oenophile and a garden nut. This is a surprise for her… We are also revisiting a famous winery based in Bonnieux, the one in the Russel Crowe movie: Château la Canorgue . Even without the movie plug, the wine is a great one (and organic).
I'll respond now just off the "top of my head"-at work. Re: Cassis Bandol is the primary target and it is a rich, hearty red.
Re:Avignon There are many areas and wineries within reach. Chateauneuf du Pape is the most famous village with an interesting history. Check out Cave du Verger for a great tasting and education--they "teach" tasting technique and represent many different producers. There are also many producers that have tasting rooms in the area.
There are recent discussions of this topic as well on this site. More later--Paul
Posts: 58 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 01 April 2009
Just a quick follow-up. The must try wines of Provence include their roses which are produced by most all wineries and is available as house wine at most restaurants and cafes. Tavel makes the most serious ones. Another must-try is the Chateauneuf du Pape— www.caveduverger.com will set you up and it is best to schedule your visit to make certain someone is available to guide you.
One of my favorite wines is the white from Clos Ste.-Madeleine—its vineyards are on the hillsides overlooking Cassis.
Another favorite area is the north side of the Dentelles and the surrounding villages. Gigondas has the Caveau de Gigondas (10-12; 2-6:30) right in the center of the village. You can taste the wine of many domaines and it is free but you can leave a tip for the servers. There are good options for dining nearby as well—L’Oustalet next door & Les Florets a little ways out of town. There are many other worthwhile villages as well—Vacqueryas, Rasteau, Cairanne, Sablet, Seguret, and Beaumes-de-Venise (and their sweet muscats). BTW-Thanks to Americana for the Val Joanis suggestion. We’ll be in nearby Lourmarin in July and its now on our list. Appreciate any and all other suggestions. Cheers, Paul
Posts: 58 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 01 April 2009
There is Cave de Lourmarin-Cadenet in Lourmarin which sounds like it would be a good option for Lourmarin area. I was in Lourmarin but we did visit it. We did stop by a newer wine store a bit out of the center of town. I can't find the name of the store but the set up definitely reminded me more of Napa/California. Google "La Cave Lourmarin" for more write ups. Also here is a good page on wineries near Les Olivettes - a rental in Lourmarin. It mentions the Cave in Bonnieux and gives a link.
Also this looks like a good listing of wineries of Luberon. You might be able to find something of interest in the list.
I was trying to look up a very nice vineyard toward Aix for Paul, but just found out that it has been leased - and inhabited - by Brangelina. Is life fair?
Not far from Avignon is Tavel, famous for their roses. Very good wines. We stopped a Domaine Lafond. Didn't do a tour, but did taste....and bought! You could include it in a a trip to Uzes and Pont du Gard.
I sure hope that FirstTime 2 France's questions were answered but I want to express my appreciation for the info everyone has provided. I've had a jolly good time fantasizing visits as I follow some of the sites suggested.
A very helpful site I have come upon is www.provence-dream.com/foodandwine . It is associated with info for an apartment/gite in Vaison la Romaine but ranges pretty far. Once again, thanks for the suggestions--I'll have to keep and report after our "research" in June/July. Cheers--Paul
Posts: 58 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 01 April 2009
All the above are great suggestions. I would recommend that you try to visit the individual properties, rather than a retail cave in a town or village. Being there is half the fun.
There are many wineries in the vicinity of Bonnieux in addition to Chateau la Canorgue. My wife is reluctant to open our last bottle of Chateau de Mille a few miles down the road from Chateau la Canorgue in the direction of Apt - good thing we're going to be able to get more in just over a week. However, Chateau de Mille is not very welcoming to individuals dropping in (most unusual for the area) & you may have to make your purchases in their store in Apt - where you can also buy their wine in bulk. Very near Chateau de Mille is Chateau d'Isolette - also very good. On the other side of Bonnieux, just outside Maubec and off the road to Robion is Domaine Faverot - beautiful property and good wines - and you likely have to drive past half a dozen other properties to get there. My own personal favourite is the wine from the gite where we have stayed twice - but that's most likely because I just had a 30 second walk from our porch to their cave. I'm not even going to try to describe how to get there. Generally, the wines of the Luberon are fresh and fruity and meant to be consumed young. Very enjoyable. Your favourite from the area might be any or none of the above.
Once you get over to Chateauneuf du Pape, wine gets a bit more serious.
A very helpful site I have come upon is www.provence-dream.com/foodandwine . It is associated with info for an apartment/gite in Vaison la Romaine but ranges pretty far. Once again, thanks for the suggestions--I'll have to keep and report after our "research" in June/July. Cheers--Paul
Paul, the link doesn't seem to be working. I looked on the main site but couldn't find the link.
Doug, obviously a man of taste and experience, points out an interesting phenomenon: A vineyard that is fun to visit is not necessary one that offers the best wines. And unlike our fantasies, alas, the best wine vineyards may not necessarily offer a charming setting or are even welcoming. But the Luberon wines are quite good on the average. A visitor has to decide whether he wants an enchanting outing, where wine-tasting or buying may not be the most important feature, or whether he is visiting as a serious oenophile.
Many thanks to everyone for all this excellent information! ST is such a wonderful resource and everyone has been so generous with their advice and tips. I will be sure to post back with news of our travel when we return! Merci!
We enjoyed visiting the Cave de Bonnieux (outside the centre ville on the road toward Goult). They had a nice degustation, and their 5-liter boxes of rose were wonderful to keep in the frig as our everyday wine.
It's all the way down below in the valley - I'm going to say about 5km. Certainly possible to walk and could actually be a very pleasant stroll if you stayed off the main road. Of course, after a bit of tasting and carrying the required two-three cases back up the hill to Bonnieux - you might be tempted to call a taxi !
