Chateauneuf-du-Pape

When the popes were at Avignon in the fourteenth century they built a summer residence above this village; two walls of the keep survive on the hill and give a view over the Rhone. The vineyards are the draw. Many parcels are covered in galets roules, large rounded quartzite stones deposited by an ancient river, which absorb heat by day and release it at night, which growers credit for ripeness. Thirteen or eighteen grape varieties are permitted depending on how the count is made, with Grenache dominant. In 1923 the growers wrote rules for the area that became the model for the French appellation system.

What you actually see

• The galet vineyards - parcels paved in large rounded stones.
• The papal castle ruin - two walls of the keep above the village.
• The cellars - tasting rooms through the village and in the vineyards.
• The Rhone view - the river and Avignon from the hill.

When to go

April to October; harvest is September. Many domaines require appointments and close for lunch. Summer heat here is intense and the stones radiate it.

Honest expectations

Prices are high and free tastings are less common than in other regions. Serious visits need booking. The village itself is small and largely commercial.

Nearby

Avignon lies south; Orange is north.