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May 1, 2012
The sun is shinning, seems to be a pattern, rains when we are walking sun when we are driving. Today we leave Lyon and head south to Roquemare and Chateauneuf-du-pape, the region of my favorite wine. We started by going back to the site of our French lesson to buy some croissants for the road, but we forgot it was May day (Labor Day) so most stores were closed (of course the Domino’s next to it was open, but I don’t eat it at home, hell will freeze over before I eat it in France.)
We walked looking but did not find anything open, so we just headed out of town. Getting out of Lyon was quite easy, hug the river until you got to the sign for the auto route. Today are trip was short and we wanted to get to the region in time to do some tasting so we opted for the Auto route the entire way, toll was 18 Euros or about $23 for a 2 hour trip. This is why we stay off the Auto routes, you take $23 dollars for every two hours on the auto route plus $67 dollars
every time you fill up your take, it can add up fast.
I had booked the hotel in Roquemare, which is just on the other side of the Rhone from Chateaunuef, by using bookings.com. It is a 2 star hotel and the price was $61 a night including breakfast. We found the hotel (Clement V) very easily. To our pleasant surprise the hotel was run and operated by several gay men, rainbow flags are a dead give away. We checked in and were pleasantly surprised at the size of the room and the balcony. It was 3 times the size of Lyon and half the price and a star more. The star rating is also impacted by where you are city or country. We checked in and headed off to Chateaunuef. It took about 10 minutes to get there, but it was beautiful, this is what I came to France for. The vineyards were everywhere, and the sun was shining, the pictures just don’t do it justice. Our first stop was atop the hill at the site of the Second Pope of Avignon’s former summer palace, it has long since been destroyed, first during the religious wars and again
during WW II. You can walk from the center of town up to the site, but we took the easy way and drove. At the top is a restaurant, which had just stopped serving lunch, with a wonderful view of the city and vines below. We did get to go in the Verges de Papes, a small wine cellar and tasting room. It has several different variety of Chateauneuf’s and we tasted about 5 of them. Until today, I had no idea that they made a white Chateauneuf, I texted my friend Bruce and he order one for dinner that night. It was very good, not like any white wine we have had before. It is typically a blend of three different grapes, I couldn’t tell you which ones now, but we bought a poster that has the region and the grapes on it. Chateauneuf is one of the oldest AOC’s in France. AOC is what all wine in France is governed by, it sets the rules that the region must live by. In Chateauneuf they grow 13 different varieties of grapes, and they can only use those grapes in their wine. Some use 2 some use all 13. There
are 300 different producers of Chateauneuf, so no two are the same; each wine has its distinct character. Certain of the wines can be stored for 50 years. 2009 is such a year, it was one of the best years the region has had.
The Sommelier was very friendly and very knowledgeable; he gave us his card and will ship anything we want directly to us. We did buy 4 bottles; we hope to make it home with at least the white.
After our tasting and picture taking we headed back to the center of town for a light lunch. I could stay in this town for a week. It is the first day that vacation felt like vacation, relaxing in the sun, drinking great wine who could ask for more. We had a salad regional salad and a bottle for wine and just enjoyed the afternoon. At the table next to us was a guy from Vale, he works in one of the restaurants as a Sommelier. He was in France for a month to learn more about wine. His travel mode was a mix of bike and train. To much work for me, but he was
Popes Summer Home
Since when does a Pope need a summer home.enjoying himself.
After lunch we returned to the hotel. We sat in the sun on our balcony and drank the wine we had just purchased. We did not have far to go for dinner this evening, as the hotel does a 4 course prix fix for 18.5 Euros.
We went down to dinner about 8:30, there were about 4 other tables already seated and at various stages of their dinner. We ordered a Kir for an aperitif and just waited for the food, we did not have to make any decisions other than the wine. We were a little scared of what was to come when they brought what looked like round cheetos with the Kir, they were in fact round cheetos, but it only went up from their. About half way through dinner we started having a conversation with the couple we want to be. They are from San Francisco, wife is a photographer and husband is a painter. They recently purchased a house outside of Montpellier and are going to be living there for the next six months. There plan is to be six months in San Francisco and Six months in France. That is the
life I want, but skipping the San Francisco part.
We had an extensive conversation for a few hours about their travels and our travels. They brought their dog with them and we learned that they no longer quarantine animals, so if we really wanted to we could travel with Tarragon; I am not sure what he would think about that.
Earlier in the day, the pollen had really begun to affect Jerry, which is interesting since I am the one with the sever allergies, and I am having no problems. He was very stuffed up and sneezing a lot, as you will see in the next entry it becomes much more than allergies.
After dinner we went back to the room had some more wine and went to sleep. I was not able to post any blogs as I could not connect to the internet at this hotel, but I did manage to write some, this blog is actually being written in Aix-en-Provence, but I am getting ahead of my self.
Tomorrow, we set course for Aix and the second of three cooking classes.
TODAY’S EATS Lunch Salade Paynnaes: Similar to a Lyonnais
Salad but add fried potatoes. A wonderful bottle of Chateauneuf-du-pape made by the owner of the café we were eating in.
Dinner Fried soft shell crab salad, three soft-shell crab over mixed greens dressed with vinaigrette.
Poached salmon in a wine burre Blanc sauce and herbed rice (I don’t like salmon but I liked this)
Brie
Chocolate fondant (lava cake)
REVIEWS Hotel Clement V is a great place to say and an excellent price. If you can afford it stay in Chateauneuf, but it does cost.
DAILY TIPS If you go to only one wine region in all of France, make it Chateauneuf-du-pape.
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