Les Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône is a travelling wine show that takes place every second year in the Rhone Valley. Every appellation organises a gargantuan tasting with all the producers (well, almost). The wine trade and wine journalists go from village to village to taste. Worth a visit! Read more about this big movable [...]
Tag Archives | Rhone
The big Rhone wine jamboree: 11-14 March 2013
Les Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône is a travelling wine show that takes place every second year in the Rhone Valley. Every appellation organises a gargantuan tasting with all the producers (well, almost). The wine trade and wine journalists go from village to village to taste. It is a magnificent occasion to taste a large [...]
Britt’s Wine of the Month # 2 : Domaine des Granges de Mirabel 2010, Michel Chapoutier, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de l’Ardèche
This is a very pleasant viognier from well known Rhône Valley producer Michel Chapoutier. He is based in Tain l’Hermitage but for this wine he has moved over to the other side of the river Rhône, to the beautiful department of Ardèche. This is not your typical viognier. It is less aromatic, which is why [...]
A treasure trove of Languedoc wines: Cave du 41 in Nimes | BKWine Pick
We have a big hole in our wine cellar. Or so it seems. We need to refill the spaces on the shelves so that we have something to drink for dinner. We have always had a soft spot for the wines from the Languedoc so my thoughts wandered off to a wine shop we visited [...]
Hard winter killed vines in the Rhône Valley
This winter was harsh in many parts of France. The vines can handle quite cold temperatures in winter time and it is rare that it gets so cold in France that they do not survive. But now, announces La Vigne, the producers in the Côte-du-Rhone have established that 20 million vines froze to death last [...]
Britt’s Wine of the Month #2: Les Violettes 2011, Domaine Montirius, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse
Les Violettes 2011 Domaine Montirius Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Les Violettes is a new wine from this excellent and biodynamic producer in the southern Rhone Valley. The wine is 100% syrah and has the characteristic dark blue colour of a young syrah. But according to Christine at Montirius the name actually comes from the [...]
Wine producers have started making wine in amphora. Again.
Nothing new under the sun… Or: Dusting off the clay pots for winemaking The amphora is back. The ancient way of making and storing wine in clay amphora, like the Greeks and the Romans did, is high fashion today. Although the number of amphorae users is quite low they are very much talked about and [...]
Le Verso Restaurant Pizzeria, Avignon | BKWine Pick
They have good pizzas. That’s the most important thing to say about Le Verso. The restaurant is nothing special, quite plain. But pizzas are good. They do have a terrasse (outside seating), albeit on a street with quite a lot of traffic. It is only 50 meters off Place de l’Horloge but is comfortably un-touristy. [...]
Le Chapelier Toqué, Avignon restaurant | BKWine Pick
Le Capelier Toqué is a tiny restaurant. It is easy to miss it when you walk up the street Rue Guillaume Puy in the Quartier des Teinturiers (the old dyers’ part of Avignon – definitely worth a visit). Once you find it you may be a bit surprised. It has only a few table but [...]
Harvest report 2011: the vintage in the Rhone Valley
Here is another harvest report from one of the French wine regions: The Rhone Valley. Admittedly, this press release sometimes reads more like a promo sheet with too much hyperbole: “Rhône Valley wine professionals have dared to take risks by favouring optimal vine maturity”, “Wine lovers will recognise the accessibility of our flawless, supple and [...]
AOC, Bar à vin, restaurant Avignon | BKWine Pick
Sometimes you find really good places – restaurants or other – in really poor locations. AOC Bar à Vin is one of those. Hidden in a very narrow alley, almost behind the rubbish bins, between two busy shopping streets at day time, but almost abandoned at night. Nevertheless, this is a very good wine address [...]
Chateau Grillet, a mythological appellation and chateau, sold
Chateau Grillet is one of these French appellations that most wine lovers have heard about but few have tasted. It is sometimes said to be France’s smallest appellation (it depends on how you count) and it is one of the rare districts where all wine is made by a single producer. Both the appellation and [...]
Côtes du Rhône Villages
With the recent battering taken by French wines from less-heralded areas, a spotlight’s been turned to raising the status of some appellations in the southern Rhone valley. The last ascension to cru status was Vacqueyras in 1990. There’s been talk for years of which village would be next with most bets on Cairanne. At the [...]
Tasting 20 years of Vacqueyras: 1989-2009
– Vacqueyras 1989 Signature Domaine des Amouriers Mature, long taste with aromas of the garrigue and some dried fruit. Very well preserved and very tasty. – Vacqueyras 1990 Traditionelle Domaine la Garrigue Intense nose of tobacco and cedar wood. Good concentration, length and balance. – Vacqueyras 1991 Cuvée Prestige Le Clos des Cazaux Quite light [...]
Happy 20 Year Anniversary, Vacqueyras!
The AOC Vacqueyras is celebrating its 20th birthday. It was in 1990 that Vacqueyras was upgraded to an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. Before that it was “only” a Côtes du Rhône. A wine tasting in Paris recently of the 20 vintages made during these first twenty years as an appellation show that Vacqueyras indeed is a [...]
Britt’s Wine of the Month Mas Louise 2009, Cotes du Rhône
Britt’s Wine of the Month Mas Louise 2009, Cotes du Rhône This is a new wine from an established producer. For around 9 euro you get a very good wine with spices and herbs and a southernly warm feeling. Quite round but with a good structure which makes it a perfect fit with food cooked [...]
Discover the Rhône Valley wines
”Les découverts en Vallée du Rhône” is a giant movable wine tasting along the river Rhône. The purpose is to give you an opportunity to discover Rhône wines. It is organised by Inter Rhône, the growers association, and the next edition takes place on 1-6 March 2011. an excellent opportunity to taste a lot of [...]
Domaine Roger Sabon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Roger Sabon in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a true family domaine. Roger Sabon created the domaine in 1952. His three sons Jean-Jacques, Denis and Gilbert are all involved and now also Julien and Delphine, children of Denis, and Didier Négon, oenologist and married to Séverine, Jean-Jacques’ daughter, work at the domaine. The family has 17 hectares [...]
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape book now in e-version
A few months back we wrote a book review on the Châteauneuf book by Harry Karis, what must be the definitive magnum opus on the producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. However, it is a huge book (2 kg?) so not very easy to lug around on your travels in the Rhone Valley. Now the book has been [...]
New restaurant discovery in Avignon – Le Zinzolin
Zinzolin is a dark purple shade of colour. What it has to do with the restaurant we don’t really know. It is in any case the name of the restaurant we went to on the first evening of our Rhone wine tour (read more).
Three visits in Chateauneuf – first day on our Southern Rhone Tour
Starting running today with three visits in Chateauneuf: domaine Fontavin, Ogier, and Pere Caboche. Two women winemakers and one big group winery. Interesting mix! There are plenty of things going on in the vineyards, harvesting is in full speed, or at least almost. Quite a few harvest workers picking grapes. Read more on the first [...]
First night in Avignon on Rhone wine tour – the best wine bar
First night in Avignon on our three day wine tour in the southern Rhone valley, with Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and much more. Here’s how we prepare for a three day wine tour…
Domaine Duseigneur part 1, farming the vineyards w Frederic Duseigneur [E] – BKWine TV
Interview (part 1) with Domaine Duseigneur (Rhone), Frederic Duseigneur. Domaine Duseigneur is a small family wine producer in the southern Rhone Valley just across the river from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, run by the brothers Frederic and Bernard (they also work with the famous French sommelier Philippe Faure-Brac). Frederic sees himself more as a farmer than a winemaker. [...]
Discover the Rhone Valley
Every two years there is the Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône. It’s a gigantic movable wine show. Each (major) village organises a tasting/show with the local producers. It starts in the north in Ampuis (Côte Rôte) on March 1 and ends in Pont du Gard (Côtes du Rhône) on March 6. An excellent opportunity to [...]
So, how many grape varieties ARE there in Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
In the last Brief we noted that it is really not a big issue if you don’t remember all the 13 permitted grape varieties in Châteauneuf. Or is it 15? Well, it all depends on how you count, we said. A reader with a penchant for details (thank you Tomas!) has pointed out that in [...]
Domaine Duseigneur, Lirac, Rhône – BKWine Pick
Bernard and Frédéric Duseigneur at Domaine Duseigneur are convinced that you need a soil that is alive if you want to make a wine with quality and character. The domaine is certified organic and biodynamic. “This enables us to make terroir driven wines with a fine minerality”, says Frédéric. He uses the usual biodynamic preparations [...]
Coteaux du Tricastin changes name to avoid nuclear contamination
Coteaux du Tricastin is a relatively well known appellation in the southern Rhone valley. However, it has now changed name to Grignan les Adhémar. Within France Tricastin is better known for its nuclear power plant and the wine producers have since several years campaigned for a name change of the AOC/AOP since they think the [...]
Can you count to Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape has over the last decade or two seen a tremendous development both in terms of popularity and more importantly in terms of quality of the wines (hopefully the two aspects are linked). It has also been named “Wine Village of the Year” by the Swedish wine tasting club Munskänkarna (with 20,000 members!). Some of [...]
Domaine des Amouriers, Vacqueyras
There are several interesting producer in Vacqueyras in the southern Rhône Valley. One of them is Domaine des Amouriers. Patrick Gras and Igor Chudzikiewicz work on 25 ha of vineyards. 10 ha is in the Vacqueyras appelation, one ha is Côtes du Rhône and the rest is Vin de Pays (or now IGP). But even [...]
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book By: Harry Karis Photo and design: Phil Karis Kavino Book Publishing, www.cdpwinebook.com It is a relatively easy task to review this book, in a way. It is likely to be the standard tome on Châteauneuf for the foreseeable future. It is has almost 500 pages and weighs over two and a [...]
English
Svenska 
