The Town and Vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A visit to the ruined castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is always on the cards, especially as there is a rather nifty restaurant just downslope: Les Vergers des Papes. Go there only if you can handle dour staff.
In some ways, the wines of Châteauneuf are precise opposites to those of Burgundy. Here are liquids blended from a multitude of different varieties and a wealth of assorted terroirs. Yet whilst Burgundy is a wine that can express terroir on an extremely intimate level, that communicated by Châteauneuf is much more regional, but no less entrancing.
