Cotes du Rhone Wine Experience

Day 1: La Madelène
Your guides will pick you up at the Avignon train station to escort you to your home away from home for the week, the charming La Madelène.  Explore this typical provençal estate with a glass of the region’s rosé in hand.  Then your guides will fit you to you bikes and take you on a ride around the majestic Mt Ventoux. Return to La Madelène for Champagne on the terrace if weather permits or in the Chapel dining room, followed by a 4 course Provencal meal prepared by Jude.   Tonight’s in-house meal is accompanied by Philip’s selection of Cru level Rhone wines: perhaps a Gigondas, Lirac, or Vaqueyras will entice you.

Day 2: AOC Cotes du Ventoux
After breakfast we will all meet in our wine school at 9.30am for a full introduction on The Côtes du Rhone wines.  This will include the history, aoc system, local varieties, wine making practice, and styles plus an introduction to the WSET tasting method.  Your palate will be delighted with a sample tasting of the 4 different major varietals of the region: Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier.  Enjoy a lunch on the terrace with our hosts and then we will descend into the Côtes du Ventoux valley below to see where these young exciting wines originate.   After riding through the town of Bedoin, in Mormoiron you will visit either Chateau Pesquie or Domaine des Anges both leading producers of the Ventoux appellation. We will walk in the vineyards, visit the cellars and taste the range of wines. Tonight’s dinner will be in Entrechaux at St. Hubert.  Where the meal will be accompanied by fine wines selected from Philip’s cellar. St. Hubert is an authentic rural Provencal restaurant in the same family since 1928; amongst its specialities are superb game dishes in the winter, lamb from Sault, shellfish and lobster.

Day 3: Nyons, Vaison la Romaine – AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret
Fresh orange juice and warm croissants await you before your ride to Nyons, a town in the Drome famous for its olives and olive oil.  Today is market day with plenty of local specialities to discover! From Nyons you will take the van back south to the town of Vaison la Romaine, where we will have a restaurant lunch at the Bistro d“O” in the old town, a very successful collaboration between the restaurant “Le Grand Pré” and Gigondas wine producer Santa Duc. This will give us an opportunity to explore this very pretty Provencal town with its Roman bridge over the Ouvèze river, the medieval old town, and the Roman archaeological site. In the late afternoon the group takes the van (or bikes if energy levels permits) up from Vaison into the Dentelles to visit Domaine Mourchon, who probably produces the best Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret.  The owners, the McKinley family, will greet us and lead a tour of the vineyards and winery followed by a tasting. The views from this domaine at 430m are spectacular…as are the wines! Dinner tonight is at the local popular restaurant Pont de L’Orme in Malaucène, authentic and well presented Provencal cuisine from chef Marc Girard.

Day 4: Ride through the Dentelles to Baumes de Venise
Breakfast will energize you for your ride through the Dentelles via the village of Suzette and down to the wine village of Beaumes de Venise. This is surely the most picturesque riding route in the whole region. En route we will visit Domaine Saint Amant, producer of Beaumes de Venise reds and the best local Viognier. Owner Camille Nosworthy will show us around and host the tasting: Camille’s vineyards are the highest in the whole of the Rhone valley and once again you will find great views of the Dentelles limestone escarpment. After a restaurant lunch in the village of Beaumes de Venise we will visit arguably the best Muscat producer Domaine des Bernardins.  Romain Hall will talk the group through a tasting of these fascinating and delicious dessert wines. You can hitch a ride with the van or bike back to La Madelène via St. Hippolyte-le-Graveyron and Le Barroux.  In the evening you will be treated to a gourmet restaurant dinner at Le Grand Pres.

Day 5: Carpentras market and Chateauneuf du Pape
After breakfast you take a ride to Carpentras where we will experience the largest and most colourful Provencal open air market in the Vaucluse. Lunch is at the well-known Chez Serge, which has an excellent wine list featuring wines from the Rhone and the Ventoux. Transfer from Carpentras to Chateauneuf du Pape by van.  In the afternoon we visit two top-rated Chateauneuf du Pape domaines where we will tour the vineyards, cave and taste. Return to La Madelène to get ready for dinner.  Another 4 course Provencal feast prepared by Jude is especially designed to match some of the best bottles from Philip’s cellar… fully mature vintages of classics such as Beaucastel 2000, Fonsalette 1998, Grand Tinel 2001, and Gigondas “Cuvee Florence” 2003.

Day 6: Au Revoir!
After eating a relaxing breakfast surrounded by Provençal countryside, say goodbye to Provence however you see fit. Take a last loop ride around Malaucene, sip a traditional French café, or finish your shopping in the village's market. We’ll see you off at the Avignon TGV train station as you head on to your next destination.

A few words and phrases you’ll definitely find useful in Provence:

Pastis: sweet, anise-flavored aperitif, served ice cold.

Tapenade: puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil.

Calissons: candy with a paste of candied fruit and ground almonds topped with a thin layer of white icing.

Crème brulee: Provence’s favorite custard.

Herbes de Provence: a mixture of herbs available in a sachet so you can take a little of Provence home with you. 

Promenade digestive: the long walk you’ll feel like taking right after dinner at almost any restaurant in Provence.