Ill be staying in Aix for 3 days in a couple of weeks with a car, and would like to check out some winerys. They dont have to be huge famous ones, but it would be nice to stop in, maybe get a tour and buy some bottles.
We plan on driving to Arles one day and to Avignon another day, so is there perhaps some noteworthy ones on the way, or even inside those cities?
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Check with the Offices de Tourisme in both cities -- they%26#39;ll have lots of information about wineries and possible tours.
Alternately, just keep your eyes open while driving from one place to another -- look for signs that say %26quot;Vin a Vendre%26quot; or %26quot;Degustation%26quot; -- most of the smaller houses don%26#39;t have formal advertising, and will welcome you to come in, chat with the vigneron, and sample their wares. These are wonderful experiences, usually -- you%26#39;re dealing with the folks who actually make the wines (look for the calloused hands and sun-weathered skin) -- they%26#39;re justifiably proud of their products, and they%26#39;ll happily answer all your questions.
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This is a popular winery nearby:
http://www.val-joanis.com/
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If you are in the Avignon area and have a car you can try the Southern Rhone wneries within an afternoon. We just did this. Chateneuf du Pape had hundreds of wineries, very good ones can be found but expensive, and some with attitude. We really enjoyed Carraine - there is a store on the main square that sells wines from 20+ local producers. The person who operates it is serious and knows his stuff, but not at all condescending. You can get real good reds (to age and vintage) for 6-16 euros. Enjoy! Its lovely to drive around the countryside...
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Ah sounds like theres plenty of options then.
Thanks!
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AceKittyHawk -- I think you mean Cairanne -- and yes, that %26quot;wine guy%26quot; is really good.
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Loved Avignon....like AceKittyHawk, we also drove up to Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, a short-drive from Avignon, to check out the wineries. Not knowing what to expect, we ended up having a great time chatting with one of the local wine veterans at a place we found after walking around the town. I had a list of top rated wineries that I copied before the trip, but probably should have done some more research to pinpoint the location of my targeted wineries.
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Don%26#39;t worry about targeting, unless you just happen to have a favorite at your house. Change your objective a bit -- to finding something new.
France is scattered with wineries whose production is more than enough to provide a living for the vigneron and his family, but not enough to support any significant commercial distribution outside the immediate area, and absolutely cannot support international distribution. The small independents frequently have fabulous wines, and you%26#39;re highly likely to find a really wonderful wine produced by a label that simply isn%26#39;t available in your home town, and never will be.
Visit the office of tourism, who will be very happy to help you arrange visits, if you don%26#39;t just wander and see who has a sign out.
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You might want to check out %26quot;Discovering Wine Country, South of France%26quot; and %26quot;Touring in Wine Country, The Rhone.%26quot;
They are wonderful books that will give you a good understanding of the region and its%26#39; wineries as well as suggestions for day-trips.
On the way to Arles you might want to consider exploring one or two of the vinyards in the Vallee des Baux (Mas de la Dame, Mas de Gorgonier, or Mas Ste. Berthe) and, while you%26#39;re in the area, remember to check out the Mas des Barres Olive Mill and the Olive Oil Cooperative in Maussane - they produce olive oils that are recognized as being some of the best in the world.
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If you are traveling from Aix to Avignon on the old N7 - look out for Chateau Beaupre - adirt track on the right. Well worth a trip.
If you can when in the Avignon area try Gigondas again a wine shop in the village but also some local Cooperative Caves for tasting.
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