Rhone Winery Visits

I know this will surprise all of you, but we've visited some wineries this week!!  The only thing that really IS surprising is that we haven't done it every day like on most trips!  Hasn't hindered our wine consumption......just consuming on a more informal basis.

                                   

That's Olivier and he was our guide for the day.  This dude knows his stuff.  He's a Britt transplanted in Provence and he's really an expert on the region.

The French believe that wine is all about the terrior.  See that crappy terrior?  Crappy terrior = tasty wine!  

We started off at Domaine la Soumade tasting some Rasteau and Gigondas.   Yummy.

It was even better when he pulled out the cheese.

Then it was off to Chene Bleu which means Blue Oak.  I think it was Oak.  Anyhoo, seems this tree on the property was not doing so well so they sprayed it with some sort of blue chemicals to try and save it.  Didn't work but it gave them a perfect name for the winery.

This beautifully restored priory, La Verriere, is part of the property and is used for corporate events, weddings, etc.  It's stunning.

We were lucky enough to have a private tasting along with delicious lunch specifically paired with their wines.

Hunky American chef!

Hunky hubs being goofy!  He said this tree reminded him of "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame.  Hmmm.

Our last stop was Chateauneuf du Pape which had some beautiful views of the Rhone river.

This little guy is Fargo who lived at Domain de Montpertuis.  He followed us on the entire tour and tasting looking for belly rubs.

Chateauneuf do Pape is my favorite of the Rhone wines so I enjoyed this stop the most!

We had a great day and learned a bunch.  Thanks, Olivier!