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The Telegraph (19 Aug 08) includes a boat trip up the Rhone Valley as one of its top 10 river cruises:

Navigating France’s mightiest river is a favourite for wine aficionados and foodies. A cruise through Burgundy and Provence gives you the chance to visit vineyards (think Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape), explore Lyon – the gourmet capital of France – and enjoy historic towns such as the fortified city of Avignon and the Roman ruins in Arles. The countryside is equally superb: its fields of lavender and sunflowers were an inspiration for artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, and as the river drains into the Mediterranean you’ll see the famous white horses of the Camargue.

The route includes many worthwhile stops for visits to suit all tastes, but it is also remarkably rich in potential wine visits as you’ll pass through appellations such as Costieres de Nimes, Cotes du Rhone (north and south), Lirac, Tavel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, St Joseph and Hermitage - and if you branch onto the River Saone north of Lyon you can explore Beuajolais and southern Burgundy!

It should come as little surprise that rivers and canals tend to offer good access to good vineyards - vines often grow best on the steep valley sides with their good drainage and aspect to the sun.

A more modest trip than the Rhone, could be a canal trip from Auxerre (89 Yonne, Burgundy) close to Chablis and down the Canal de Bourgogne to Dijon and the Burgundy vineyards; or a trip down the Canal Lateral de la Loire for Sancerre AC, Pouilly-Fumé and Coteaux Giennois. By using the Canal du Nivernais and the Canal de Briare you could even manage a circular route via Auxerre.

Of course, Rick Stein’s French Odyssey was based on a canal trip along the Canal du Midi and the Canal Lateral de la Garonne and included the vineyards of Bordeaux, Cotes du Marmandais, Buzet, Fronton, Minervois, Corbieres and the Coteaux du Languedoc.

For another set of options try Hilary Wright’s book Water into Wine: A Wine Lover’s Journey Through The Waterways of France which also includes itineraries in the lower Loire. Cognac, Alsace, Lorraiine and the Lot.

For more info on the canals of France see the website for VNF (Voies Navigable de la France) now much improved and in English!

Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times (12 May 08) talks about the growing number of Brits who have followed their dream and bought a vineyard in France.

It is hardly surprising then that a substantial proportion of the hundreds of thousands of Brits who own French property have been tempted by the apparently bucolic life of a vigneron……
Are there any French winemakers left down there?
I asked Walter McKinlay, whose Domaine de Mourchon southern Rhône wines are some of the most successful from a British domaine, whether his Domaine de Mourchon wines were financially viable. He frowned. “Just about,” he said cautiously, then smiled. “But it’s a lovely lifestyle though.”

My own observation would be that it can be incredibly hard work and despite the attractions of the climate, landscape and the French way of life, it can also be very stressful. And as with all winemakers, a bad harvest, particularly in the early years can be devastating.

So, here’s our list of British vineyard owners (and 1 Irish couple) - that we are aware of (not an exhaustive list I am sure). Visits can be much more informative if the language is no barrier:-

Domaine de Laroux - Cotes de Gascogne, Armagnac (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) - Nick and Karen Kitchener
Chateau Haut Garrigue - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Sean and Caroline Feely (the Irish couple running an organic vineyard also known as Wild Earth Vineyards)
Domaine de Fontenay - Cote Roannaise AC (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes) - Simon and Isabelle Hawkins

Chateau Richard - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Richard Doughty

Domaine de Merchien - Coteaux du Quercy and beer! (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees - David & Sarah Meakin

Clos d’Yvigne - Cotes de Bergeac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Patricia Atkinson

Chateau des Milles Anges - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Cadillac AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Heather van Ekris

Chateau Lezongars - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Philip and Sarah Iles

Chateau Teyssier - Saint Emilion Grand Cru AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Jonathan and Lyn Maltus

Chateau de Sours - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Esme & Sara Johnson

Domaine Gourdon - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - John Coulthard
Domaine du Grand Mayne - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - Andrew Gordon
Domaine de Begude - Limoux AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Catherine and James Kinglake
Domaine de Mourchon - Cotes du Rhone Seguret AC (84 Vaucluse, Provence) - Walter McKinley
Maison des Bulliats - Regnie AC Beaujolais (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) - Fred and Helen Lockwood
Chateau Méaume - Bordeaux Superieure AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Alan and Sue Johnson-Hill

Domaine a Sauvageonne - Coteaux du Languedoc AC, Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc - Roussillon) - Gavin Crisfield

Domaine Sainte Rose - Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Charles and Ruth Simpson

Chateau Bauduc - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Gavin and Angela Quinney

Domaine Sainte Croix - Corbieres AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Jon & Elizabeth Bowen

Chateau Monplaisir - Bergerac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - David and Helen Baxter

Chateau du Seuil  - Graves AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Sean and Nicola Allison

Evening Jazz concerts in the vineyards of the Southern Rhone

1 September 2007 – Cairanne

27 October 2007 – Visan

17 November 2007 – Cairanne

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For some Canadian friends we put together some ideas from our experience to demonstrate how best to do a few days wine touring in the southern Rhône Valley. This is such a rich area to visit - scenically, historically and from a wine (and food) perspective.

We chose to base the tour in St Remy de Provence (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) a few miles south of Avignon for easy access to Les Baux de Provence, Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne, Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Others will choose different start points and other vineyards - importantly we think wine tours need to be paced, as an over-indulgence can dull the senses and diminish the enjoyment. And there are so many other things to do in the region, as well as just relax in the delightful climate and atmosphere of Provence.

For more info see www.frenchduck.co.uk

The Domaine la Fourmone and its sister vineyard l’Oustau Fauquet produce top quality Vacquyras AC, Gigondas AC and Côtes du Rhône wines -
More info about the domaine
see map Read more on this…

Côtes du Rhône AC is an appellation which covers a wide range of wines in terms of quality and style. The bulk production is in the southern Rhône valley, although some is also made in the northern Rhone along with the likes of Hermitage and St Joseph. The appellation covers 6 departements - Ardèche, Drôme, Gard, Loire, Rhône and Vaucluse. As the valley broadens and flattens vast areas are under vine producing wines which vary from the rustic to the almost sublime. So unless you know the producer or are lucky you may end up with rough and ready rather than superb.
Hence the named villages of the Côtes du Rhône tend to offer rather more of a guarantee of better quality. These villages are on the higher slopes along the valley sides - and hence the wines tend to have more mineral character and lower yield - the slopes offer better drainage and exposure to the sun, whilst the roots have to go deeper to reach mositure - all of which tends to produce better wines.
Cairanne, Chusclan, Laudun,Rasteau, Sablet, Seguret, Valreas and Visan are probably the best known (see map) - with both Rasteau and Cairanne having successful co-operative cellars. Most of these villages lie on the left bank of the Rhône, stretching northwest of Avignon (except for Chusclan and Laudun which are further west). This is an area which also include Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Beaumes-de-Venise, which were formerly named villages which have been elevated to appellations in their own right.
The main red grape varieties used are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - although it must be noted that Côtes du Rhône is also made in white and rose styles - but in relatively small quantities.
As you may imagine there are many producers making good wines, so any recommendations are personal rather than objective.
For Côtes du Rhône Villages - Cairanne, try the wines of Domaine Rabasse-Charavin, where Corinne Couturier makes some stunning unfiltered wines. She also produces Côtes du Rhône Villages - Rasteau equally good, but more powerful than the more elegant Cairanne - available form Berry Bros & Rudd
Oddbins stocks the Côtes du Rhône Villages - Sablet from Chateau du Trignon - “The nose has spicy notes of liquorice and white pepper combined with ripe blackberries. The palate has more flavours of black fruits wrapped in spicy Provençal herbs and crunchy tannins.”
Meanwhile Gauntleys of Nottingham have a good selection including a seldom seen Vinsobres (sober wine?) from Chateau de Beaucastel.

In more general tems the wines from the big name negociants such as Guigal, Chapoutier and Jaboulet are always reliable and often superb. SImilarly the better cuvées from the co-ops at Rasteau amd Cairanne can be good value.

As elsewhere in France, there is a hierarchy of appellations which can be an indicator of quality, but is essentially a increasingly narrow focus on the area of production - so Côtes du Rhône AC is vast; Côtes du Rhône-Villages AC is restricted to wines made only in the designated villages, whilst an individual villages AC such as Côtes du Rhône - Sablet AC can only be produced within the named village.
See map
Anthony Rose in the Independent (10 Feb 07) recommends the 2004 Domaine des Amadieu, Vieilles Vignes from Cairanne “an aromatic blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre from the award-winning wine merchants Stone, Vine & Sun“

For more info on the wines of the Côtes du Rhône see www.vins-rhone.com

Now that most of the grape harvest is over, except for late harvest-style dessert wines, the attention now moves to that other vine - the olive.
In Provence in particular many wine domaines will also grow olive vines (e.g. Mas Sainte Berthe at les Baux de Provence (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence)). So for a different take on a late autumn break you could always get the TGV down to Avignon and make your way out to a neat B&B near Beaumes-de-Venise (84 Vaucluse, Provence) where you can indulge in an olive-themed weekend - stroll around the olive groves, take part in the harvest, and enjoy the olive-dominated cuisine of yout hosts.
The Mas de l’Evajade is a farmhouse in the midst of the vineyards and the olive groves where you can enjoy the view over the Dentelles de Montmirail.. “Take part in gathering the olives with your host. Visit the olive mill and taste your hosts’ cuisine, based on olive oil of course.”
It is a delightful corner of Provence, close to Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And of course, although the sweet white Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is well-known in the UK, Beaumes-de-Venise is an important Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation making seriously good red, rosé and dry white wines. There is a good co-operative in the village.
Our favourite recommendation would be the Domaine la Fourmone in nearby Vacqueyras/

Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Gigondas AC
Producer: Domaine la Fourmone
Grapes: Grenache

2 principal cuvées produced - Cuvée Traditionelle and the Cuvée Cigaloun both very rich and high in alcohol. Wonderfully spicy overtones, with the Cigaloun balancing the spice with really good fruit.

From selected plots, velvet colour, spicy nose,grilled aromas, palate delight.

… When it nears the lavender she stops singing.
“Canto ! Canto ! Cigaloun !” says the poet quietly at it becomes his friend…

As ALLEZ VINS! UK French wine merchants we imported the wines of Domaine la Fourmone and l’Oustau Fauquet for many years,
Madame Combe produces high quality intense wines using traditional techniques from the domaine nestling under the Dentelles mountains.Significantly the wines are not filtered, which enables them to retain all the structure and body of these concentrated, powerful and charming wines. Roger Combe, the patriarch of the domaine, is a real Provencal and a renowned poet in the region. You will find Provencal phrases on the labels. The name “Fourmone” is believed to come from the Latin “Fromentum” (wheat), widely grown in the wide expanses of the Rhône valley.
The domaine is situated just north of the village of Vacqueyras, north of Carpentras in the southern Rhône Valley , and in the lee of the Dentelles de Montmirail - a series of jagged edged hills - see map
You can be assured of a warm welcome to the winery (except in February when they are usually closed).

The southern Rhône is dominated by a wide flat valley floor, which is intensively planted with vines. However, the better wines come from the slopes and hills on the valley sides, where the soils, drainage and aspect produce wines with more character and maturity.

Gigondas (under the label “l’Oustau Fauquet” is a seriously rich heavy wine - “drink with spoon” being one of my tasting notes for a particularly extraordinary vintage. It is in many respects similar to the nearby Chateauneuf-du-Pape AC wines - more info

Vaqueyras is a tad lighter, and is best known for its velvety smoothness overlying a spicy character. ” - more detailed info

Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Vacqeyras AC
Producer: Domaine la Fourmone
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah
Several cuvées are produced - Tresor du Poete, Sélection Maître de Chais and Cuvée des Ceps d’or. There is also a White Vacqueyras - Cuvée Fleurantine!
Big powerful and velvety smooth spicy Rhône red - excellent (S.Rhône) Made from Grenache and Syrah grapes, manually picked. It is the smoothness of Vacqueyras which is its keynote - which derives from the Syrah grape. Vacqueyras was the second of the Côtes du Rhône villages to be upgraded to full appellation status (after Gigondas) - recognised for its big powerful character.

Guide Hachette des Vins de France 2002:
“Recommended 2** (remarkable wine) in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2002. “This is a very complete and fairly complex wine like most produced on this estate. Subtle hints of nuts, spices and garrigue (moorland) wild herbs, plus a tiny touch of mint, give an attractively original taste.The volme and strength of this wine are impressive. Full and rich this poetical treasure inspires lyrics and will be remembered. Delightfully refreshing, it should be sampled right now!!”

Website: http://www.domaine-la-fourmone.com

Yet another wine festival - this time at Cairanne (84 Vaucluse, Provence) one of the southern Cotes du Rhone Villages on Sunday 23 July 2006 - northwest of Orange - see map
Wine Festivals are abundant between mid July and early September for several reasons - firstly there tend to be lots of tourists around to imbibe and hopefully buy some wine; secondly it is an opportunity to get rid of the previous year’s wine before the new vintage arrives in a month or so; and it is not a busy time for the vigneron - no pruning to do, the cellar should be quiet with last year’s wines settled, and the vats clean and empty for the new vintage - maybe a bit of spraying to do, or leaf cutting to let the sun ripen the berries. It is indeed often the time when winemakers grab a week or so holiday before the hard work of harvesting and wine fermentation begin.

In Cairanne the wines are predominantly red in the Rhone style using Grenache (50% minimum), with Syrah or Mourvèdre making up at least a further 20%. Rosé and white wines are also produced. The reds are generally of good quality, Cairanne being above the valley floor on the higher land, so better drainage and more mineral character.

The Co-operative de Cairanne tends to dominate production, but does produce some very good wines.

Leon Stolarski Fine Wines has a good selection including one of my old favourites from Domaine Rabasse-Charavin: “Rich, baked fruit aromas, with hugely concentrated flavours of blackcurrants, damsons, fruitcake and spice, gentle tannins and a note of liquorice on the finish. World class. “17/20 points. Drink 2005-12. Mellow, lively, racier than many 2001s with even a hint of spritz but pretty strapping.” (Jancis Robinson, December 2005). ”

For more info see www.vignerons-cairanne.com