Best way to taste and buy small local vineyards in one place. Owner named Laura offers whites,…read moreroses and reds from more than 30 small wineries and is very knowledgeable and helpful in her presentation. Prices are very reasonable. Absolutely recommend especially as an intro to the area.

Making it to all the vineyards in Vacqueyras for tastings would take a few days and surely disrupt…read moremore than a few hard working winemakers but YES(!) you can taste the best Vacqueyras has to offer and it can be done with just one stop at the charming Caveau du Vacqueyras in the heart of this little wine village. We were returning from Barolo with a car full of nebbiolo and had only a few hours to stop for some Gigondas and Vacqueryas. Short on time, we were thrilled to find this caveau that had opened since our last visit. Do remember to turn off the main road towards the Mairie (Mayor) and wind around to this little stone Caveau across from the town bar and massive trees but DO NOT get it mixed up with the large modern building on the main road "Les vignerons du Character" (which is a glorified gift shop with no character, selling only a few brands of wine which are not great.) We made this mistake several times before finding the much more authentic Caveau du Vacqueryas and it's lovely owner Laura, who decided to get back to her family roots and open this cave. Her grandparents were in the wine business in Vacqueyras years ago. Laura is knowledgeable and a very helpful young woman and knows the nuances of every different wine from all the many winemakers in Vacqueyras. She and her staff can help point you to wines just perfect for your particular palate. She is a pleasure to buy from with her great knowledge but also because of her incredible prices which are the same as you get if visiting and buying directly from the vineyards. And please do buy if you can (we want her to stay open!)... the tasting is free but remember you are there in Vacqueyras not just to enjoy this precious wine but to take some of it's incredible yummy-goodness home with you or on your travels at the very least. You'll pay a fraction of the cost that you would anywhere else in Europe or the states or even in other parts of France for Vacqueyras so stock up and store this nectar for years to come. And do not forget the white wine of Vacqueryas --it too is divine! Laura and staff can help ship it home for you if needed. We're thrilled to have found this cave in one of our favorite wine villages and we will be back to add new years to our collection in the future. Bonne chance Laura et Merci beaucoup!

This place had great wines as well as a great winery. I saw so much history and passion as I was…read morewalking through the winery. The wine tasting was great and so was everyone that was helping us. It's great to have people that treat you like friends rather than customers. Great experience!

Was truly looking forward to visiting the winery is one of my favorites. Hostess was ridiculous…read morewanted to charge us 20 euros a piece unless we brought a bottle. Then preceded to send us down to the wine cellar without escort. Are wine tasting, she blew though it and rushed us out the door. Big fail.

I loved each winery that I visited in Chateauneuf du Pape but Clos du Mont Olivet was probably my…read morefavorite. We did not get a tour of the winery because the place was busy with harvesting but still had a wonderful time. David was such a great host and provided us with great stories about the generation of wine making in his family. David was friendly and very hilarious. The red wines were very intense, complex, and probably one of the better reds that I've tasted in the area. This is a must visit when you're wine tasting.

It's a beautiful estate. Too bad the actual wine tasting is sterile, uninspiring, with staff that…read moreare rude and can't wait to see you leave. Hard pass.

A beautiful and stunning Chateau and winery with an amazing selection of reds, whites and roses…read morewines (not to mention the great selection of the shop). The view on the Ventoux and the village of Mormoiron are stunning. A must visit for people who want a local experience.

My family had an absolutely amazing tour/tasting today with Julie!!!!! She was extraordinaire. She…read morehad not only knowledge about the wines but a sincere infectious passion about the wine and region. I would HIGHLY recommend going to taste at Chateau de la Gardine! Thank you Julie for a perfect memory and experience to last a lifetime!

We had a tour and tasting at this Château, and it was the highlight of our visit to…read moreChâteauneuf-du-Pape. We began on the front porch of the Château, which overlooks the Rhone valley. To the left we could see the Pope's Château that gave the region its name. Straight ahead, the winding Rhone river glimmered in the morning sun. And to the right we saw another castle, Chateau de Lercs, the former summer home of the pope before he moved up the mountain. Movad grapes grow in the limestone hills surrounding the Château. Just beside the house, the soil is sandy with some rock, so it's planted with syrah. White grapes flourish in the more sandy soil. This family has 40 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, only red and white grapes. The Château de la Gardine Home and winery is halfway between the two Pope's castles, and is called Gardine because it was the original guard tower the Romans built to guard the village. The house was built in the 18th century around the tower, and was owned my the abbey of Avignon until Gaston Brunelle bought the home and vineyard after World War II. Gaston was an ambitious and knowledgeable marketer, and in 1950 he became the first Châteauneuf de Pape winemaker to export to the United States. Today, Canada and Europe is big for Chateau de la Gardine, and half of their sales are to high end restaurants in France.Their total production is 180,000 bottles from their 54 hectares of vineyards. This is a relatively Low production per hectare because the vines are an average of 50 years old. As lovers of fine wines know, this results in less fruit, more concentration, and a bold and complex wine when the vinyeron is skilled. On the day we visited, the Chateau was bottling wine. Their own special bottle shape is not perfectly round, so it needs special handling. The chateau's bottling machine handles only 3000 bottles per hour, which is slower than most. Chateau de la Gardine Bottles were handmade until the 1950s. Today they are made with a mold, and they change it every 5 years to prevent forgeries. First we tasted the Château St roche cotes du Rhone. This rich table wine has a cherry flavor with sour finish. Guillame shared with us that he is playing a part in growing a new appellation, Rasteau, which was classified as a cru in 2010. The Rasteau is from a higher area on the mountains and is fermented in only concrete tanks with 75 percent grenache and 25 percent Syrah. It has a lot of fruit expression and a fresh, spicy flavor with minerality on the finisher. Named after the first Brunel owner of the Chateau de la Gardine, Gaston Philippe their highest end wine. It is aged in large wood vats then in new oak. We absolutely loved this wine and brought home several bottles to share with friends and family. This chateau is just beautiful and I highly recommend a visit!

Came here with our wine guide. It's got the oldest wine cave in the region. It's interesting to see…read morehow wine was made using the storage here. There were a couple of small windows you can peek into and see the large vats of wine fermenting. The tasting room was just remodeled last year. It's very modern, but I feel like it loses some of its old world charm because of how modern it is. Guess the times have to keep moving on. When you're here, be sure to take a look at the chateau where the winemaker lives. It's exactly what you'd imagine a winery chateau would look like. It also has some terrific views of the grounds.

This wine tasting was amazing! Our host was so knowledgable and her English was so easy to…read moreunderstand. The best wine tasting we had in Chateauneuf du pape. Because they do not represent a single producer, they are able to find the best products and really focus on great wine. And the ambiance in the cave was incredible. If you are in Chateauneuf du pape for wine tasting, you must go!

We had an incredible wine tasting at Les Caves St. Charles on a recent visit to…read moreChâteauneuf-du-Pape. The area has such a rich wine growing history with so many different wine styles to sample. We couldn't believe that Les Caves offers FREE 60-minute wine tastings, and scheduling could not be easier on Les Caves' user-friendly website. We arrived and were greeted by a lovely, knowledgeable woman who enthusiastically guided us downstairs into an intimate, private tasting room. Les Caves has several private tasting rooms, each below ground and designed as mini caves. For an hour our host guided us through six different local wines, each distinctive in style. At the conclusion, we were free to exit Les Caves owing nothing. Of course, we bought a mixed case of fantastic wine that can't be purchased in the U.S. Les Caves was a highlight of our visit to this legendary wine growing region.

We had a delightful cellar tour on the beautiful property in English with Pierre. He was a…read morecharming and delightful gentleman who is very proud of his family winery. The wines were delicious and he educated us greatly about the grapes and wine style of Chatenuef de Pape. We were able to purchase their wonderful wines to take home. The winery has a special place in history of France's AOC regulations! Ask them when you go.

We had a wine tour here on a non-busy afternoon in August. The hostess was very friendly and…read moreaccommodating on the phone and in person. English is welcome. We arrived on time and were immediately taken into the heart of this historic winery. Apparently it was started by the area leader who also initiated the entire wine region system of France. Chateau neuf de pape is the first recognized region in all of France so the tour took on some meaning for us knowing this. Fortia bottles their own wine, 5 varieties all red and two whites. We saw their historic aging and production areas, the guide gave meaningful information and responded to questions well. The oak casks are fascinating as are the stacks of bottles aging in the cellar. Apparently they build and destroy the vast casks on-site as they are so huge and cost 40k euro a piece! Fascinating. The tasting followed and was as smooth as the wine. We particularly enjoyed the traditional reds, full of flavor from the oak casks. The guide knew the region well and explained the Rhone river valley and it's relation to the winery. We bought a number of bottles, very pleased with the day.