Smell and touch … the history of the vines and wines

The Espace Rabelais is an old private hotel in Bagnols-sur-Cèze that has been tastefully restored. Here visitors of all kinds will feel at home, including children, who can have fun reading free notebooks about vines and grapes, all of which are translated into English.

Acquaint yourself with wine and food tasting in the company of the winemaker and a local artisan producer.

In addition to two museum rooms, this free-entry wine tourism centre, which is part of the Vineyards & Discoveries network, also organizes tastings of the Côtes-du-Rhône Gardoises wines all year round , (on Wednesdays, during the local market), as well as free-of-charge wine and food presentations in the company of the artisan producer and the winemaker, and introductions to ticketed wine tastings. In summer, it’s time for unusual wine tastings (in caves!), walks through the vineyards, and visits to the wine cellars.

Make your own road movie between Hermitage and Saint-Joseph

Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph are famous names known to enthusiasts of Côtes-du-Rhône wines. The rainbow menu displayed on your smartphone when you visit the “D’Hermitage en Saint-Joseph” website is an invitation to discover a hundred or so “Vineyards & Discoveries” vineyards on both sides of the Rhône River .

An invitation to discover around one hundred vineyards that are part of the Vineyards & Discoveries network.

Choose from a wealth of wine cellars, wine tastings, restaurants, accommodation, leisure activities, cultural sites, walks and camping car sites. All you need to do to create your own intinerary is click on each category and then select the stages you would like to include. If you geolocate your position, you can see what’s on offer nearest to where you are. The places you have selected are then organized into a list or a map, as you prefer, and your future trip is saved for reference.

A fun and friendly experience while learning how to taste wine and talk about it

Have you always wanted to do a wine tasting but were afraid to try? Put aside your doubts. This workshopis made for you! You’re a wine enthusiast? That’s no problem either: just forget your prejudices and you’re likely to be surprised! 

Here, it’s not about intellectualizing wine tasting, which is, above all, a sensory and emotional experience.

 

With masked bottles and black wine glasses, the sommelier helps the participants learn the basics of tasting, through the many clues revealed during the workshop: colour, intensity, aromatic profile, balance. From white to red, and not forgetting rosé, the sommelier introduces the main types and styles of wines in a one-hour tasting of a selection of 3 world wines (accompanied by bread sticks). An opportunity to let go of apprehensions and awaken the senses and olfactory memories without being influenced by the appearance or the label!

Discover the Chateau de Chambert, the largest organic vineyard in the Cahors district; taste Malbec wine and local fine foods in an exceptional setting. An ideal destination for the whole family!

Chambert, whose winemaking heritage stretches back three centuries, is a natural wonder where wild flowers flourish and butterflies flutter among the grape vines. Perfectly situated on the Cahors plateau at an altitude of 300 metres, Chateau de Chambert looks over the entire Lot Valley. The largest organic winery in the Cahors district, it covers 65 hectares of the most beautiful high hills wine country, all cultivated organically. These world-famous wines are distributed exclusively by Rigal.

A story is hidden behind each bottle of Chambert...

Walk among the grape vines with a guide and discover the secrets of the organic cultivation of the famous Malbec grape variety, emblematic of the Cahors district, and Merlot. Then visit the historic cellars where you will enter the world of winemaking and discover the fermentation and ageing of the wines. A story is hidden behind each bottle of Chambert!

Exceptional wine country for lovers of fine food and wines!

While the adults enjoy a tasting of the winery’s organic vintages, the children can participate in activities focused on the natural environment and have fun with the farm animals in a hundred-year-old park. Then sit down at the Bistro de Chambert, a new space which has been authentically renovated in the style of a nineteenth-century stone barn. From the outdoor terrace, you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the vineyard. Savour the local delicacies, cooked meats and cheeses, accompanied by wines from the Chateau de Chambert, available by the glass or the bottle. The menu also offers a large selection of other French wines, organic craft beers and non-alcoholic drinks, which go well with a salad of in-season vegetables or a tasty desert!

Pick up a map at the Bistro, and for an after-lunch stroll follow the marked path which crosses the Malbec and Merlot grape vines. Enjoy the unique beauty of this place, an unmissable stop for lovers of fine food and wine along the savour-rich south-west route.