Is Châteauneuf-du-Pape worth visiting?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine is world-famous but is it worth visiting Châteauneuf-du-Pape in southern Rhône?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape castle & village - Source: Wine Keller
Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine, with its distinctive embossed bottle and image of the Pope’s crossed keys, is probably one of the most well-known and exclusive wines in the world. We expect a lot from Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine - and pay a lot for it - and we like to give it to wine-loving friends and family, especially at Christmas!
But what do we really know about this famous wine and is it worth visiting Châteauneuf-du-Pape in southern Rhône?
Read on to see what we discovered when we included Châteauneuf-du-Pape on a southern Rhône wine tour!
Also see our video below!
Why is Châteauneuf-du-Pape so famous?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates as ‘Pope’s new castle’ and it relates to a time between 1309–1377 when the seat of the Roman Catholic church was in nearby Avignon (about 18km north driving). Under the reign of Pope John XXII, a papal summer residence was built in nearby Châteauneuf and the remains of the Popes’ castle dominate the village today.
Olive trees and 600-800 hectares of vines were planted on the stony ground around the castle and the resulting wines were soon granted the status of ‘Vins du Pape’, opening the doors to the great European courts.
The extending of the village name to ‘Châteauneuf-du-Pape’ in 1893 helped to reinforce its place in history, as did the quality and reputation of its wines. The wine is forever associated with the Popes of Avignon and no other French wine region has such an illustrious history and reputation.
Read more about Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s history.
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards surrounding the ruins of the Pope’s castle - Source: Wine Keller
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation in the southern Rhône region. It sits at the heart of this large, southern French wine region, located between the popular cities of Avignon and Orange, in the département of Vaucluse, in north-west Provence.
It is surrounded by several other excellent wine villages and appellations, for example Gigondas and Vacqueyras - perhaps less famous - but nonetheless highly reputable.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the birthplace of France’s Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées (AOCs). It was awarded its own and the very first AOC designation in 1936, as a result of wanting to control production of their famous wine. This of course, has further propelled and cemented its status in the world of wine.
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation covers over 3000 hectares and includes 5 wine villages/towns: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthézon, Bédarrides, Sorgues and Orange . The vineyards are farmed by around 300 ambitious family estates and winemakers, many of whom own a variety of different plots, from which they create the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape red blends.
The famous embossed Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottle and emblem
In 1937, following the awarding of its protected status, the union of the owners of the appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape decided to create a unique bottle to further promote and protect its special wine.
The famous bottle with its embossed emblem symbolising a papal tiara placed above the keys of St. Peter with the inscription ‘Châteauneuf-du-Pape contrôlé’ written in Gothic letters, continues to promote and protect the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape brand around the world today
Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘galets roulés’
The climate in this region is typically Mediterranean - hot and dry - and the vines are often buffeted by the strong mistral wind.
The soils are poor and stony and are very varied across the region. Châteauneuf-du-Pape however is known for one outstanding geographical feature, called ‘galets roulés’. These are large, round, yellowish stones, which were washed down from the Alps millions of years ago and have become synonymous with Châteauneuf-du-Pape, despite only existing in certain locations.
The galet stones absorb the sun’s heat and help to keep the vines warm in the night and to ripen. We were excited to see these ‘galets’ and actually brought one home with us - it now has pride of place in our ‘Mediterranean garden’ at home!
Read more about the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.
What type of wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Some of France’s most potent, but individual-style wines come from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Over 90% of production is red wine. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blended wine and the predominant grape variety is Grenache.
What makes this wine so unique is that the blend may contain up to 13 different permitted grape varieties (18 if you include the different colour versions of the same grape). This helps to explain the huge range of wine styles produced in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Other key grape varieties include Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault.
Grenache is a grape which needs to fully ripen, which helps to keep the alcohol levels high, a growing challenge for winemakers here with the impact of climate change. Wines are therefore potent and also best aged, not drunk young. Wines are typically full, warm, spicy and full of ripe fruits. Some are aged in small oak barrels (barriques), some in larger tanks.
The white wines can be outstanding and can age incredibly well. Typical white grape varieties include Roussanne and Bourboulenc.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape vines - Source: Wine Keller
Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine estates
There are many wine estates and producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Prestigious and more famous producers include:
We were also recommended the following for their wine visits:
See here for a list of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine estates.
Discovering Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines
We spent a day in Châteauneuf-du-Pape whilst doing a week’s tour of the southern Rhône. We were based in the nearby wine village of Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape was always on our itinerary - for 2 reasons - the reputation of its wines and wanting to see the famous Châteauneuf ‘galet’ stones. So was the trip worth it? Absolutely!!
The village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is nothing special, many of the surrounding wine villages are more spectacular - however - the famous ruined papal castle is impressive and to just experience these very famous vineyards up close is very special, if you’re a lover of wine!
Visit to Château de Beaucastel
Before going into the village we paid a quick visit to one of the region’s most prestigious wine estates and one of the leading pioneers in organic and biodynamic farming, Château de Beaucastel.
Château de Beaucastel is located north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in Courthézon and comprises 100 hectares of vineyards, planted with all of the 13 permitted grape varieties. Their focus is to use all varieties to create the most perfect blended wines. The majority is AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape but about one quarter of their production is Côtes du Rhône.
With origins dating back to the 16th century, Château de Beaucastel is today a 5th generation family wine estate, belonging to the Perrin family, who are considered one of the most important organic vineyard owners in the whole southern Rhône region.
You cannot taste the wines at the estate, but it was wonderful to see the beautiful manor house, the olive trees and the stunning vineyards with their famous galet stones. It’s a really magical place but you can only visit by appointment only.
Please note that since this article was written, Château de Beaucastel was listed at no. 34 in the 2023 list of the ‘World’s Best Vineyards’!
For tasting the Château de Beaucastel and Perrin family wines you need to head into the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the central square, Place du Portail, to the Famille Perrin shop.
You can access Famille Perrin wines broadly online - take the opportunity to learn more about them here.
Where to taste a range of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines?
We decided that we would like to taste a range of these famous wines and after a bit of research we discovered Vinadea.
Vinadea is a ‘Maison des vins’ which promotes wines from all across the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region. You can taste different styles of wines from different estates and you can purchase at the same price as purchasing direct from the domaine.
Vinadea is conveniently located on the main street in the village, just down from the tourist information centre. There are lots of options for wine tasting here, but we spent an informative hour at Vinadea and highly recommend it as an introduction to Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines!
Exploring Châteauneuf-du-Pape village
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a surprisingly small village despite its huge reputation, situated on a rocky hillside close to the River Rhône. It is a typically Provençal, fortified village, dominated by the ruin of the ‘Château des Papes’, the ‘Papal Castle’.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Office de Tourisme
The first port of call for us was the local tourist office on the Rue de la République - always a good place to start for recommendations and local maps. From here you can easily walk through the village’s little streets and view the main sites. There is ample parking in the centre of the village. You can walk up steps to the château, but it’s quite a climb, so an alternative is to visit the château separately by driving round and parking up there.
A great place to rest, get your bearings and enjoy something to drink or perhaps some lunch, is the Place du Portail, the location of the original entrance into the village. Here you can see the beautiful fountain ‘La Grande Fontaine’ and ancient washhouse.
You can then wander up towards the château, going past the town hall and the beautiful Roman church of ‘Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption.
Le Château des Papes
The main reason to go up to the château is the amazing 360 degree view right across the Rhône Valley - it really is spectacular! You can see Avignon in the distance, the one-time seat of the Popes. Only one tower of the castle remains today, along with the ruins of the west façade. Sadly, much was destroyed at the end of the 2nd world war.
See here for more information about visiting Châteauneuf-des-Papes.
View from Château des Papes across the southern Rhône - Source: Wine Keller
Châteauneuf-du-Pape and wine tourism
Châteauneuf-du-Pape was recognised as a ‘remarkable site of taste’ in 2006, for its exceptional gastronomy, heritage and hospitality - many good reasons to visit!
Wine tourism activities
There are lots of options on offer to combine discovering Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines with activities such as cycling, walking and dining or even cookery classes! Here are lots of ideas of activities in and around Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
We would really recommend hiring bikes or taking your bikes with you. It’s a wonderful way to experience the countryside and there are lots of marked routes across all of Provence and the Vaucluse. Visit La Provence à Velo for more information.
Cycling through the beautiful Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards - Source: Wine Keller
Where to stay in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
For accommodation ideas in and around Châteauneuf-du-Pape, see here.
We actually stayed in nearby Vacqueyras for the duration of our southern Rhône tour at a delightful ‘chambre d’hôte’ called Terre de Bacchus. We loved it here - peaceful, really-well furnished and equipped, comfortable bed, our own little terrace, a small kitchen, an outdoor pool, a place to store our bikes and excellent hospitality! We can’t recommend it enough.
Where to eat in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
We actually didn’t eat a meal in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, however we were recommended a restaurant called Le Verger des Papes - or the Orchard of the Popes, situated at the top of the village, just under the château. A great place to eat, with stunning views!
Here are some alternative ideas for dining out.
What’s to see around Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Take time to explore the other villages in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region, where you will find some of the wine estates located, including Courthézon, Bédarrides and Sorgues, but the main other attractions in the close vicinity include the cities of Avignon and Orange.
The spectacular Palais des Papes, Avignon
Visit Avignon
Avignon - the ancient ‘papal’ city and at one time, the seat of the Popes and the world’s medieval capital. Today Avignon is only a small city, but it packs a punch in terms of history and its historic monuments, art and culture, shopping, dining and simply chilling!
We decided to take a tourist train journey around the key sites. It was great fun and excellent value for money! You can also link with an open-top bus tour. See here for more details.
Our train left from the Place du Palais du Papes - the main square in Avignon, which sits in front of the famous and majestic Pope’s Palace - a Unesco World Heritage Site. Built in the 1300s, a tour of the palace is a must when in Avignon!
The train took us past the Petit Palais, a former cardinal’s residence, then up to the Rocher des Doms, a beautiful, peaceful area with amazing views across to Villeneuve-les-Avignon and the famous Avignon bridge - the Saint Bénézet Bridge. Just 4 arches remain of the original bridge, built around 1180 and immortalised in the song, ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon, en y danse, en y danse’.
See here for more information about Avignon, but try to visit if you can!
Visit Orange
Roman Theatre in Orange
There is less to see in Orange, compared to Avignon, or perhaps to Nîmes, but it’s still worth a visit - for its historical heritage and ancient Roman sites, but also to enjoy its laid back atmosphere.
Orange is located just north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is most visited for its 2 Roman monuments - the Triumphal Arch and most significantly, the ancient Roman Theatre - one of the best preserved Roman monuments in France and well worth visiting.
Visit other Rhône Valley and Provence wine regions and villages
This part of the southern Rhône is a great location for a wine tour, as there is so much to see and experience and you can combine different regions and different wines all in one trip! Within easy reach of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, you can also visit the wine villages and appellations of Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne, Rasteau and a bit further away, but still very accessible, the Luberon and Ventoux.
See here for ideas!
Traditional food and local dishes
This may be a part of the southern Rhône Valley wine region but in terms of cultural influence, traditions and gastronomy, this is totally Provence!
Provençal cuisine is based on Mediterranean influences and superb local ingredients such as fresh fish and shellfish, anchovies, garlic, capers, olives, tomatoes, red peppers, herbs, courgettes/zucchini, aubergines /eggplants and lamb.
Flavours and colours are bold and dishes are meant to be enjoyed outside with a chilled glass of Rosé de Provence! See here for some typical Provençal dishes!
Click for more information and inspiration about the Rhône Valley wine region, Provence and Vaucluse.
Conclusion and personal highlights
Well, regarding the question, ‘Is Châteauneuf-du-Pape worth visiting’, our response is a resounding ‘YES’!! Not just for its place in wine history, but also because the wine is excellent and the scenery stunning. There is so much to see in the southern Rhône that you can easily combine a visit to this famous wine village with other equally wonderful wine regions - so ‘why wouldn’t you?’ is the question!
Our highlight was standing at the famous summer residence of the Popes and looking back over the Rhône Valley to Avignon, the formal residence of the Popes and thinking back to all those years ago when the Château des Papes was first built and the vineyards first planted. This really is an incredible part of French, world and wine history!
