9/14/2023: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tasting (Nothing is Impossible)

Marseilles > Gigondas > Châteauneuf-du-Pape > Marseilles, France

We started our day with French pastries and coffee at the cafe across the street from our studio apartment. We wanted to get to the train station early so we could figure out our plans for getting to Barcelona the next day, as our Eurorail pass showed that all routes to Barcelona from France were booked on the 15th. When we arrived at the Avignon train station, we went to the ticket counter and met a very rude ticketing woman, who insisted that getting to Barcelona the next day was “simply impossible”. We asked her to look up a few different routes for us and she refused, repeating over and over that getting to Barcelona was not possible.. Unconvinced but running out of time, we begrudgingly headed to the meetup spot for our scheduled wine-tasting tour in Avignon. 

Upon arriving at the meetup spot, we found a large crowd of people and multiple tour guides trying to round up their groups into vans. As we were waiting for our tour guide to show up, we overheard another tour guide asking their group if anyone was prone to motion sickness. They mentioned some windy and bumpy roads, and I told James I was going to run to a drug store to find some motion sickness pills (for whatever reason, I didn’t think to bring any with me). Now you have to remember, everything is in a different language, and not everyone in the area understands/speaks English, and if they do, they still probably don’t know a word like “motion sickness pills”. Needless to say, when I finally made it to the front of the pharmacy checkout line to ask for help, a game of charades followed. When the pharmacist finally understood my request, she pulled some pills out from behind the counter and handed them to me to look at. By some stroke of luck, I thought to ask (interpretively dance out) the pharmacist if they were the kind to make me sleepy. She nodded and offered me a different kind of pill from behind the counter, unquestionably saving the day. Meanwhile, my phone had been buzzing with calls from James, no doubt telling me the van was here and it was time to go. I called him back as I ran through the streets of Avignon, insisting I was almost there. Within a few minutes, I was back to the meetup spot, jumping into the van, and throwing back a motion sickness pill.

First stop, the Domaine de Longue Toque winery in the commune of Gigondas. The journey itself was a treat (thanks to the motion sickness pills, that is). As we drove through the winding roads that lead to the winery, we were surrounded by rolling hills and lush vineyards with the towering mountains framing the landscape. The sight alone was enough to get us excited for what we knew would be a memorable visit. We got to explore the grounds of the wineries for a few minutes upon arrival and then huddled together in the front office area which also served as a tasting room. We got to try a handful of wines, only one or two of which James and I actually enjoyed (granted, we happily slurped down every drop of the wines we were given) and listened to a very likable and humorous man tell us about each. We left the place happily buzzed and ready for more.

Next stop, the Domaine la Boutinière winery in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation of Provence. At this winery, our group of 8 or so was seated around a big circular table in some sort of a stone cellar. By this point the group was loosened up and beginning to interact more with each other, making the experience even more enjoyable. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was the good vibes, but James and I both liked the wines here substantially more than at the first place. We left drunk and happy.

Next stop, the Castle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As we made our way to the historic castle, we passed cobblestone streets, quaint stone houses, and rows of vineyards leading up to the hilltop where the castle stands. The castle itself, with its impressive ruins, is one of the key attractions in the area, and with the sweeping views of the surrounding vineyards and the Rhône River in the distance, we could easily see why. We took the obligatory photos and walked around the grounds for a few minutes before being called back to the van and heading back for the day.

We were dropped off at the original meeting point and made our way to a crowded Irish pub where we ordered nachos and and a beer. The rugby game was on and I made the daring move to run back to the train station and try my luck with hopefully a different ticketing person. I met a nice old man who actually wanted to help, and he was able to provide me with a roundabout route to get us to Barcelona the next day, without having the direct route tickets that were sold out. I walked back to the pub with a smile on my face and a plan in place. James and I booked the tickets, finished our beers, and took the train back to our spot in Marseille. The lesson? Nothing is “simply impossible”.

We took the train back to Avignon where we planned to take a connecting train back to Marseilles, and ended up walking around Avignon. Turns out, it’s a sleepy little town (at least the area we were in) and not much goes on after the sun goes down. We managed to find a fast-food American eatery open with one worker and no customers, ordered burgers and fries, took one last lap around the village, and headed back to the strain station.

~ Savvy