Exploring the Côtes du Rhône Wine Region

If you’re visiting the Rhône then you’re likely to either start, finish, or both, in Avignon. Set on the east bank of the Rhône River, it’s the hub of the region in many senses. Firstly, it’s the centre of administration that’s charged with maintaining quality standards of Rhône wines. Which, although may not sound overly exciting, is extremely important in the French wine industry.

A set of laws (known as the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) have been in place in France since the early 1900s to ensure wines produced in each appellation reflect the authenticity only that region can offer. It’s a protection of the terroir concept that makes the world of wine as fascinating as it is. It also makes for very complicated wine labels!

Avignon is the cultural centre too, boasting four UNESCO world heritage sites, and is the stage for various drama and street art festivals throughout the year. But wine is one of the biggest draws, with Avignon considered the ‘gateway’ to wine country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of wine lovers flock to Avignon from around the world, using it as their base for exploring the nearby Côtes du Rhône vineyards and wineries.

Wine tourism here is fully established with countless walking trails and cycle paths that draw lines around the patchwork of vineyards. With so many secret nooks and crannies to discover, Rhône’s wine trails are best explored at a leisurely pace. There are currently 46 Côtes du Rhône estates that have qualified for the region’s tourism award, represented by a gold vine leaf, all of which are meticulously set up to give visitors the full wine experience, relating all of the influential factors to the wine in their tasting glass.

It’s not news that wine and food both come into their own when paired well. This is never truer than in Côtes du Rhône, where the concept of locality is at the forefront of both food and wine. The local food is extensive with a full palette of fruits to choose from, which artfully work their way into both sweet and savoury dishes. Ripening is effortless in the Mediterranean climate, so the fruitful style of white, red and rosé naturally marry with the fruit-led cuisine.

The combinations are endless, and the experimentation across the region’s restaurants knows no bounds, which only adds another layer to the adventure and discovery for wine tourism. For wine and food enthusiasts the world over, Côtes du Rhône truly is the ultimate bucket list destination.