Chateauneuf du Pape

Almost halfway between Orange and Avignon, on a lovely hillside that overlooks the Rhone river, is Chateauneuf du Pape, a lovely medieval village well known for the quality of its wines.

The village, nicely restored, is quite small and includes narrow twisting streets, the Mairie (townhall), and the old church. Oh yeah, and wine tasting cellars everywhere. It’s clear the village's purpose is to promote and sell wine, and its not hard to have fun tasting and buying some samples.

Not surprisingly, Chateauneuf du Pape also has some papal history. Chateauneuf du Pape means "the Pope's new palace," which is actually true. The Avignon Popes promoted wine growing in the area north of Avignon, close to the banks of the Rhone River, and built a summer residence there, on the top of the hill. The castle was built between 1317 and 1333, under Pope John XXII, the second Avignon Pope. Only two walls and a tower remain, the ones facing the village, and they're still imposing.

From the ruins of the ancient chateau you have a beautiful view of the nearby vineyards and the Rhone valley; even Avignon and the Popes’ Palace can be seen in the background.

Chateauneuf du Pape, of course, is also an Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) of the southern Rhone wine region. Their bottles are generally dark and embossed with Papal regalia, such as the mitre and the crossed keys.