Vaucluse is a land of vineyards and wine dating from earliest times .... those of the Greeks, the Romans, the  popes. Here, along the banks of the Rhone, across the fertile plain, the vines form a river of green, weaving, as they reach the Dentelles de Montmirail, their plants among the limestone peaks, sliding between green oak and olive tree, between lavender and rosemary. In Vaucluse, says an eminent oenologue
“the charm of the countryside adds to the taste of the place, le gout du terroir.”

Blessed with well drained soil and a kind climate, Vaucluse enjoys that happy  combination of sun, wind, soil and grape variety which result in wines with reviving acidity and delicate tannins.

At Chateauneuf du Pape the stones left covering the area from the ice age are precious thermic regulators. Heated by the sun, they give out their heat to the earth at night. Deep underground, a clay level retains water which rises again to the surface in times of dryness. The mistral, the famous wind of Provence, perfects these conditions, its passage preventing the proliferation of moulds and favouring concentration of flavours.

The village of La Roque Alric is one of the Cotes du Rhone villages and also forms part of Beaumes de Venise Appelation Controlle. The names roll off the tongue: Chateauneuf du Pape, Beaumes de Venise, Gigondas, Vacqueras, Cairanne, Rasteau...... all villages in the near proximity. The most used grape varieties are grenache, syrah (shiraz), mourvedre, cinsault....... there are 13 allowed varieties in a Chateauneuf du Pape.

For the wine lover, the caves of the vineyards big and small are open for tasting and purchase. What better way to pass a summer afternoon than in the footsteps of Bacchus.