This is part 3  in a series about the French wine regions – most of which were featured in the GotSaga article named “10 Top Wine Destinations in France“, where we went through the most famous regions with a few tips on where to go and what to do in each region. Because of the response from that article, we dive a bit deeper here.

In the region of Côtes du Rhône lies one of the most famous sub-regions of France, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is also the largest area in the region. Besides that, some of my personal favorite wines come from that lovely picturesque area. Just last week, we had an amazing bottle which made us want to savour the moment for eternity.

Besides the wine industry, the area has a history which has seen the romans overtake the celts in the year of 121 BC, the Knight Templars settling in 1323 A.D. and Pope John XXII who built a summer house and encouraged the start of a local wine industry. However, the reputation of the local wine industry is much newer, since before the Second World War the majority of wines were sold through Burgundy.

For anyone travelling to Côtes du Rhône I would definitely recommend a visit both to the famous Château de Beaucastel and of course the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself – a charming small town on the hillside where you shouldn’t forget having a look at the old papal summer residence. One of the most beautiful towns of the french countryside is Séguret, which is also home to one of the best Rhône wines. Overall, the region boasts of having the highest production of red wine of any region in France