One of the great advantages of your stay at Maison des Pelerins is sampling the great wines of this village and the Cotes du Rhone Villages Appellation at a fraction of the price you would pay for them in your home town......... and......... find hundreds of wines that are not available at home! The Vignerons throughout the region are very welcoming to visitors who wish to taste, discuss or purchase their wines. Most are open every day during the summer months often from about 9am to 7pm. Look for signs that say “degustation” (tasting) along with the hours of opening (“horaires”).
Originally established as a wine growing area by the early Greeks who introduced the Syrah grape, this is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world. Expanded by the Romans and strengthened by the nobility and the Popes who ruled the Catholic Church from Avignon during the 1300's and 1400's, wine producing is an esential part of the fabric of this area.
The Southern Cotes du Rhone are the most highly regarded wines of Provence - the red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne. Roaix, Seguret, Plan de Dieu - all very close neighbors of Sablet, as well as Sablet itself of course!
These villages are a part of the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (A.O.C.) Cotes du Rhone Villages - areas designated as Cotes du Rhone villages thought to have an exceptional "terroir" (natural growing conditions) - with vintners who adhere to strict standards of production.
The village of Beaumes de Venise is a part of the A.O.C. for naturally sweet wines (Beaumes de Venise Vin Doux Naturel A.O.C.), and produces the well known Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. It is a naturally sweet wine - wonderful as a desert wine, pairing beautifully with fruit of any kind, but particuarly the local Cavaillon Melon.
Cote du Rhone wines are quite diverse and differ quite a lot based on the village, soil and the wine making style of the vintner. While the blends are fairly similar, the techniques vary quite a lot from one village to the next.
So.......in order to really undertand and appreciate the Cotes du Rhone wines ........ one is left with no choice but to taste as many as possible!!
Quel Domage!! Oh Darn!!
WINE TASTING IN SABLET
You can enjoy a guided tour of some of the Domaines in the area - learning about the wine and tasting (of course!). Visit www.wine-uncovered.com for more information about wine tours.
Caveau des vins Sablet
Village center
04 90 46 95 57
Tasting and sales of all Sablet wines
Domaine de Verquiere
04 90 46 90 11
Domaine Chamfort
04 90 46 95 75
Domaine Bernard Rene
04 90 46 90 09
Le Gravillas
04 90 46 90 20
Domaine des Pasquiers
04 90 46 83 97