Category: Blog

PART FOUR

Social Media plays a part in the lives of most people these days, I guess. This can be a very beneficial phenomenon as well, unfortunately, as a rather unpleasant thing. Also, some of those who use Social Media can become rather obsessed with it.

Quite rightly, when I’m in danger of fitting into this last category, as I occasionally am (although my plea is that it is almost always for ‘professional’ reasons, i.e. ‘wine stuff’), Claire puts my brakes on for me. She’s usually right!

However, Social Media, does occasionally come up with some amazing ‘goods’, as it did when camped at the side of the Rhône in Avignon (please see Part Three below), I casually posted a Tweet asking if any of my wine colleagues and friends were able to recommend a winery not too far from where we were staying. A number of responses were forthcoming and overnight we had lots of options to consider.

One was particularly intriguing – a certain Monsieur Michel Blanc, Secretary (I think) of AOC Chateauneuf-du-Pape asked me to e-mail him with whatever my requirements were. It seemed an offer I couldn’t refuse – there may be the possibility of learning quite a lot about the AOC in general, rather than just about one winery, as would be the case were we to visit a Domaine, in either our actual location, AOC Côtes-du-Rhône, or in that of the very nearby Chateauneuf.

In fact, as it transpired, there was the opportunity to do both.

Michel was most helpful, inviting us to taste at the AOC shop where about half of the producers exhibit their wines, which are also sold there for the same prices as if visitors were to buy from the Chateau/Domaines, and where there are always three or four Chateauneuf wines to taste, free of charge. (When you are next there you simply must go here!)

He also sent me a list of wineries that would be happy to give us a tour and tasting – would I like to choose one, please? Well, there were quite a number so, to save time I simply opted for the first on the list – wow, that was a lucky choice, as you’ll see here, and in Part Five. Incredibly fortunate, to say the very least!

Michel wasn’t at all fazed by my enquiry – would it be ok to come in our campervan, park at the HQ and maybe plug in, too? It hadn’t been done before, was a little unorthodox, but was absolutely no problem, we were welcome!

We arrived in the morning to be met by the co-owner of Domaine La Célestière, one of the larger concerns of the AOC. In fact I hadn’t noticed when I’d opted, as above, for this Domaine that the owner’s name, Neil, seemed to be English. My French is dreadful, but Claire is fluent (so is Neil), and Beatrice, Neil’s wife, whom we were yet to meet, is French. Perfect. Not half – we followed Neil just outside of the city where we first laid eyes on their vineyards and then on the really beautiful winery.

Domaine La Célestière makes mostly top class red Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but also white (sublime in my view!) and Neil kindly showed us around the whole wonderfully, wholly in-keeping restoration of the property that had started to become a little sad, as was explained.

The purpose of these Blog updates is not to rabbit on about wine, wineries etc – it’s to tell of our travels, which will of course include wine, but it’s our experiences on which I’d prefer to focus (bet you’re delighted!). So, I won’t give chapter and verse about La Célestière here. If interested in more wine detail, please click below (cool music too!)

You amy also like to visit my facebook account where you’ll be able to see last Thirsty Thursday’s Wine Review which features one on Neil and Beatrice’s wines.

I couldn’t resist this photo though – a Célestière vine which has seen more than 100 summers!

After our visit we returned to HQ where Michel led us to the official shop where he, the sommelier manager and their intern assistant talked us through some of the wines, white and red. Really fascinating!

That night we had quite a haul of wonderful wines from this world-famous area of fine wine production! All these wines were so generously given us by Michel and of course, Neil. We’ve absolutely loved them.

Our visit to Chateauneuf-du-Pape was wonderful – thanks to a chance Social Media Tweet. However, when we awoke in the morning there was another fantastic surprise for us!

Please read Part Five very soon!

Thank you for your time – all comments gratefully received!

Sat. 13/02/2021

Hola, Bonjour, Ciao, Hello!

A mixture of languages because we are, as many will know, travelling, in our splendid Campervan, affectionately known as Campy! Initially in Europe – from Spain to France (where we are now – Côte d’Azure) and very soon to Italy, and then who knows.

And it’s our experiences in la belle France that have inspired me to resurrect my Blog to which, as you can see below, I last contributed a whole two years ago, coincidentally almost to the day. The wonderful time we spent last week, was a highlight of an already excellent trip and I wanted to make sure it was recorded somewhere for people who are interested to follow.

This thought made me realise that there are likely to be other amazing experiences during our, what, two/three year adventure, in which people may also be interested. Hence, the revival of my Blog.

This will not be a day-to-day entry, diary style – this would perhaps be interesting to us in the future, but boring to most. So, my idea is to note exceptional experiences, visits, and so on, for readers to delve into as and when the whim takes them.

That said, a brief (I promise!) intro to our trip, including our experiences in Spain before we arrived in France would, I think, be useful as well as paying tribute to one remarkable visit we enjoyed so much in the north of the Valencia region as well as the first of many special ‘events’.

At this point I think it also important to state that we have been, and will continue to be observing all Covid 19 protocols, rules, laws and indeed common sense measures, in all areas of all countries we visit. Irresponsible, we are not!

So, to quickly conclude this, the first entry, let me say that we left our rented accommodation (in Cumbre del Sol, Benitachell) on the last day of 2020 (now there’s a year to forget!), starting our new year the following day in Benicássim, where we were delighted to meet up with Claire’s Uncle David – (Hola David, if you are reading!)

Several days later we moved to Peñiscola (where not only El Cíd, with Charlton Heston, was filmed, but also, new to me, Game of Thrones – not that I’ve seen any of it); and Benicarló, camped equidistant from both. It was in the former town where Claire-Marie Soprano performed her first street concert (busking gig) in a charming square beneath the walls of the majestic castle.

And what a success – the locals (not many [any?] tourists) absolutely loved it! The high-point for us was when 6 burly, leather-clad, multiply tattooed bikers, parked their huge hogs just in front of Claire’s ‘stage’, sitting with absolute respect on their bikes waiting for her to finish the song. They loved it so much, each contributing to Claire’s ‘cap’, that they stayed for more songs before walking off. When they returned they were just about to start their engines when Claire started ‘Ave Maria’, apparently the favourite of one of the bikers, who insisted they all wait until she finished, before revving off into the sunset! Priceless!

Next post soon – telling of our visit to the wonderful Bodega Flors, IGP Castelló, where we started something of a tradition, as you’ll see when/if(?) you continue to follow this Blog.

Many thanks for your time!