Rhone Valley Wine Tour from Avignon: Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Tavel

Avignon, France

Discover the appeal of Rhône Valley wines on this half-day tour from Avignon, led by an expert wine guide! Visiting two wine estates in Rhône Valley’s most prestigious appellations (winemaking regions), your tour includes samples galore of esteemed AOC-classified wines. Try dusky pink rosés in Tavel, and then end your tour on a high note with a tasting session inside a Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate.

Numbers are limited to eight on this small-group wine tour, ensuring you’ll receive personalized attention from your guide.

Your guide will pick you up from your Avignon hotel and then drive you north by minibus into the heart of the Rhône Valley. The area as a whole is split into several different appellations -- each with their own distinct viniculture traditions.

The first stop of your day is at a wine property in the Tavel region, famous for its production of deep pink-colored rosé wines. On a tour of the estate, learn about the terroir (characteristics of the local environment) that influences the taste and color of Tavel wines, and then sample a selection of the best, noting the crisp dry flavors that make these exquisite wines so prized.

Continue to another wine estate, just to the east of Tavel, in the renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape region. Producing arguably the most famous wine in France, the area is also where the Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC) regulations originated. Products with this prestigious AOC label are guaranteed to be of a high quality and are prevalent throughout the entire Rhône Valley region.

On a tour of the property, learn about the strict AOC rules that the region’s wine estates must follow in order to produce these sumptuously rich wines, and then sample a few glasses with your guide. As you savor the complex fruity flavors that characterize Châteauneuf-du-Papes, you’ll realize why this beautiful wine remains virtually unmatched around the world.

Your tour finishes back at your Avignon hotel in the early evening.