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France Wine Trail: Day 8 - 3rd June 2008
Today was our favourite wine tour of the trip!

Our guide, David from Provence Panorama was a wealth of knowledge, friendly, funny and an all round great guide. We started the day in Gigondas. Our first stop was on the side of the road to check out the terroir, then up to the Church as the top of the Gigondas village with a spectacular view across the region. We walked through the village and met David (and the car) at the bottom. I wished we had stayed in this village - oh well, next time. The village was small but gorgeous.

We visited a wine bar which showcases the cooperative of Gigondas producers. It was my favourite tasting of the entire trip, as it involved a food match. They gave us a selection of options for a food match to choose from. I choose the regional cheese. Then they matched the wines you tasted with the food you have chosen. So lovely to have something to eat with your first tasting of the day at 10.30am! My dish came out as two shot glasses, one with chevre (soft goats cheese) and thymne, the other with olive oil and cassis. You pour the oil over the cheese and eat it with a little spoon while tasting each wine. Delightful!

Next we visited Chateau Rasteau(?). It was a organised tourist tasting cellar, much like it is at home, only all the wines are kept in the fridge. It wasn't very intersting and the wines weren't much to write home about.

Finally we visited the region of Chateauneuf du Pape. It was once again, gorgeous! I wish we had spent more time here in the countryside. We visited a wine merchant cave in the hillside who gave us a tasting of 10 wines they sell. Really good stuff. The kind of wine you want to order by the case, but we were only allowed 2 due to our 12 bottle luggage limit back to NZ.