Some places are simply charming, and Visan is one of them. The small village is a visual gem, set on a low hill. Countryside surrounds it. It has delicious Cotes du Rhone Villages wines, to include the special Cuvee du Marot, and local olives to enjoy with them. Friendly people and great opportunities for hiking round out my paeans of praise.
The circuit hike I chose is one that is advertised online as the Vignes de l’Enclave des Papes (Vines of the Enclave of the Popes), but known locally as Circuit 12, or Circuit Est (East Circuit). The very helpful woman at the Syndicat d’Initiative oriented me to the maps they provide there, and off I went.
As the name implies, it heads east, through the well-preserved village center, out the old gate known as Porte Saint Martin (next to the Place de la Coconniere), and follows the old buildings ringing the historic center to the southeastern gate, the Porte du Puy Barret. From there, it was into the vineyards surrounding the village. But it wasn’t only vineyards. One of the great features about this trail is that is also passes by olive tree groves, and through forested areas, making for a nice variety of Provencal terrain to experience.
What I Learned
The Cotes du Rhone French wine region follows the length of the Rhone River from south of Lyon to Avignon. This post differentiates some of the different appellations of the Cotes du Rhone Meridionale (the southern part of this region), specifically the Vaucluse county (around Avignon).
Cotes du Rhone wines are certainly ones most people come across today. These wines are, and have been for centuries, quite popular, especially among lovers of rich, powerful red wines made from primarily Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah grapes. Kings and popes coveted wines from here. The popes even acquired select areas with reputable vineyards, such as in the Enclave des Papes, and the famous Chateauneuf du Pape. (See the history of wine in this region here.) However, there are different quality levels within the region, and even within those wines with labels bearing the words “Cotes du Rhone”.
Trail Name: Vignes de l’Enclave des Papes, (AKA: Circuit 12, Circuit Est)
Trail Type: A medium distance circuit, along almost exclusively paved or hard-packed surfaces; fairly well maintained, with generic signage.
Length: 10 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Valreas, Vaucluse Department, Provence Region, France
Marking: Yellow signs on a post, and yellow rectangles (Not exclusive to this particular trail)
Continue reading Vignes de l’Enclave des Papes: Trail in a Nutshell
Vaison-la-Romaine is a small town with a big history in France’s Vaucluse district. One side, set south of the river, rises up dramatically on an isolated rock. A Celtic oppidum was here, and later, medieval era people built their homes there, seeking shelter behind its gates, relying on the rock’s impressive defensive strengths.
What I Learned
Cotes du Rhone is the name of a French wine region. It is a long region, following a lengthy stretch of the Rhone River from south of Lyon to Avignon. This post covers the southern Rhone area, the Cotes du Rhone Meridionale (as it is sometimes referred to), specifically the Vaucluse county (around Avignon), where the climate is more Mediterranean in feel than in the northern Rhone district (around Lyon). (Find information on a northern Rhone district appellation, the Appellation Saint Joseph, here.)
Continue reading Wine Notes: Southern Rhone (Rhone Meridionale)
Trail Name: Balade Romaine dans les Vignes
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; exclusively paved, well maintained, but the route itself is only marked generically.
Length: 7.3 kilometers/4.5 miles
Convenient to: Orange, Vaucluse Department, Provence Region, France
Marking: Yellow signposts and yellow rectangles
Continue reading Balade Romaine dans les Vignes: Trail in a Nutshell
