LATE SUMMER EVENTS ACROSS THE RHÔNE
AUGUST 2017
With music, cultural and food and wine festivals going on during the summer months, here is a selection of some that might appeal to readers if you are in the Rhône Valley during August and September, 2017.
TASTING AT CAVEAU DES VIGNERONS DE GRIGNAN-LES-ADHÉMAR
THURSDAY 10 AUGUST & THURSDAY 17 AUGUST 2017
THURSDAY 10 AUGUST: ORGANIC WINES OF GRIGNAN
THURSDAY 17 AUGUST: SUMMER TRUFFLES WITH THE WINES OF GRIGNAN
12 PLACE DU JEU DE BALLON 26230 GRIGNAN +33(0)475 49 42 99 €10, PLEASE BOOK
BAR À VIN, GRIGNAN-LES-ADHÉMAR
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST, 2017
GRIGNAN is an appellation that is moving forward after years in the wilderness, just a couple of valid domaines, notably GRANGENEUVE and MONTINE, propping it up. There are now others perking things up. The terroir has always been good, lots of alluvial stones spread across the clay-limestone soils, with pockets of shrub bordering and warming the vineyards, a clos effect, thus.
This is a nocturnal bar that includes art and local produce of the land.
+33(0)475 46 55 96 www.grignan-adhemar-vin.fr
LA NUIT DU VIN, RASTEAU
MONDAY 14 AUGUST 2017
17.00 onwards. The 31st edition of this event. Tastings, “Food Trucks”, bar, concert, animation, local transport from outside the village into the action. It will be attended by 14 VIGNERONS and the CAVE DE RASTEAU. There will be an artisan market in the PLACE DU VILLAGE, as well as a BAR. The cost is €5, for which you receive a Tasting Glass to get you going.
PLACE DU VILLAGE +33(0)490 46 18 73 www.vins-rasteau/agenda rasteau@vaison-ventoux-tourisme.com
BAN DES VENDANGES, AVIGNON
SATURDAY 26 AUGUST, 2017
17.00-24.00. The 22nd edition of this event, announcing the start of the harvest. This year’s theme is “For once, tastes and colours discuss between themselves [we are in the land of VOLTAIRE and SARTRE, dear Reader] . . . and taste themselves.” It is organized by the COMPAGNONS DES CÔTES DU RHÔNE.
There is a GRANDE PARADE, a Pressing of this year’s grapes and a BALL. This event rocks across AVIGNON, all around the streets, and is very well attended.
17.00 ANIMATIONS IN THE PLACE DU PALAIS DES PAPES, THE PARADE LEAVES THE CHURCH OF SAINT-ANDÉOL
17.30 MASS SPOKEN IN PROVENÇAL IN NOTRE-DAME DES DOMS, PLACE DU PALAIS DES PAPES, WHOSE BASILICA WAS NEWLY RESTORED IN 2016
18.00 OPENING OF MARKET OF GOURMANDS
19.00 BAN DES VENDANGES PROCLAIMED
19.45 PRESSING & TASTING OF THE NEW CROP OF GRAPES
21.00 THE BALL DES VENDANGES, MUSIC BY OLD SCHOOL
www.bandesvendanges.fr
FÊTE D’HUE VIN AT SÉGURET
SATURDAY 26 AUGUST, 2017
10.00-24.00 A very friendly, eco-friendly event set in motion by the wonderful couple of JEAN and MARTINE DAVID, who make excellent organic wines, full of character. There are horse carriage rides, horse displays, tastings in the vineyards, children’s entertainments, and dishes such as the local SOUPE AU PISTOU. HUE translates as “GEE UP” or “GIDDY UP”, or even “GO ON MY SON” if the horse leads entering the final furlong! €6 for tasting glass, carriage ride, €2 for the under 12s. It is organized by the SYNDICAT DES VIGNERONS, PRESIDENT CHRISTIAN VOEUX of DOMAINE DE L’AMAUVE
+33(0)490 46 82 81 www.seguretvin.com
BAN DES VENDANGES AT VISAN, the 3rd edition
SATURDAY 26 AUGUST, 2017
18.00 CONCERT IN THE CHURCH OF VISAN, BACH, MOZART FLUTE & STRINGS, BEETHOVEN, BRAHMS, CHOPIN NOCTURNES, POULENC SONATA FLUTE & PIANO, DEBUSSY CLAIR DE LUNE, KHATCHATURIAN SABRE DANCE €15, PERFORMED BY THE GROUP NOVA
19.30 PARADE OF THE CONFRERIE DES VIGNERONS
20.30 TASTING & DINING AT THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY HÔTEL DE PÉLISSIER, €15 OR €25 FOR BOTH CONCERT & DINNER
+33(0)490 41 97 25 +33(0)6 07 65 52 04 www.visan-tourisme.com point-tourisme-visan@wanadoo.fr
MARCHÉ AUX VINS DE SAINT-PÉRAY
FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER & SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER, 2017
09.00-17.30 THE GYMNASE, SAINT-PÉRAY. There will be a Produce Market as well as Tutored Tastings. There will be 60-70 domaines present from near VIENNE down to near NÎMES. Foods will range from producers of snails, foie gras, charcuterie, cheese, honey, patisserie. €6 entry, reduced to €3 if you buy €50 of goods or zero if you buy more than €50 of goods. Check the pricing, though: it might be out of date! The principle remains the same.
+33(0)6 62 49 53 97 +33(0)475 40 46 75 www.confrerie-du-saint-peray.fr
VENDANGES DES CHEFS AT BEAUMES-DE-VENISE
SUNDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 2017
A vineyard walk in the DENTELLES DE MONTMIRAIL, tasting and gastronomy offered by chefs who were disciples of AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER, which will promise excellent, full dishes for the white and red wines of the region. This is a morning, lunchtime event. It is organized by the CAVE DE VACQUEYRAS, now known as RHONÉA after its merger with the CAVE DE BEAUMES-DE-VENISE.
+33(0)490 12 41 15 www.rhonea.fr oenotourisme@rhonea.fr
VINALIA AT VIENNE
SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER, 2017
09.00-late afternoon. I include this as a quirky, full day that extols the GALLO-ROMAN HERITAGE of VIENNE. There is a guided tour of the MUSEUM at SAINT ROMAIN-EN-GAL across the river from VIENNE – mosaics, pottery, a reconstituted Roman vineyard as well. There is then a lunch-banquet in Gallic fashion. As you move around VIENNE on a guided tour in the afternoon, it takes in winemaking and pressing from those days, with people suitably clad for such demos, and tastings, while you are escorted to see VIENNE’s most famous Roman remains, including, of course, LA PYRAMIDE, which was the finishing post in the chariot races, and the TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS AND LIVY. PLEASE NOTE: this is for Groups of people, it seems, rather than individuals. For 20 people, the cost is €32 per person.
However, there is also an event at the DOMAINE DES ALLOBROGES, which is not for such groups. This involves harvesting grapes, pressing and crushing the crop, and a banquet. The ROMAN LUNCH at 12.30 is €16, children €10.
COURS BRILLIER, 38200 VIENNE +33(0)474 53 70 12 www.condrieu-coterotie.com/vinalia www.groupe.vienne-tourisme.com visites@vienne-tourisme.com www.isere-tourisme.com