Wine Holiday Paris and Rhone Valley-Tips?

JamieBahrain · Post by **JamieBahrain** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:14 am

Any hints or advice appreciated-pack a coat!

10 days in Paris and the rest likely to be spent in the Rhone Valley.

Willi's Wine Bar in Paris. Other bars? Wine purveyors recommended?

Rhone Valley any good tips on accomodation. A nice village to lay camp for a few weeks? Must see producers?

Appreciate any help and reference your own trials and tribulations!

Peter H · Post by **Peter H** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:03 am

Jamie,

A good guidebook for travelling in the Rhone Valley is "Wines of the Rhone Valley" by Robert M Parker Jr (ISBN 0-684-80013-6). It list most of the producers with their contact details and has a guide to accommodation, restaurants and food specialties of the region.

A couple of tips from the book... Hotel reservations are a must if you are travelling between May and September... For a base for the Northern Rhone Valley, RMP recommends the town of Condrieu.

Enjoy your trip.

Peter

edrobins · Post by **edrobins** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:13 pm

Hi, Jamie.

In October 2001 we stayed in Orange for a week (at Cigaloun Hotel - reasonable and very central). Orange is an excellent base for car trips to central / lower regions (Mont Ventoux, Segurat, Nyons, Vaison la Romaine), and also close to southern regions such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Beaucastel, Mont Redon etc are all an easy drive).

If you want a smaller centre to stay, Vaison la Romaine is delightful, but not as central.

Have a great trip!

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:17 pm

Willis is good, Juveniles is also good, a very freindly homely style place just around the corner from Willies. For a more party atmosphere and not much wine in sight, check out the Buddha Bar....great fun.

Wine shops...Lavinia is a great one, huge but also pretty expensive, to be honest I havent had great experiences with wine shops in Paris.

Cheers,
Adam

Grant Dodd · Post by **Grant Dodd** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 2:14 pm

My wife and I stayed in a little B&B on top of the hill in Condrieu- lovely. Run by a little old lady who spoke no English but we got by on my stilted French. Great place to do trips from,close to Ampuis and just very tranquil. There is a visitors centre in the town who were very helpful,maybe you can contact them by e-mail? I thnink the price was 50 euros a night for the both of us,a steal in France in summer.

Cheers

Stan · Post by **Stan** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 3:30 pm

The town of Tournon across the river from the Hermitage hill is a great place to stay. The river is right along side, the vines in view and loads of great makers nearby. Down the road Cornas is a lovely little village.....go for a walk to the vineyards behind the town...beautiful spot.

It is a very different region to visit compared to Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux et al. Much smaller scale and less oriented to tourists and wine visitors.

Have a great time.

Stan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 2:07 am

Apprecıate the responses and wıll look ınto the vıllage optıons.

We leave next week.

After drınkıng Turkısh wıne last nıght whılst vısıtıng Gallıpolı, wıll be refreshıng to ımbıde ın the palatable.

JamıeBahraın

David Lole · Post by **David Lole** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 6:53 am

Hey Jaimie,

Hope you're having a top time! I reckon you might be in for a shock - not having to drink cooked wine etc. :lol:

By the way, I thought you told us somewhere you were moving to another country, somewhere in Asia? Have I got my wires crossed (as usual)? Anyway, enjoy the rest of the hols and you be good now.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:41 am

Happy New Year to you Davıd.

Hong Kong bound whıch fıts professıonally and socıally lıke a glove. Very excıted as all hobbıes transferable-especıally wıne!

The former Portugese enclave of Macau has good wıne avaılable and HK has all at a prıce.

Stıll ın Bahraın as subject to 3 months notıce to my former employer. Cashıng ın on my leave and free aır travel prıor to leavıng.

Wısh I was aware of Canberra Offlıne durıng my days as a resıdıng cıtızen of Australıa! Often found myself twıddlıng my thumbs at Marnuka on overnıghts.