Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France
Located in the southern part of France, between cities of Avignon and Orange, lies Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this region is one of the world’s most important wine appellations. This distinguished southern Rhône wine region is home to over 3200 hectares of vineyards and over 80 growers. The area was the first ever appellation established in France back in 1932 and the distinctive gravelly soils help to produce consistent stand-out wines (predominantly reds).
Châteauneuf-du-Pape loosely translates to "The Pope's new castle" and the rich history of the area has its roots tied to popes who oversaw the planting of vines in the area as early as 1157. The tradition of quality winemaking continued to grow, by the early 1800’s thousands of hectoliters of wine were being sold outside the region.
With their success also came opportunists who tried to fool the wine-buying public into thinking Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines were of lesser quality. In 1894, to combat this fraud, the winemakers formed the first “Winemakers Union” with its mission to guarantee the quality of the region’s wines. The awarding of the AOC status in 1932 allowed wine lovers to have confidence that Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends represented a stamp of excellence. It is a reputation that continues today.
We have featured a number of wines from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region in our International Wine Club over the years, and more from the historic region are soon to come.
