Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tasting from Avignon: 3 Estates & Picnic

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1/8

Duration4h–6h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN · FR

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three hours into Provence's wine country, tasting your way back to Avignon

You arrive at three different Côtes du Rhône estates in one morning, tasting at least nine wines across Beaumes de Venise, Gigondas, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A farm-fresh picnic with local cheese and produce breaks up the tastings if you book the full-day option. Arnaud drives you from Avignon and back, handling the logistics so you just show up and taste.

4h–6h

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine tastings in southern Côtes du Rhône

Drive 45 minutes from Avignon
Taste wines in Beaumes de Venise or Rasteau
Drive 15 minutes to second estate
Taste wines in Gigondas, Cairanne, or Séguret
Enjoy picnic with local fresh produce
Drive 30 minutes to Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Taste white and red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines
Drive 30 minutes back to Avignon

The Experience

The car pulls away from Avignon at 9:30am, and forty-five minutes later the landscape shifts—stone villages perch on hills, vines stretch in neat rows, and the air smells different. Your guide Arnaud points out the first stop: Beaumes de Venise or Rasteau, where the sweet Muscat and red wines grow on the same slopes. You walk into a family estate, and the tasting begins—not a rushed pour-and-go, but time to ask questions, to notice the difference between what's in your glass and what you expected. The wines here are softer than you thought they'd be.

Fifteen minutes down the road, the second estate sits in Gigondas or Cairanne, villages known for reds but increasingly for whites too. This is where the picnic happens if you've chosen the full morning tour—fresh goat cheese, tapenade, boiled eggs, fruit from local farms, spread out somewhere you can see the vines. Arnaud talks about the appellation system while you eat, and it starts to make sense why these names matter. Then thirty minutes to Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself, the name that actually means something to people who drink wine. The final tasting is at a family estate, and you taste at least three wines—reds mostly, but a white too, which surprised me when I learned they make it. By 3:30pm you're heading back to Avignon, the drive giving you time to think about what you'd actually buy.

The whole thing is six hours door-to-door, which sounds long until you realize you're not driving yourself, you're not hunting for addresses, and you're not guessing which estate to trust. Arnaud handles the route, the timing, the introductions. If you want to buy bottles, you can do it at the estates themselves—or ask about shipping to your country, though some areas have restrictions. The tour runs year-round, but the picnic only happens April through October on the morning option, so timing matters if that's what you're after.

What’s included

Your half-day includes hotel pickup from Avignon, a native guide (Arnaud), visits to three wine estates across the southern Côtes du Rhône, tastings of at least nine wines, and a farm-fresh picnic with local cheese, vegetables, and fruit (April to October morning tour only). You'll have time to photograph the vineyards in Gigondas and Séguret, and the option to purchase wine directly at the estates or arrange shipping to your country.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Ventourisme

Is this one for you?Right for wine drinkers who want to understand the differences between Côtes du Rhône regions without arranging their own route or driving after tastings. The morning tour with picnic runs April through October only, so book ahead if that's your preference; other options run year-round.