Ever heard of the French village of Cairanne? Neither had my GPS…

Not terribly far outside of Avignon in the Vaucluse region, Cairanne is a very tiny locale gaining increased consumer recognition for their outstanding Rhone vin. I had some early introduction to the wares from this region because my wine mentor is a huge fan of Gigondas and Vacqueras wines, a stone’s throw from Cairanne. Cairanne provided an opportunity to enjoy wines with tremendous concentration and sense of place, without commanding the bigger bucks of its highly regarded neighbors.

Three years ago my interest and appreciation of these wines was further piqued when I had the opportunity to meet a tremendously talented winemaker at a Boston wine trade event. Who was it, you ask? Pop over to Wicked Local today to find out!

Have you brought home a Cairanne recently? From which producer?

When I was planning my trip to the Southern Rhone, visiting Tavel was a given. Not only was I arriving in May, the beginning of rosé season, but Tavel offers perhaps the most revered bottlings of this sacred juice internationally. It is the only region in France where rosé is the only “official” wine allowed to be produced. That is, any producer can produce any wine, but the way French wine law works you only get “credit” for a wine if it follows certain strict regulations, or guidelines. In Tavel that guideline is a mandate for rosé.

See which winery was my host and what my taste-buds told me over at Wicked Local today!

Have you enjoyed any great Tavel rosé yet this year?

Wine is a cerebral “sport”, it’s true. Of course, like anything, it doesn’t have to be; but anytime you invest a little extra something into what’s on hand, you benefit even more. In the case of wine, we’re talking about the curious intersection of history, tradition, terroir, climate, culture, cuisine and grape. And so traveling to wine country is one of the best ways to really explore the stuff we pour so willingly into our glasses.

Case in point: a recent trip to the Southern Cote du Rhone proved as enlightening and dramatic an experience as I hoped! Pop over to Wicked Local to get the scoop on (part one) of my wine country tale!

Which producers would you visit when in the Rhone?

This Friday I bring to you something new, in my world of wine news and “events”. I took myself to the Southern Cote du Rhone last week and had a blast! There is no better way to fully appreciate a region’s special magic than seeing it, the land, the climate – the Mighty Mistral! – at work  for yourself; meeting the local winemakers who make your heart sing back in the states; and enjoying the local culture, cuisine and hospitality.

I posted my web album et. al. over on Ball Square Fine Wines’ blog earlier this week. Pop over to check it out!

Where are your wine travels taking you this year? Have you also been to the Southern Rhone?

Last year we waited, and waited, and waited for warmer days to come. Rosé wine, one of the best ways to enjoy said weather, took a kind of backseat amidst the dreary doldrums we experienced here in New England. It wasn’t until August that I finally had the inclination to write about how gorgeous (and not sweet) rosé wines are – and offered them as a solution to the hot and humid days of summer.

This year we’re off to a much better start – and the 2009 roses are starting to come in! Pop on over to Wicked Local to get a refresher course on these lovely wines and a few recommendations to kick off your 2010 rose travels.