Côtes du Rhône Gardoises: Wine and History

Vines have grown in this area since ancient times. It was here that barrels were first branded with the initials CDR, making the Côtes du Rhône Gardoises in effect the cradle of today’s Côtes du Rhône. 

Soils are varied, composed of galets roulés (rounded pebbles), limestone scree, slate, sandstone, sand and gravel, and the resulting wines are brimming with character. Tavel was the first French AOC to produce rosé, and remains the only appellation in the Rhône Valley to make rosé wine exclusively. 

Lirac AOC, meanwhile, was the first Côtes du Rhône Cru available in all three colours.  Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun provides ideal conditions for Clairette grapes and thus grows more than any other AOC, allowing winemakers to produce a range of highly acclaimed white wines; and while the Côtes du Rhône Chusclan appellation now famously makes supple, generous, well-coloured reds, it initially earned an enviable reputation for its stunning rosés.

L’Espace Rabelais is a wine tourism centre, a place to start your voyage of discovery as you explore the Côtes du Rhône Gardoises, its terroirs, winemakers and, of course, its wines. 

Conveniently located in the centre of Bagnols-sur-Sèze, it’s a space where visitors young and old can enjoy a series of fun, interactive sensory displays as they learn about local grapes and terroirs and find out how wine is made. 

There are also wine tasting sessions, often coinciding with the weekly market. L’Espace Rabelais is Vignobles et Découvertes accredited.

The winemakers of the Côtes du Rhône Gardoises are available all year round and look forward to your visit, whether it’s for a winery tour, a wine-tasting, or to explore the vineyards. 

There are four specially signposted trails: delve into the history of wine at Clos Taman in Laudun, discover the terroirs of Lirac, or awaken your senses at the foot of Château de Gicon in Chusclan.

And enjoy venturing through the hilltop and fortified villages you come across on your way! There’s Aiguèze, for example, overlooking the Gorges de l’Ardèche, or Montclus and Roque sur Cèze, all three officially among the most beautiful villages in France. 

Other sites of historical interest include Bagnols-sur-Cèze with its grand old buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, Caesar’s camp (oppidum), the Carthusian monastery of Valbonne and the Charles Martel Bridge.