Phonetics For Pronouncing ‘Châteauneuf Du Pape‘
châteauneuf du pape
shah/toh/nuf dew pahp
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What does Chateauneuf-du-Pape Mean?
Châteauneuf du Pape is not only a famous French wine, but it is also the name of a historic village or commune located in South Eastern France near the city of Avignon.
Chateauneuf as it is often nicknamed or referred to is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) or Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) of the Rhône Valley, near other famous appellation ssuch as Vacqueyras, Gigondas, or Tavel.
The name dates back to the 14th Century when the papacy of the catholic church was relocated from Rome, Italy to Avignon.
Pape is the French for ‘pope’ while neuf means ‘new’, so the village’s name would translate in English into ‘the new castle of the Pope’.
The Wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The Rhone wines made in Châteauneuf-du-Pape count among the most famous of the Rhone valley, renown for being powerful and full-bodied red wines made predominantly from the classic southern Rhône grape GSM blend: Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
Although, technically, 18 different grape varieties are allowed to be blended to make Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. It is one of the rare appellations in France in fact to allow the blending of white grapes to produce red wine (generally in small proportions however).
The other red grape varieties allowed in Châteauneuf include: Counoise (the only other grape outside of GSM grown here in significant quantity), Cinsaut, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir – are planted only in small quantities.
The white or pink grapes also authorized here are Clairette and Clairette Rosé, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picardin, Picpoul Blanc and Picpoul Gris.
Notably, Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces whites wines as well, but no rosé wines under the AOP regulations.
Soils and terroir in Chateauneuf are pebbly and/or sandy, formed from deposits of the Rhone river, depending on which part of the appellation the vineyards are located, offering a variety of expressions and more options for clever blending.
The archetypal Châteauneuf vineyard, the image most wine connoisseurs would have in mind, is one covered in large pebbles (known as galets in France), whose edges were rounded by erosion along their voyage in down the Alps through the Rhone river.
Recommended Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wines – Reviews & tasting Notes
Check out the wines of Mas de Boislauzon – Rhône Wines & Châteauneuf-du-Pape
An excellent produce of a variety of Chateauneuf red and white wines.
Famous Rhone winery Domaine guigal also makes a superb Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine:
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