Cruising the Côtes du Rhône

A scenic “Route de Vines” drive through the villages of France’s Southern Rhône region

MY CAR WON’T FIT through the stone archway. Folding both mirrors in, I get out and survey the situation. The medieval bell tower high above seems to rise up out of the roof of my car. At the base it forms this narrow stone passageway into the 2,000-year-old city of Vaison la Romaine.

After seven hours of driving, I’m 418 miles from Paris and an hour short of my destination: Avignon. A spontaneous detour from the main motorway brings me here instead. The sun is setting, and hotel rooms will be impossible to find after dark. Looking up from the narrow cobblestone path that is the road into the center of the ancient city, I can see a tiny sign on the rock wall high above promising Le Beffroi, my hotel, is just inside. The clock in the bell tower begins to chime—— inviting me to try again.

Willing the sedan to suck itself in like a courtesan donning a corset from her youth, I close my eyes, hold my breath and inch through the narrow opening. One foot, 2 feet, the four doors of the sedan gradually slip through, and I’m in.

I’m closer to that glass of Syrah.

THE NARROW LANE AHEAD is wider than the arch, but tight. The bumpy lane snakes tightly around blind turns, lined by a windowless fortress, up into the city’s center.

I’m searching for the Hotel le Beffroi entrance in the center of Vaison la Romaine’s Cité Mediévale. The English-speaking owner I called from my cell phone has instructed me to pull up next to the door when I find it, and they will park the car for me. Relieved to see the doorway, I hand over the keys to a polite French man dressed like the gardener.

My room is the highest in the tower, adjacent to the old bell tower I’d driven under. The view overlooks Vaison la Romaine’s modern center, just across the river. It will be a short walk in the morning. My drive to this small village in Southern France on a Monday night was a quick decision, based on market lust. The Provençal Market of Vaison la Romaine has taken place here every Tuesday for 400 years. Yearround, rain or shine, the olives, tapenades, truffles, sausages, fruits and vegetables harvested from around the region are piled high on tables that line the streets. After gathering a picnic composed of the region’s culinary treasures, I’ll drive out into the many small villages of the Côtes du Rhône.

The next morning explodes with the market’s bright colors, mouth-watering smells and local farmers laughing at my poor language skills. No matter. The people of this region are friendly and patient, loading my arms with bags of herbs, spicy flavored olives, fresh croissants, ba guettes, organic goat cheese and homemade salami. After three hours of market bliss, it’s time to pack the cooler and explore the Vocontii territory in a circle that surrounds Vaison la Romaine, once a federated city of Rome.

ACREAGE OWNED by the Count of Toulouse in the Middle Ages, the region around Vaison la Romaine has a rich history that includes dominance by the Popes of Avignon in later years. The opulent background of the region is reflected in the tiny villages with their centuries of being pulled between Italian and French influences and ownership.

My first stop is the hilltop village of Le Crestet, where most of the tiny Renaissance streets are accessible only on foot. The 14th-century castle is not open to the public. But by car, a parking area just inside the city offers a panoramic view of the vineyards and orchards below. Off in the distance, Mont Ventoux, famous for the Tour de France, is visible.

From Le Crestet I turn up a winding, narrow road to the hilltop town of Suzette. Here, the view of Mont Ventoux becomes more dramatic. The 6,000-foot mountain balances what is largely a Mediterranean climate. Contrasts in the agriculture add character to the view. Terraced hillside vineyards of Grenache (the dominant grape in this region), Syrah and Mourvèdre frame the flat plains of orchards and olive groves below. It’s time for a wine-tasting.

From Suzette, the road continues to Beaumes de Venise, where a right turn up the hill elevates me to a spectacular winetasting stop: Domaine de Durban. A stunning setting overlooking vast vineyards from the tasting-room deck high above the valley enhances the flavor of 100 percent Viognier.

BACK DOWN THE HILL in the same direction, I stop to peruse the Huile d’Olive Fruitée in downtown Beaumes de Venise. The back of this delightful gift shop loaded with everything olive features an educational area with an olive press, information about the Tanche variety of olive (unique to this region) and a history of olive-oil making.

Several olive souvenirs later, I’m on the twisting road toward Gigondas, where some of the region’s best red wines are made. Views of the Côtes du Rhône vineyards sprawl out on both sides of the road. Gigon das has a main square with several places to taste wine or have a meal. My market treats are plentiful, and I’m completing a circle back to Vaison la Romaine, so I continue on to the village of Séguret, another medieval town set so dramatically against the rocks that I have to stop among the century-old grapevines below and gape. Past Séguret, the small village of Rasteau hovers above the valley where 20 privately owned wine estates co-op their cellars.

Returning to Vaison la Romaine at dusk, I decide the day-long drive through this remote region of villages has been well worth the trek from Paris. Sipping wine, nibbling goat cheese and gazing out from the medieval fortress at the glowing clock tower, I make a mental note for the next trip: Rent a smaller car.

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