Vacqueyras brings together wine country and village history to create a distinctive travel experience. The Parcours au cœur de nos terroirs is an educational trail through vineyards and garrigue; various producers also offer tastings, cellar tours and other wine-related visits. Historic buildings and the Fête des Vins round out the picture of the village. If you are considering Vacqueyras as a place to stay, you can choose between landscape and winemaking themes, insights into wine production and cultural attractions.
Through vineyards and garrigue
The Parcours au cœur de nos terroirs is an educational trail through vineyards and garrigue. Educational panels line the route, along with an interpretation panel made of enamelled lava. These features give the trail an explanatory framework, connecting the landscape and winemaking with interpretive stops.
Vacqueyras mainly produces red wines, as well as white and rosé wines. This balance shows that local wine cannot be reduced to a single style. It provides a useful starting point for understanding the different aspects of winemaking featured in the village’s tours and tastings.
Wine visits in different formats
At Clos de Caveau, the vineyards are open to the public and offer a free wine tourism trail. Private tours can be arranged on request, but must be agreed in advance. The vineyard trail and a private visit therefore differ in how they need to be planned. If you would like to include either option, check the visiting arrangements in advance.
Rhonéa Vacqueyras offers wine tastings, cellar tours, vineyard walks and wine workshops. These experiences are located at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The program thus combines different ways to explore the world of wine: tastings and cellar visits alongside walks and workshops. As the visitor program may change, check the current arrangements before your trip.
L’Âme du Vin at Domaine de Montvac offers an introduction to the secrets of winemaking and different ageing methods. The visit ends with a tasting of five cuvées. At Domaines Aimé Arnoux, the offer includes cellar tours, wine tastings and the ageing tunnel. Wine tastings are available for groups of up to ten people by prior arrangement. The formats therefore have different emphases: at Montvac, winemaking and ageing are part of the visit, while at Aimé Arnoux, the ageing tunnel and the tasting by arrangement complement the cellar tour.
Village history and winemaking culture
The village’s architectural history can also be traced through specific places. The Les vins du Troubadour wine cooperative was built in 1956. On the west façade of its tower-like entrance is a ceramic depiction of the troubadour Rimbaud de Vacqueyras. Cours Stassart was created in the 1830s, when the ditches of the village’s ramparts were filled in. These two examples point to different historical traces in the village: a depiction on a cooperative building and the transformation of the former defensive ditches.
The FĂŞte des Vins de Vacqueyras includes a walking tasting of Cru Vacqueyras through the lanes of the old village. The festival was launched several decades ago, has become part of local tradition and helps pass on winemaking culture in the CĂ´tes-du-RhĂ´ne area. If you would like to include a future edition in your stay, check the relevant program details.
Discover more destinations: Mormoiron, Cavaillon, SĂ©rignan-Du-Comtat, Joucas, Caromb, Savoillan, Venasque, Robion
For the broader travel overview: Vaucluse.
