May 24, 2019 Vacqueyras hike, Rasteau wine tasting

I need a day off, and the others need a calm day to recuperate. So a walk through the Vacqueyras vineyards is decided after a slow start morning.

trailmarkers for the Vacqueyras hike - same as before

After, they'll pick me up and we'll check out the wines of Rasteau. It's been on the list.

This is a hike that Janis and Dave did early in our visit and it will be interesting to see how the vineyards have changed since that early hike.

The crew starts out on their 3 hour hike in late morning, planning to be home for a late-ish lunch. It starts in downtown Vacqueyras.

Having experienced the hike once, they are able to find all the spots, including the spring in Fontbonne. (Janis - it was on the lower road and the signs were misleading)

A few interesting sights: Some lavender just beginning to bloom in Fontbonne.

A Lamborghini tractor:

Poppies still blooming:

Grapes on leafed out plants:

After a late lunch (3:00), we headed out to find the Rasteau wine coop. Janis & Clark, Dave & I had tasted a Rasteau aperitif wine at our lunch at Les Florets and it was delicious.

Dave and I had had a Rasteau "Les Crapons" wine for our anniversary last year and thought that was a good wine. We learned that "Les Crapons" was an export and grocery store only wine. Dang. We were hoping to taste it here.

Instead, we tasted the white, but weren't too impressed - a drinkable camping wine, we thought. We also tasted two rosés the second of which we liked for aperos. Then we tasted three reds and liked the second two.

Finally, we tasted the dessert wine and it was good. Then the host put dark chocolate in front of us and the wine went from good to spectacular. Wow! We added dark chocolate to our grocery list when we got home!

And that's it. An easy day. Leftover beef burgundy with French bread and a red Rasteau. An early night because tomorrow we're heading to Arles,