Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tour — Avignon, Château La Nerthe & Private Cellar Tasting
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Tour — Avignon, Château La Nerthe & Private Cellar Tasting
FULL DAY
MARSEILLE / AIX
PRIVATE — UP TO 12 GUESTS
One of the most storied appellations in the world, Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces wines of extraordinary complexity from sun-scorched vines as old as the papacy itself. This private châteauneuf du pape wine tour pairs a guided visit to medieval Avignon — city of popes and troubadours — with an exclusive tasting experience at Château La Nerthe, one of the appellation’s most historic and distinguished founding estates, whose cellars date to the 16th century. The finest wine tasting south of france experience for those who want to go beyond the label.
The finest wine tour from Marseille or Aix-en-Provence — a private chateauneuf du pape wine tour with direct hotel pickup included. Your chauffeur-guide understands both the history of Avignon and the terroir of the Southern Rhône Valley. No shared groups, no coach stops, no compromise on the quality of the experience.
THE OUI LOVE DIFFERENCE
Château La Nerthe is our exclusive partner — the only estate we bring guests to in the appellation. One of the best wineries chateauneuf du pape has ever produced, and one of its most historic founding domaines. In their 16th-century cellars, your group enjoys a fully private Classic experience: a guided tour of the ancestral caves followed by a seated tasting of four AOP cuvées including the celebrated Cuvée des Cadettes. This châteauneuf du pape wine tour does not visit a shared tasting room — it enters a private cellar reserved exclusively for Oui Love Tours clients.
For those who wish to go further, the Prestige upgrade adds the extraordinary. An additional 30 minutes in the 18th-century barrel cellar — the emblematic white Clos de Beauvenir, Les Clavelles, and a rare old vintage tasted in complete privacy. The best wine tasting chateauneuf du pape offers, in the estate that defines the appellation.
Tour Overview: Provence Day Trip
Avignon — City of Popes & Medieval Ramparts
The largest Gothic palace in the world stands at the heart of Avignon — the extraordinary Palais des Papes, seat of the Catholic Church for nearly a century when the papacy moved from Rome to this sun-drenched city on the Rhône. Your avignon tour guide brings the story to life: the medieval ramparts, the celebrated Pont Saint-Bénézet, the ancient streets of the old city that have changed little since the 14th century. A city that rewards those who explore it with someone who knows its depths.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape — The Village & The Appellation
Arrive in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape — the stone lanes, the ruined papal château above, the vineyards stretching in every direction. This is the heart of one of France’s greatest appellations and one of the most iconic stops on any rhone valley wine tour: the garrigue-scented hillsides of the Southern Rhône, the ancient vines growing from round river stones called galets, the same terroir that has produced great wine since the 14th-century popes planted their own vineyards on these slopes.
Château La Nerthe — Best Winery in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Among the best wineries in chateauneuf du pape, Château La Nerthe stands apart — one of the appellation’s founding estates, its cellars carved from rock in the 16th century, still used to age every cuvée produced here. The private Classic experience includes a guided tour of the ancestral caves and a seated, commented tasting of four AOP Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées including the Cuvée des Cadettes from old vines. Among the best wineries chateauneuf du pape has ever produced — an experience unavailable to walk-in visitors and reserved exclusively for Oui Love Tours clients.
What's Included in the Tour?
- Châteauneuf du pape wine tour
- Avignon guided visit — Palace of the Popes, Pont Saint-Bénézet, old city
- Château La Nerthe — Tour Privé Classic (1 hour)
- Guided cellar tour — 16th-century ancestral caves
- Seated tasting — 4 AOP Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées including Cuvée des Cadettes
- All transfers and parking
- Private round-trip vehicle transfer — Marseille or Aix-en-Provence
- Gratuities (optional but appreciated)
- Wine purchases
- Avignon Palace of the Popes entrance — optional, ~€15
- Lunch — payable on site
Itinerary
08h00 — Pickup · Marseille or Aix-en-Provence
Your private vehicle heads north through the Provençal countryside — the lavender fields and garrigue of the Southern Rhône opening around you as Avignon’s medieval towers come into view on the horizon. Available for wine tasting near marseille hotel guests and Aix-en-Provence hotel guests alike, with direct pickup from your hotel entrance. ~1 hour drive.
09h00 — Avignon · Palace of the Popes & Old City
Stand before the largest Gothic palace in the world and allow your guide to recount the extraordinary century when Avignon held the papacy — the politics, the intrigue, the architectural ambition of a church at the height of its power. Walk the medieval ramparts, cross the celebrated Pont Saint-Bénézet, and explore the ancient streets of the old city. A morning that sets the historical stage for the wines of an appellation named for the popes who first planted it. ~2 hours.
11h50 — Châteauneuf-du-Pape Village
Arrive in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape — a short walk through stone lanes, the ruined papal château above on the hill, the vineyards of the appellation stretching in every direction below. One of the great wine villages of France, seen at ground level, before the vines, with time to breathe it in. ~30 min.
12h20 — Lunch · Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Your table is reserved at a carefully chosen village address — Provençal cuisine paired naturally with the wines of the appellation. The stone lanes, the view over the vineyards, the ruined château above: lunch in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is an experience in itself. Suggested and reserved to your preference — dietary requirements, occasion, and budget — at the time of booking. ~1h30.
14h00 — Château La Nerthe · Private Wine Tasting
Enter one of the founding estates of the appellation for the finest private châteauneuf du pape wine tour tasting available in the region. The 16th-century cellars carved from rock are still used to age every cuvée produced here — your guide leads you through the ancestral caves before a seated, commented tasting of four AOP Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées: the Cuvée des Cadettes from old vines, the Les Clavelles, and two further expressions of an estate that has defined this appellation for five centuries. Exclusively reserved for Oui Love Tours clients. ~1 hour.
15h00 — Return Transfer · Marseille or Aix-en-Provence
Your private vehicle returns you to Marseille or Aix-en-Provence — bottles carefully packed, memories carefully made. Arrival approximately 16h00. ~1 hour.
Add a licensed, officially accredited wine specialist guide for an authoritative introduction to the Avignon papacy and the terroir of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation — the galets roulés, the thirteen permitted grape varieties, the extraordinary history of an appellation that wrote France's first appellation laws in 1923. Available on request at time of booking.
Extend your tasting at Château La Nerthe with the Tour Privé Prestige — an additional 30 minutes in the 18th-century barrel cellar for a tasting of five rare cuvées, including the emblematic white Clos de Beauvenir, Les Clavelles, and a rare old vintage. An unhurried, intimate encounter with the finest expressions of one of France's greatest appellations. Duration: 1h30 total. Available on request at time of booking.
Cancellation Policy
For groups of 1-6 people:
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance
- No refund for cancellations less than 48 hours ahead or no-shows.
For groups of 7+ people:
- Free cancellation up to 7 days in advance
- 50% refund between 7 days and 48 hours in advance
- No refund for cancellations less than 48 hours ahead or no-shows.
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Guests consistently rate this châteauneuf du pape wine tour as the finest rhone valley wine tour and wine tasting south of france experience available from Marseille or Aix-en-Provence — for the exclusivity of the private cellar at Château La Nerthe, the best wine tasting chateauneuf du pape offers to private visitors, and the historical depth of Avignon that sets the perfect stage for what follows in the vineyards. The chateauneuf du pape wine tour that goes further than any other.
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