My brother-in-law wanted to visit Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a wine tasting on the last day of his stay with us in Provence. None of us know much about wine and felt nervous about just turning up, especially as it was unlikely we wanted to buy a huge quantity given the limitations on what could be taken back by plane. My wife, always the plucky one, saw Le Nez Des Papes down a side street and the sweet girl, Marlène, encouraged us to pop in and try some tasting. It turns out that Marlène, who is still learning her trade, was hugely knowledgeable, extremely patient and provided not only enough detail for us to follow (in perfect English) the background to CdP wines, but didn’t make us feel uncomfortable despite our naïve questions. We tried 4 wines, including a white CdP (not many know they also do white!), a Lirac (excellent alternative to the more expensive CdP) and two red CdPs. The reds included one with all 13 grape varieties (€48) and one with just 5 (€24). All were excellent and it was interesting to note the difference in aroma once Marlène suggested we swirl the wine in the glass before sniffing again. We didn’t make use of the “crachoir” – the spittoon – why waste such delicious wines?! We walked out clutching a variety from those we tasted, all 2021 vintage, but I know we won’t wait for them to mature the recommended 5+ years! A great experience, and well worth a visit if you are in the area. The village is now a magnet for the American visitors, which explains why the prices have gone through the roof – and why it’s also hard to find the White CdP in the shops. It’s been bought by the caseload and shipped to the USA. Thanks for the great experience, Le Nez Des Papes!