30 year old Grape Vines at a vineyard in Chateauneuf Du-Pape, France, showing the stoney soil that these grapes grow on
Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates as "New Castle of the Pope," and indeed, the history of this commune and its wine is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent "Avignon Popes" were said to be great lovers of wine and did much to promote it during the seventy-year duration of the Avignon Papacy. At the time, winegrowing around the town of Avignon was anything but illustrious. While the Avignon Papacy did much to advance the reputation of Burgundy wines, they were also promoting viticulture of the surrounding area, more specifically the area 5–10 km north of Avignon, close to the banks of the Rhône River. Prior to the Avignon Papacy, viticulture of the area had been initiated and maintained by the Bishops of Avignon, largely for local consumption. Clement V was succeeded by John XXII, who regularly drank the wines from the vineyards to the north, as well as Burgundy wine, and did much to improve viticultural practices there. Under John XXII, the wines of this area came to be known as "Vin du Pape"; this term later became Châteauneuf-du-Pape. John XXII is also responsible for erecting the famous castle that stands as a symbol for the appellation.
Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Chateauneuf Du-Pape, Provence, France.
Photo credit: © Park Dale / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: chateauneuf-du-pape, french, grape, grapes, grenache, pebbles, soil, stoney, stony, unesco, vines, vineyard, wine
