Gigondas: A Place We Keep Coming Back To

To us, Gigondas is a must-visit destination every year, and it is not just because we have a fantastic house at our disposal. It is because we simply miss it when we have been gone for too long. When we come to Gigondas, it feels like coming home. We are greeted by neighbors, catch up with friends, and share news at the small grocery shop or the wine bar.

The village is amazing. Tucked into the Dentelles de Montmirail, Gigondas is a small village with big character. Wander its narrow stone streets lined with flowering, shuttered old stone houses. There is a lovely small church, the Church of St. Catherine, at the top of the town, which is illuminated every evening. We love to walk up there in the evening (it takes 2 minutes) and enjoy the view over the valley, the vineyards, and the starry night sky. Another lovely spot to enjoy the view, night or day, is the old ruins at the top of the town. You walk up through what I believe is called the botanical garden, a walk through enchanting scents and scenery of rosemary, thyme, and lavender, and reach the old ruins where you can sit and look out over the town, the valley, and the vineyards. We love to come up here, bringing an aperitif or enjoying some oysters bought fresh from the market with a glass of champagne.

I believe when in Gigondas, you should definitely allow yourself time to walk the Dentelles. There are many possible routes of varying difficulty and length, and the trip does not have to be strenuous. You can walk on a wide road all the way or choose smaller paths that require a bit more scrambling and occasionally some light climbing. No matter what you choose, you are in for a treat. The view at the top is stunning, but also along the way, overlooking the rugged mountaintops, the vineyards, and the valley below Gigondas. We always walk at least one circuit around the Dentelles. For inspiration on specific routes, I suggest you check out AllTrails or similar apps.

Of course, the town also offers a fantastic wine bar, Le Nez, where you can sit in the shade and enjoy a glass of wine or a small snack. There is a very popular Michelin-starred restaurant, a pizzeria with its own unique, quirky charm, along with several other small restaurants where you can enjoy lunch or dinner. For more details on our recommendations for eating and drinking, visit (link to eating and drinking section here) and read more.

And like every other small French town, there is, of course, a small grocery shop or épicerie, as they are usually called. Here you can get the essentials, like freshly baked bread and ice cream, but the shop also offers a small selection of ceramics from local artists and a very welcoming owner who has recently taken over the shop.

Most importantly, it is a town of winemakers, so tasting some of the world-class Gigondas wines while here is an absolute must. If you are a novice or simply looking for a one-stop shop, visit the Caveau de Gigondas, which offers ample opportunity to taste a wide variety of Gigondas wines from the various domains around. Of course, the reds are what this town is most famous for, but I think you are really missing out if you do not try the white wines, which are a new addition to the appellation, or the rosés, which are uniquely full-bodied and perfect for a barbecue steak in the summer, when it is just too warm to drink red wine (if that is ever really the case ;)). If you are a bit more adventurous or more of a wine person and planning to do a few tastings, you should definitely visit some of the domains in the area. Most offer tastings at the domain, and a few even have a tasting room in the square in town. When you go to the domaines, you have the advantage of being able to taste all their wines, not just the Gigondas (which are the only ones available at the Gigondas Caveau). Most domaines have a variety of wines that also include wines from the surroundings like Rasteau, Sablet, Vacqueyras, or “simple” Côtes du Rhône, and I like to get a full tasting of what the domaines have to offer. I could go on and on about the wine from Gigondas or the surrounding area of South Rhône here, but I think I will leave it at this for now. Maybe I will write a separate section about this at some point.