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Wine tasting
Sablet is in the heart of the Cote du Rhone wine region with villages like Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape, Vacqueras & Rasteau just minutes away.
Virtually all the caves in the Cote du Rhone area offer some sort of tasting service and if you don’t like the wine you don’t have to buy it (some ask for a tip if you don’t buy).
But if you feel uncomfortable tasting the wine and not buying then why don’t you try the Cairanne Co-Operative. This is not a factory tour or a museum but more of a ‘5 senses experience’. Using videos, pictures and things to touch/hear/smell, they show you how the vines are grafted and how the grapes are grown, harvested and made into wine. At the end you are offered 4 red wines and 2 white wines to taste. It’s very relaxed and you won’t feel obliged to buy any of the wines.
Entry €6 for adults, children under 12 are free.
Open Monday to Saturday: 9:30 – 10:30 and 15:00 – 16:30.
Directions: Left out of the house towards Orange. Follow the signs for Rasteau just after you go over the River Ouveze and then after Rasteau follow the signs for Cairanne. When you reach Cairanne follow the signs for the Cave Co-Operative.
Travel time: Cairanne is about 10-15 minutes from Sablet. Alternatively if you would like to learn more then try one of the half-day guided visits from 'Wine-Uncovered'. These can be booked in advance or arranged locally Wine Uncovered – “Solving the Mysteries of Terroir”: Half-day guided visits (in English) to the vineyards and wineries of two different domaines, explaining the concept of terroir and demonstrating how different terroir, grape varieties, vine-growing and winemaking methods influence the wines tasted See www.wine-uncovered.com
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Canoeing at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
The canoeing at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is great fun. It’s very safe and there are no rapids. You pick the canoes up near Fontaine de Vaucluse and then canoe down the River Sorgue to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue where a coach will wait for you and take you back to your car. Your feet will get wet so wear old shoes. Take a small snack and a bottle of water as you will stop for a five minute break. You will be given life jackets and a waterproof box to put all your stuff in.
Allow about 2 hours for the canoeing and half an hour for the coach back to your car.
Directions: From Isle-sur-la-Sorgue take the road to Fontaine de Vaucluse and Kayak Vert will be signposted after about 5km. Allow 1 hour to get there from Sablet.
Cost (Summer 2006): €36 for a 3 person canoe (good for 2 adults and 1 child). €48 for a 4 person canoe (good for 2 adults and 2 children). €18 for a 1 man canoe.
You must book in advance as the canoeing parties leave at scheduled times. Tel: 04 90 20 35 44.
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Pont du Gard
The largest Roman Aqueduct in Europe. Very impressive and worth a visit. Take a picnic and have it by the river (10 minutes walk from the car park).
The Pont du Gard is about 50 minutes from Sablet. Take the motorway towards Nimes airport and follow the brown signs before you get to Nimes.
If you want to make a day of it then why not combine this with a trip to the old town of Uzes. The market in Uzes is on a Saturday morning and you can buy everything you need for the picnic at the market.
Visiting the Pont du Gard is free, car parking is €5. There are other attractions at the Pont du Gard for which a small entry fee is payable.
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Avignon
Pont St Benezet – from the song ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon…’. The bridge only goes half way across the Rhone – the rest having been swept away by floods a couple of hundred years ago. €3.50 entry which includes a mobile cassette player telling you the history of the bridge – in English.
Road Train – Good one for the children. €2 for a short trip from the Palais des Papes up to the gardens on the hill or €6 for a 40 minute tour of the city.
Palais des Papes – An interesting visit. Self guided tour around the famous palace with the same mobile cassette system as the Pont St Benezet telling you all about the rooms/history etc. Slightly spoilt by the fact that none of the rooms have any furniture in them..! Entry fee €9.50. Good gift shop at the end of the tour.
Discounted entry fees are available with the ‘Avignon Passion’ pass available free at the ticket booths of all the sites.
Avignon is great for shopping, browsing, restaurants and café life and is about 30 minutes from Sablet.
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Fontaine de Vaucluse
A great day or half day out. See the natural springs gushing out of the rocks at the Fontaine du Vaucluse. See the Paper Mill museum and the Museum of the French Resistance
Park in one of the car parks and walk up to the Fontaine then take a leisurely walk back browsing the shops and Paper Mill. Have lunch in one of the many restaurants overlooking the river and then visit the French Resistance museum in the afternoon.
As you are only 10 minutes away, why not combine this with a stroll round the antique centre of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or the canoeing above. It’s a beautiful town with the River Sorgue weaving in and out of every street.
The Fontaine de Vaucluse is about 50 minutes from Sablet. The Fontaine and Paper Mill are free. Parking will cost about €3 for the day.
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Walk to Séguret
Take the 50 minute walk from the house along the old back road into Séguret and stroll around the picturesque town or alternatively take the two and a half hour route to the top of the Chevallong and round the back of the hills into the village. Séguret is completely pedestrianised. Note the Cafe/bar is closed on Tuesdays.
For the short route turn right out of the house, left at the Charles de Gaulle monument then right onto the main road. At the Marie roundabout turn right then take the lane on the left before the Post Office. This lane goes all the way into Séguret.
For the long route turn right out of the house up into the village. Turn right opposite the Bar down past the Bank. When you get to the main road turn left then immediately right up a little lane. Follow this lane into the hills and all the way to Séguret.
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Lunch in the Village
Why not stroll up to the village for lunch or an evening meal. Sit outside, soak up the sun, take your time and enjoy the flavours of Provence in the local food and wine. There are 3 restaurants to choose from for lunch and 2 for evening meals - all within easy walking distance.
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Cycling in the Dentelles
Cycle from the house to the Dentelles. There are munerous marked paths for the off-roaders and pleanty of local villages to visit for those who prefer road cycling.
Bikes are easily available for hire in Vaison-la-Romaine.
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Local Markets:
During the high season the markets get very busy so try to be there before 10 o’clock.
Tuesday:
Vaison-la-Romaine – A very good market with plenty to see and buy. All the usual food stalls plus local crafts, clothes, plants, souvenirs etc. A good selection of cafes in the main square for a drink or lunch.
Thursday:
Orange – A good market although not as big as Vaison or Carpentras. Worth a visit if you wish to see the Roman Amphitheatre in Orange.
Nyons – Large market in the old town, worth a visit. Stop by the old Roman bridge at the end of the market for a drink or maybe lunch.
Friday:
Carpentras – Another good market with plenty to see and buy. Most of the cafes are in the shade though – except the one in front of the cathedral.
Saturday:
Uzes – Lots of food stalls with local specialities. Worth combining with a trip to the Pont du Gard.
Sunday:
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – The largest antique market outside Paris plus all the usual food and craft stalls. Well worth a trip if you have the time.
Nyons – Provencal market, smaller than the normal Thursday market but lovely to browse around before lunch. Plenty of small restaurants in the old town.
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