Renaissance Tours wine expert Bridig Kennedy explains the benefit of a wine tour

Rhône and Provence are more than wine regions – they’re places where wine and life connect. Photo / ShutterstockYou’re leading a tour of Rhône Valley and Provence. What makes this region so special for wine lovers?

If you love wine, you will love the Rhône Valley! It isn’t just the wine itself, though it’s excellent, but the deep sense of place. The landscape, grape varieties, and winemaking styles shift as you move along the river – from peppery, structured Syrahs of the north to the sunny grenache blends of the south.

You can stand in a vineyard in Côte-Rôtie and look out over 2000 years of winemaking history etched into the hillsides. Or walk through Châteauneuf-du-Pape and understand, with a sip of Grenache, why this region was once the papal seat of wine.

Rhône Valley wines range from peppery Syrah to sunny Grenache blends. Photo / ShutterstockFood and wine go hand in hand – what are some regional dishes in Provence or the Rhône you love sharing with travellers?

In Lyon, I love the bouchons – local bistros serving hearty dishes like quenelles and terrines with a carafe of Côtes du Rhône.

Further south, where we lived in the Southern Rhône, meals get sunnier: slow-cooked lamb with herbes de Provence, ratatouille, tomato and olives, and potatoes cooked in olive oil.

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Provence lightens the mood with Mediterranean flavours: seafood, tomatoes, herbs and elegant, bone-dry rosé. If the Rhône offers depth and richness, Provence brings freshness and sunshine.

What do you really need to know to enjoy wine? A lot less than you think, says Brigid Kennedy. Photo / ShutterstockWhat’s one wine-tasting tip or myth you love to debunk?

That you need to name a dozen aromas to appreciate wine. You really don’t. What matters is: what do you smell, taste, feel? Wine is personal. If you’ve never smelt violets, you won’t detect them – but if rosemary or thyme grows in your garden, you might recognise those in a southern Rhône red. There’s no right answer, just your honest response. That’s what makes it fun.

Grenache in Chateauneuf du Pape. Photo / ShutterstockHow do you help guests feel confident exploring and appreciating wines?

I show guests how grape variety, regions and terroir all connect. Once you understand how the same grape can taste completely different depending on where it’s grown, wine becomes easier – and more fun – to explore. Curiosity builds, confidence follows and expertise comes more naturally.

Can you share a favourite memory from a past tour or tasting that captures the magic of wine travel?

At Domaine du Tunnel, built into an old railway tunnel in Cornas, the wine was incredible, but the winemaker stole the show. He didn’t speak English, so he kept nudging our guide to translate his jokes. She finally said, “He insists I tell you this because he thinks it’s funny – it’s not, but please laugh!” We did. Unforgettable.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in Southeastern France. Photo / ShutterstockDo you have a favourite New Zealand wine?

I’m a big fan, especially your Pinot Noir from Central Otago. I visited the Hawke’s Bay region and was really impressed by the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the special Gimblett Gravel soils. Like with rugby, New Zealand wine punches well above its weight!

What keeps you coming back to the Rhône and Provence?

The Rhône is where wine came to life for me. Living there, I saw how wine, food and place all belong together. The wines are full of character, and so are the people and the landscapes.

I hope guests leave with a strong connection to the region and a clearer sense of what they enjoy in a wine, and its connection to a place. That’s where it gets exciting.

DETAILS

Brigid will lead the upcoming Renaissance Tours ‘Wines of the Rhône Valley and Provence’ tour this September.

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