Do French wineries close in the fall?

Beth and I are joining some friends for a trip to France next fall. We'll be barging in Burgundy Sept 13 - 20, and then spending the following week, Sept 13 - 20, in Provence, actually Seguret, right in the middle of CdRV territory. We'll probably be taking a trip a day to surrounding areas, some of it wine related - I hope.
I didn't select the dates, but they work for me, and we'll go regardless of the answer to this question, but that is probably around harvest time and does anybody know whether the wineries, particularly those in the Southern Rhone, close for winery tours at that time of year? How about the tasting rooms? Any info would be appreciated.
-w

... probably around harvest time and does anybody know whether the wineries, particularly those in the Southern Rhone, close for winery tours at that time of year? How about the tasting rooms?

Which tasting rooms?

Perhaps I have the wrong picture, but reading travel books I got the impression that wineries had tasting rooms, and in addition, in at least some of the communities there are places to taste the wines of several of the local wineries. So, I am interested in knowing if either or both are open during harvest time.

Thanks: It was a serious question: some people in US have seen only wineries with tasting rooms; the San Francisco Chronicle lately even carries "reviews" of North-Coast California tasting rooms in its weekly wine section. But it doesn't explain that most of them didn't exist even in California 20 or even 10 years ago, or that most wineries US-wide and worldwide -- in major wine-producing regions I've visited anyway -- lack the resources for, or even the concept, of "tasting rooms."

Can't speak from experience of that specific region. Harvest can be the most panicky time around wineries (not a good time to reach my winemaker friends by email, for instance) which could be the main problem. Tasting rooms are not unknown in France at all (for example -- slightly different region -- Gevrey-Chambertin had some single- and multiple-winery tasting rooms when I first visited there middle 1980s), they want to reach out to consumers. Burgundy's generally smallish properties in general tend not to have resources for public tasting, and its more prestigious properties, which have the same problem, also are besieged with written and phoned requests for appointments, far too many for them to accommodate. But homework should surely pay off: Some wineries, and local winery groups, have Web sites that will address this query, they'll likely be very accessible with even a rudimentary familiarity of French.

from seguret you can just take a drive around the dentelles and see most of the cdrv plus vaison la romaine - the old portion is very nice. anyway, the general answers are:
1. it depends
2. never hurts to ask.
depends on how warm or cool the season has been and when the harvest starts. i would pick places you would like to visit - producers whose wines you like(nice to be able to tell them you drink their wine) and contact them. start with google and you should be able to come up with a phone or email. jacqueline friedrich's wines of france book has both phone and email for a good number of producers in every area. anyway, have fun.

Perhaps I have the wrong picture, but reading travel books I got the impression that wineries had tasting rooms, and in addition, in at least some of the communities there are places to taste the wines of several of the local wineries. So, I am interested in knowing if either or both are open during harvest time.

OW, you will generally be tasting with the winemaker or a member of the family, usually in their cellar or shed. Many towns do have co-ops, but with a few exceptions they rarely offer a top example of the region's wines -- though if you want to buy vin en vrac they are usually a good source. As Ian said, their availability will depend on the timing of the harvest, but your visit is right around typical harvest time in those parts, so I doubt that many smaller vignerons will want to meet with anyone then. The co-ops might be open, but that might be it.

Mark Lipton

When in Seguret, be sure to try the Domaine De Mourchon Cotes-Du-Rhone Villages Seguret Grande Reserve. This is a terrific wine, which the esteemed Dr. B highly recommends ... "Buy it by the case."

Have fun -- Clark

September, as you surmise, is not a particularly good time to visit small wine estates in Burgundy or S. Rhône because the vigneron is likely to be in the vineyard supervising the harvest or in the chai preparing the wine. However cellar door sales are likely to be their most profitable outlet so there will generally someone willing to receive you, often the vigneron's wife, and pour the current range, which by then is likely to consist mainly of 2007, difficult in Burgundy but probably fine in S. Rhône. This means that you may not have the benefit of the vigneron's knowledge.

Of course larger operations and négotiants are geared up to receive visitors but I find these often less interesting than the smaller estates.

It is indispensable to make an appointment and, in order to have contact details and practical information on the best estates, I strongly recommend Les Meilleurs Vins de France 2008 by Olivier Poussier, etc. published by la Revue du Vin de France 2008 or Le Grand Guide des Vins de France 2008 by Bettane and Desseauve; the former is more user friendly. They are in French only but the contact details and practical information do not need much translation. Amazon France sells them.

Séguret is a very pretty village and is within spitting distance of the best CDVR villages plus Vacqueyras and Gigondas. When I was last in that area about 8 years ago, there was a small shop in the centre of Gigondas selling the wines of most, if not all, Gigondas producers at ex-cellar prices and providing tasting opportunities.

In Burgundy, it will depend very much where you are going to stop off on the canal holiday, but the centre of Beaune has plenty of tasting facilities that will be open even if they are harvesting, and Chalon sur Saone (possibly nearer the canal?) has an excellent Maison des Vins with a shop and tasting room.

In the Southern Rhône around the gorgeous village of Séguret, I think you will find more tasting rooms open than others have suggested, however cellar tours will be difficult in September as - not surprisingly - in the generally small domaines, they don't want visitors slipping on fermenting wine and tripping over pipes etc mid-harvest. Liz Berry MW who writes for me on southern Rhône recommends among others Domaine de la Fourmone (http://www.fourmone.com) in Vacqueyras. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is not that far for a day trip and you will find plenty of options there.

France in general is slowly gearing up to wine tourism and whereas a few years ago, a visit in September would be unthinkable, now they are beginning to realise the value of visits/tasting rooms and increasing numbers of decent producers offer proper tasting facilities. As has been mentioned by others, you will get a better reception with an appointment, but around harvest-time they do often conveniently forget they have written down an appointment, so you will be lucky to meet the owners. My tip would be to make appointments quite last minute (end of August? they tend to return from holiday before the last week of the month) then they will be more likely to remember!

Hope this helps. If I give any more information, I will be breaking the rules of this forum methinks!

Thank you all for the VERY helpful and insiteful information. I am printing a copy for my "Rhone Trip" file. I much appreciate it.
And Wink, welcome. You will make a great addition to this group of very friendly people, and I look forward to further notes from you.

In Burgundy, you should arrange tasting appointments ahead of time. This is especially important for the top small producers. Formal tasting rooms open to the public without appointment, so common in California, are not very common. The Cave Cooperative in Chassange-Montrachet operates a store/tasting room that is well worth a visit. September tasting appointments might be a problem for the small producers, since they'll be busy with the harvest and crush.

Many of the towns in the Rhone Valley area operate tasting rooms where you can sample and buy the local wines. These are a good way to try several of the local producers side-by-side. Again, I would advise getting appointments in advance if you wish to visit individual producers.

See if your local wine merchant can set up some appointments with you through connections with distributors/importers in the wine trade.

-Paul W.

are we all aware that a relatively well known wine educator just joined us above. wink lorch is one of tom stevensons group that contributes to the annual wine report. her area of expertise as well as part time home is Jura and Savoie. having seen her name here, i read her section of the newly released book and found it very interesting. one of the wines she recommends also just showed up as a recommendation in another post here - by otto about chardonnay. welcome aboard wink!

Piling on, the fall/harvest is not the best time of year, but it might still be possible to visit places, especially if you're not going to the Biggest International Names.

So it never hurts to try, call in advance, be polite, thank them for their time, etc..

Piling on, the fall/harvest is not the best time of year, but it might still be possible to visit places, especially if you're not going to the Biggest International Names.

So it never hurts to try, call in advance, be polite, thank them for their time, etc..

Actually, Rahsaan, the Big International Names are sometimes easier to visit, even at harvest. Cases in point are in the N. Rhone: two of the biggest names are Chapoutier and Guigal, both of whom have official tasting rooms and professional tasting room staff. Thierry Allemand, OTOH, is likely going to greet you himself and will be otherwise occupied come harvest time.

Mark Lipton

Actually, Rahsaan, the Big International Names are sometimes easier to visit, even at harvest. Cases in point are in the N. Rhone: two of the biggest names are Chapoutier and Guigal, both of whom have official tasting rooms and professional tasting room staff. Thierry Allemand, OTOH, is likely going to greet you himself and will be otherwise occupied come harvest time.

Mark Lipton

That's true, both in the Rhone and Burgundy. The big international names can and do afford to have an official tasting room and staff.

One surprise for me was Georges Vernay. A top Condrieu producer, but also makes a mean Cote-Rotie. Has a tasting facility in town in Ampuis.

-Paul W.

Actually, Rahsaan, the Big International Names are sometimes easier to visit, even at harvest...The big international names can and do afford to have an official tasting room and staff..

Ok, you guys are probably right about that.

I was thinking more about names like Roumier and Mugnier in Burgundy or Pegau in the Rhone, as I don't think it's easy for non-connected people to get in there especially during harvest.

But you're right, the big names with big staff probably would be good, as would the NonPointy people.

I was thinking more about names like Roumier and Mugnier in Burgundy or Pegau in the Rhone, as I don't think it's easy for non-connected people to get in there especially during harvest.

I cannot speak about visiting in Burgundy, but I suspect that you're correct. Certainly, not just anyone can get an appt at DRC (and let's not even talk about Bdx). But... I have visited Pegau twice, once in '98 and again in '01. It took no finagling beyond being able to make myself understood in French. In both cases, I was hosted by Laurence Feraud, who speaks English, with occasional appearances of her partner Mark and her father Paul. I've even met the mother, who greeted me at the front door on my first visit while Laurence put on her dress (whoohoo!). Ditto with the Avrils at Clos des Papes. Perhaps things have changed there in recent years, but I suspect that if one plans ahead, one can still visit almost any domaine in the S. Rhone.

Mark Lipton

I plan to lean on some friends for introductions to some of the wineries over there. I'm hoping, for example, that geo t will give me an introduction to the fine folks at Berthet Rayne.

I was thinking more about names like Roumier and Mugnier in Burgundy or Pegau in the Rhone, as I don't think it's easy for non-connected people to get in there especially during harvest.

But you're right, the big names with big staff probably would be good, as would the NonPointy people.

Rahsaan, those are names with international reputations, but they're very small concerns.

Big concerns, also with big reputations, such as Bouchard Pere et Fils in Beaune or Beaucastel in Chateauneuf, have staff whose job is to do winery tours. The small (but top quality) domaines such as Roumier, Mugnier, and Pegau (to which I'd add Clos Mont Olivet in CdP), don't.

-Paul W.

[But... I have visited Pegau twice, once in '98 and again in '01. It took no finagling beyond being able to make myself understood in French. In both cases, I was hosted by Laurence Feraud, who speaks English, with occasional appearances of her partner Mark and her father Paul. I've even met the mother, who greeted me at the front door on my first visit while Laurence put on her dress (whoohoo!). Ditto with the Avrils at Clos des Papes. Perhaps things have changed there in recent years, but I suspect that if one plans ahead, one can still visit almost any domaine in the S. Rhone.

Mark Lipton

I think you're very right about this. Ditto with most of the great estates in Burgundy.

But perhaps not during harvest time. Does no harm to ask, though.

-Paul W.

Rahsaan, those are names with international reputations, but they're very small concerns.

Big concerns, also with big reputations, such as Bouchard Pere et Fils in Beaune or Beaucastel in Chateauneuf, have staff whose job is to do winery tours. The small (but top quality) domaines such as Roumier, Mugnier, and Pegau (to which I'd add Clos Mont Olivet in CdP), don't.

-Paul W.

Hence my point that the latter would be more difficult to visit during harvest.

I was thinking more about names like Roumier and Mugnier in Burgundy or Pegau in the Rhone, as I don't think it's easy for non-connected people to get in there especially during harvest.

No.*

If I give any more information, I will be breaking the rules of this forum methinks!

Not at all, and welcome to this forum (I'm rather new to it myself). Tom Stevenson's general wine encyclopedia is very familiar (I recommended it in 2001 on amazon.com and also to many individuals, and bought many copies, placed strategically (including offices and vehicles) so as to be at hand at once en cas d'urgence, as a useful reference book ought to be.

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*This does however recall the experience of one wine tourist I know, from here in northern California and formerly prolix on the 'Net in the early 1990s, who while a university student visited the Rhône and a major producer there, one rainy afternoon. In a moment of bravado he showed the business card of Kermit Lynch, an important importer to our region, and he let it be understood, or misunderstood, that he was a friend of Lynch. He was delighted at the response (Mais, M'sieu, a friend of Kermit is always welcome here!). Presently he was less delighted when the proprietor added "-- and you are in luck, M'sieu! He is here today." (A lesson to us all.)