During
the Middle Ages Rasteau belonged to the church and the bishops were feudal
overlords.
In 1274 Comtat (a part of Vaucluse including Rasteau)
became papal possession with direct influence from the Pope in Rome - for
a period in Avignon (like Chateauneuf du Pape and other villages in the
area).
In the oldest part of the village you'll find the remains of a castle built by
the bishop of
Vaison in 1005, and the roman church Saint Didier dates back to the 12th
century.
In 1253 the sources mention the place as Castris de Rastelio.
History of the vines and wines
It's claimed that vines were planted in Rasteau more than 2000 years
ago.
The oldest written sources dates back to 1414, when a land register
counts 30 ha. with a yield of 6 hl/ha. In 1817 premières déclarations de récoltes
counts 360 hl. from 60 ha. From that time the production raised
considerably until the arrival of the vine pest (Phylloxéra)
around 1870.
For a period vineyards were not excisting and it was not until 1905 that
the production reached the level before 1870. From then there was a
rapid evolution.
In 1925 60 wine growers and merchants founded the cooperative.
In 1935 the first Vin
doux Naturel was made here and shortly after they asked INAO to make an
appellation for this special type of wine.
1937: Wines from Rasteau may be called Cotes du Rhone.
1944: Vin doux Naturel is recognized as an appellation.
1966: Wines from Rasteau may be named Cotes du Rhone
Village Rasteau.
2008-201?: some time in the near future(?) the wines may be
called Appellation Rasteau
Controllée.
Buying wine
If you don't have the time to visit the producers,
you have the possibility to buy
most of the wines at
Rasteau Bienvenue.
Rasteau Bienvenue / Rue des Ecoles
(near the mayoir's office)
84110 Rasteau
Tel / Fax : 04.90.46.18.73
Mail : rasteau-bienvenue@wanadoo.fr
Open Tuesday - Saturday 10.30 - 17.30
Visiting the producers
Most of the producers situated in Rasteau can be visited without
appointment.
You can taste the wines - free - and often you certainly want to buy some
of the good wines from the appellation.
Acces maps can be seen at the sites about the single producer.
Visites de caves - Découverte du vignoble
In the tourist season (June - August) the tourist
office arrange
visits at some producers.
See at the website of the office when and where.
Terres
de Lumiere:
L'escapade des Gourmets
Walk in the vineyards with some surprices along the route such as wine
tasting, gastronomic experiences and spectacles. In 2010 the event takes
place on Sunday 9th May starting in groups from 11.00. The
participating must no exceed 2200 persons!
Nuit du Vin
Every year on 14th August from 17.00 until 24.00 you can
experience Nuit
du Vin
11 producers present their wines in the streets, and other spectacles take
place:
"Les saltimbanques, clowns, jongleurs, marionnettistes, les musiciens,
fanfare, pena vous accompagnent dans la nuit tombante.
A partir de 22H00 sur la grande place du village un des meilleurs orchestre
spectacle de la région anime un grand bal populaire.
La dégustation des vins de RASTEAU se termine a minuit".
Hiking
If you are interested in this activity, you
might get ideas from looking at this map.
The red roads should be marked tracks.
You can also
just enjoy a walk in the old village
Links
Three-star hotel/restaurant: http://www.hotel-bellerive.fr
Culture centre: http://www.claep-rasteau.net/
Officiel web site for Rasteau (Maire) : http://www.rasteau.fr/
Guideweb: http://www.provence.guideweb.com/villes/rasteau/
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