Visiting the Rhone Valley, any suggestions?

[jal]

My buddy Jay and I (two wild and crazy guys, sort of Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd but with much less hair and a worse wardrobe) are going to the Rhone valley the third week in October. Any tips/recommendations for hotels, restaurants, wineries to visit will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[AKR]

WB has some good threads on this. Ramon went there a few times and had a bunch of suggestions.

From what I understand if one wants to visit estates, its best to book them ahead of time.

It sounds like a great time to visit.

[DavidG]

Eric Levine also posted a great thread on CdP visits on WB a while back. And if you can connect with Bordeaux Harry, who has become CdP Harry, I bet he could open a bunch of doors for you.

[Comte Flaneur]

Jacques

Two great restaurants in Vienne on the other side of the river to Ampuis :

La Pyramide and Les Saveurs Du Marche

At Pyramide in 2012 we ordered off the list a 1990 Chave rouge and a 1989 Grillet. Both were stellar, and reasonably priced.

At Saveurs we ordered a 1997 Jamet Cote Rotie.

We visited Rene Rostaing, Jasmin and Jamet in Ampuis.

We stayed in a lovely hotel called Beau Rivage in Condrieu, and I remember we ordered a 1983 Dervieux-Thaize Cote Rotie off the list.

Lovely part of the world and a good time to visit.

If you post on the other UK board you should get a good response, because there are a lot of Rhone-o-philes there.

[jal]

Thanks for the help guys, I will look for Ramon and Eric's post on WB.
Ian, I think I'll save the Beau Rivage for when I go with Jill, it looks way too romantic for two dudes , but thank you for the restaurant recs, I'll use them. I tried logging on to the UK site a few times since it has moved server, I can lurk but cannot log on with my old password or even register at all. I'll try again.

Ok, Update, I am in and will ask for help. Thank you again, Ian.

[Nicklasss]

I recommend the Bistrot des Sereines in Ampuis. Nice food and on the weekend, the kids from the place but going out of town to university, come back to drink... champagne there! Talk to Nathalie, the owner, she's cool.

Viennes is nice. I liked the visit to Jamet and Jasmin. Jamet don't talk a lot but if you ask connaisseur questions, he will open himself and tell you everything about Côte Rôtie winemaking!

Nic

[JimHow]

Sounds like fun!
We expect a full report… with a picture or two!

[jal]

Sounds like fun!
We expect a full report… with a picture or two!

There will be a full report along with pictures. I am looking forward to it. Hoping for good weather