Since we are staying very near Avignon in southeastern France, an article on the nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape Region, where we will be visiting soon, caught my eye. It’s about a UFO scare in France in the 1950’s that led to some very unusual legislation being passed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There is also a link to one of my favorite California wines – Bonny Doon Cellar’s Le Cigare Volant (LINK), which derives its name from that legislation.
The article is from the site FWx and originally appeared on Vinepair.com
A quote from the article: “Châteauneuf-du-Pape, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeast France, is one of the most celebrated wine producing villages in all of France. It also has one of the wackiest wine laws in the world, one borne out of 1950s UFO hysteria.”
Jim Lockard On Wine 