Trains and wine are natural partners, whether it’s a glass of crisp white over a leisurely lunch in a dining car as you cruise through the Alps, or a train route that winds through a region known for its fine wines . Many of Europe’s most prized wine regions naturally lend themselves to exploration by rail.
For example, take the train from São Bento station in Porto to Pocinho, for a beautiful view of the estates that formed the basis of the port trade. Other classic European wine regions where trains wind through vineyards include Tokay in Hungary, Germany’s Moselle Valley, Spain’s Ebro Valley (for fine Rioja) and Switzerland’s Lavaux region where one grand cru white, made from Chasselas grapes, even has the rail link plays: the stylish Dézaley of the Massy family is called Chemin de Fer.
North from Avignon to Valence
It’s a tempting train-wine link that takes me to Avignon on a humid early spring day to explore the Rhône Valley. There are few travelers around. The Avignon Center train station looks handsome with its yellow and white walls. This is the starting point for the regular local trains to Lyon (a two and a half hour journey). Large express trains once ran on this regional railway line, but that is no longer the case. The TGVs run north to Paris on a high-speed line that runs well east of the Rhône Valley. Only regional trains follow the old valley route, taking in some of the major appellations on either side of the Rhône as one follows the railway line upstream from Avignon. The railway passes Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage, while later in the journey there are fine views across the river to Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
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Leaving the center of Avignon on the blue and white train heading to Lyon, we will have a view to the left of the old walls of the city, after which we will cross the Canal Crillon. We’ve barely left the outskirts of Avignon when we stop at a station called Sorgues-Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There’s not a vine in sight, but a few moments later the distinctive low hill where Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most stylish vineyards lie is visible to the west, while on the other side of the railway line the rugged Provencal landscape stretches from east to west. The Vacqueyras wine district and, in the distance, the hill country around Gigondas and Beaumes de Venise, the latter known for its aromatic Muscat.
Our train turns west to serve Orange, after which we have our first real encounter with the main channel of the Rhône River. It’s not all pretty: we pass cement factories, graveyards of abandoned cars and nuclear power stations.
Viognier promises an intoxicating perfume of orange blossom, apricots and almonds
Halfway through the journey I stop for lunch in Valence, where the elegant design of the Valence Ville train station is reminiscent of the architectural idiom of the Grand Trianon at Versailles. I know this route well, and a stop at Valence is mandatory in both directions. If you come from the north it is the first city that embodies the energetic vitality of the fragrant south of France, and if you go north it is an opportunity to enter the south Adieu. And embrace the famous vineyards that lie before you.
Beyond Valence, the valley walls close in and the landscape, now slightly greener, is home to vineyards producing powerful red wines made from the Syrah grape, and many luscious white wines, the best of which reflect the finesse of three very contrasting grapes: Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The latter offers the prospect of an intoxicating perfume of orange blossom, apricots and almonds.
Vineyards in the Northern Rhône
Leaving Valence you have views across the Rhône to Cornas, known for its assertive, peppery red wines. We then cross the River Isère and soon sail past a litany of famous vineyards. Signs mark the valuable parcels owned by illustrious winemakers such as Chave, Chapoutier and Jaboulet.
There is a breathtaking view of a chapel high on a slope above the railway line. Not a single chapel, but the one that dominates a plot of land in Hermitage known as La Chapelle, associated with revered red wines that develop gently in the bottle over decades.
On the left the slowly flowing waters of the Rhône and on the right the gentle slopes covered with vineyards of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. On the other side of the river is Saint-Joseph. But the best is yet to come. For lovers of the Viognier grape, and I count myself among them, the highlight of this trip is Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet. The steep slopes of both appellations are visible on the opposite bank of the river as we approach Saint-Clair-Les Roches station where I stay overnight at Hotel Bellevue (doubles from €115, room only).
It won’t win any awards for architectural ambition, but among the hotel’s many redeeming qualities are a view of the Rhône as beautiful as its name implies, good food and access via a bridge over the river to the Condrieu vineyards on the western shore.
“We call that Guigalville,” says the waiter at the hotel, gesturing to the vineyards across the river and referring to the family that has done so much to promote the wines of Condrieu and neighboring Côte-Rôtie. So the next day I take a local bus to Ampuis to visit the Guigal estate and taste some local wines.
The Condrieu is a star, with its perfect balance between acidity and fruit. Then it’s back to Saint-Clair and the further train north into the valley to Lyon. There are tempting views across the river to the turreted Château d’Ampuis, home of the Guigal family. Our train stops in Vienne, a riverside town famous for its Roman remains. Then we run non-stop to Lyon, a 20-minute drive, via Seyssuel, where ambitious young winemakers are buying up land amid rumors that the wines could offer all the finesse of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
Now the last vineyards have disappeared and we drive into Lyon, past factories and oil refineries, power stations and sewage works. I note that the train I am on goes beyond Lyon to Mâcon, which offers the opportunity to extend my wine tour north to the Beaujolais and the southernmost part of the Mâconnais.
I’m tempted, but the Swiss whites beckon, so I get off in Lyon and head for the Lavaux region on the north side of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), where I’m scheduled to meet for a glass of Luc Massy’s grand cru Dézaley Chemin de Fer.
Travel details
There are 11 direct regional trains from Avignon Center to Lyon every weekday. At weekends the service is less frequent: on Saturdays there are nine direct trains and on Sundays seven. The one-way fare from Avignon Center to Lyon Part Dieu via the Rhone Valley is €40.70. Buy these at the station before departure or in advance via Rail Europe for £36 (booking fees no longer apply for tickets in British pounds).
Nicky Gardner lives in Berlin. She is co-author of Europe by Rail: the Definitive Guide (Hidden Europe, £18.99). To support The Guardian and Observer, order your copy of the 17th edition from Guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.