Visiting the famous wine villages of the Southern Rhone Valley-- Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and others--can be a bit daunting if you don’t know the area, don’t know much about wine or don’t know which labels you love. Some tasting rooms are open to the public during normal hours; others require an appointment. And some vineyards don’t offer tasting at all.

The Southern Rhône appellation is based on a four-level quality hierarchy and produces a wide range of wines from 18 grape varieties, in soil ranging from soft sand to hard rock. Where to begin and how to make the most of your time? Châteauneuf alone has 250 estates.

That’s where Olivier Hickman comes in. Hickman (pictured below with Bruno Gaspard, winemaker at Le Clos du Caillou in Châteauneuf), offers half- and full-day guided visits to some of the top domains in the region, leading all property tours and tastings himself (rather than calling upon the vigneron to do it).

“This allows me to focus on what's different at each domaine and to introduce wine topics in a way people can understand,” he explains. “In addition, it means we can see more domaines in a short time because there is no repetition.” Bottom line? You’ll get a far richer experience than if you showed up on your own.

A day out with Olivier is a crash course in the concept of terroir, the combination of soil, microclimate and topography that makes every French wine unique. Terroir is why two wines made from the same grape on adjacent properties can taste vastly different…and why the choicest parcels of grape-growing land here sell for upwards of €400,000 per hectare. Along the way, you’ll discover the different aging techniques, the differences between French and New World winemaking, the subtleties of Rhone grape varieties, the basics of organic and biodynamic winemaking and why tough growing conditions can yield some of the best wines. And, of course, you’ll taste some of the region’s finest labels.

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