Here it was the Pope himself. No monks, no immigrants — Pope John XXII had a vineyard planted on limestone outcrops in the town of his summer residence around 1350 (though it was in fact already ordered by his predecessor, Pope Clement V, after whom Château Pape-Clément is named). Before the Popes moved in, Châteauneuf was actually called Calcernier, on account of its soil. The town, which today numbers 2,100 inhabitants, only became part of France in 1791; until then it belonged to the independent and powerful territory of the bishops and archbishops of Avignon. In a nod to the importance of the place, the papal symbols — the crossed keys of St Peter and the tiara — adorn every neck of every CdP bottle today. The 3,100-hectare AOC was granted protected origin status as early as 1936 (with development beginning in 1923).

The early appellation owes much to, among others, the influential vintner-legend Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, who was instrumental in the development of the AOC system at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The fact that as many as 13 varieties may go into the red blends perhaps owes more to the customs of the time. Today, barely 10% of total production is white. Wine lovers from all over the world know and treasure the famous appellation for its rich, incredibly complex red wines. Château de Beaucastel, Henri Bonneau, Clos des Papes, Clos Saint Jean, Domaine du Pegau, Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Domaine de la Janasse and Rayas are the great names in Châteauneuf-du-Pape that one must know and have drunk.