Beaumes-de-Venise
Beaumes-de-Venise is a charming little village located in the southern Rhone Valley between the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux. It was the Romans who founded the town on the hillside of this beautiful spot with panoramic views of the surrounding lush mountain landscape. Beaumes-de-Venise is well protected from the Mistal wind below the jagged ridge of the Dentelles, and it is precisely this location that has provided the area's local winemakers with fantastic viticultural opportunities for centuries. It was the Greeks who brought the Muscat grape to Beaumes-de-Venise in the Middle Ages, and it is the Muscat grape that has made Beaumes-de-Venise world famous. The area received AOC status in 1845 for its sweet, fruity Muscat dessert wines, Muscat Vin Doux Naturel. The name ‘beaumes’, meaning caves or grottoes, comes from the underlying Courens plateau, which is full of caves and has been inhabited by humans since the early Stone Age. Several hiking trails lead to the top of the plateau, which offers fantastic panoramic views of the Dentelles de Montmirail and the village below. Beaumes-de-Venise is a small, lively town with several restaurants, cafés and small shops. There are no iconic buildings, but there are some remains of the medieval fortress walls that protected the town from armed gangs in the 14th century and during the religious wars. At the top of the city are the remains of an old feudal castle, now in private hands. The 14th-century Saint-Pierre church is built into the fortress wall. After being destroyed during the Wars of Religion, it was rebuilt in the 19th century in neo-Romanesque style. 2 kilometres outside the town you'll find the beautiful chapel of Notre Dame d'Aubune, perched on a hillside overlooking the vineyards and the Comtat Venaissin valley. Built in the 11th century, the chapel is one of the most important historical, well-preserved and well-restored remains of the early Middle Ages. The chapel also houses a small archaeological museum, open every Tuesday from 10-12. 
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