WTF is Châteauneuf-du-Pape? (A wine with a direct line to the Pope)

As the Cardinals head into Conclave to elect the new Pope, we head into our studio (ok, it's our basement, but whatever) to dig into a big, bold, red wine that links directly to the Papacy when it was in France. The Pape in Châteauneuf-du-Pape refers to, you guessed it, the Pope, and the name means “The Pope’s New Castle.” But did you know that Pope John the XXII actually had this papal castle built on the land that makes this wine? Châteauneuf-du-Pape would not normally be a wine that would make it onto our podcast - not because it isn’t good, but because it is a pricey wine, generally well above our $25 price cap. But for an occasion as rare and important as the election of a new Pope, we decided it was the perfect time to break the bank and taste and review this classic Grenache-focused wine with deep, historical roots. The real question is - are any of the wines we reviewed worthy of a papal blessing?!? Wines reviewed in this episode: 2023 Marc Bonadieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2020 Domaine Baptiste Hillaire La Part Des Anges Châteauneuf-du-PapeSend us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us:  https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: [email protected]