Happy to hear! Would love to buy some Le Cret Louison regularly but they are not exactly widely available 
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I’m going in April, please post a trip report, or at least message me an update about how it went. Hope you have a great time!
Greetings from Boston, this is wonderful intel! Planning on visiting the region in March and will visit Guigal, Chapoutier and Delas for sure. I see Chapoutier is quite a distance from Guigal. Where would you recommend for lodging?
Chris
But why
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Maybe because this first-time poster enjoys those wines…
I respectfully suggest there are other ways to make the point. Maybe suggest places he might consider visiting rather than slagging his choices. It’s off putting, especially to newcomers.
Don’t want to finger wag, just something to think about.
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I’m excited for my first trip to the Rhone in a few months, but I’m going to try my best to visit small producers rather than the large negotiants.
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I reckon Tain l’Hermitage would be a pretty ideal base. At least there (and the nearby Tournon) you have some options in terms of restaurants and also a couple of wine shops too. Ampuis is small but another option depending how long you will be staying.
It’s definitely a very different experience and I prefer visiting growers too by a wide margin. With negociants the good thing is that they have more wine to sell (vs some growers who might be unable to sell anything), however sometimes the prices are not necessa
A good point taken into consideration.
I heartily suggest visiting other, smaller producers making much more interesting wines. Those big names might be good places to walk into while you are there, but they offer wines that are widely available everywhere in the world and don’t really represent the best - or that typical, some might even argue - wines of the region, nor not particularly great value.
Trying to arrange a visit to a smaller producer will most likely result in a much more personal and more memorable visit, not to speak of the quality of wines. Haven’t been to Rhône (yet), but in every wine region I’ve been to, the visits to the biggest and most commercial producers have always been the most boring and uninteresting and I’d never recommend anyone to visit those places in favor of the other, smaller - and typically better - producers.
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In Tain l Hermitage, which is 40 min. by highway, an hour on route national from Ampuis, I recommend Hotel Les Deux Coteaux, nice family hotel at the pedestrian bridge, vis a vis is a good restaurant.
In Ampuis Domaine des Vignes is almost the only decent hotel, however there are private rooms.
Close to Dom des Vignes is Domaine Stephane Ogier, now a rival to Guigal in quality.
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Otto, I work for a fine wine distributor and these estates are part of the portfolio. Getting inspired!
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Perfect, thanks for your input. Can’t wait!