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Côtes du Rhône and Clearwater Lake Camping: Charcuterie in God’s Country

This month the Winophiles are talking about wines from Cotes du Rhone.  I paired mine with a charcuterie tray at Clearwater Lake in Piedmont, Missouri, during a weekend camping trip.  Yes, our camping trips do have a certain sophistication to them, and that makes me oh, so happy!


First, let's look at Cotes du Rhone.  It is one of the oldest wine-producing areas in the world. According to Wine Enthusiast, Côtes du Rhône is among the oldest vineyard regions on the planet. Greeks, Romans, and Medieval Popes liked the native-grape rocky soil tastes. As the reputation of these great wines grew, a 1729 royal edict required each cask to be branded “C.D.R.” (Côtes du Rhône), marking the best from the rest.


I find it easy to find and buy a Côtes du Rhône. I have found some bottles at a price point of $10 that are really deep and delicious. They are a food-friendly wine, so bring one to a party and everyone will be impressed!

We love visiting Missouri's parks.  Clearwater Lake is a Corps of Engineers property which means much of the natural beauty is preserved.  Our campsite did have an awesome view of the lake as you can see above. We highly recommend it as a place to go and spend some quality time with nature.

On the first night of camping, we always do a charcuterie tray after set-up.  We bring a good bottle of wine and create a tray of meats, cheeses, crackers, and fruit.  Our charcuterie this time was uncured salami, thick-cut, herbed goat cheese, slices of good cheddar, parmesan crisps, and smoked gouda. A perfectly ripe Missouri apple completed the tray.  We selected a Domaine Bellevue wine, known for its deep dark red fruit, bold and dry, complex flavors of wet leaves, leather, beautifully balanced.  Each cheese, the meat, and even the crisps were enhanced by this wine.


If you are interested in learning more about this wine region, join us Saturday for a Twitter Chat starting at 11:00 Eastern Time and follow the hashtag #Winophiles.  See you there!

To learn more about this wonderful wine region, visit these wonderful websites on wine.  You will be happy that you did.

Would you like to comment?

  1. You certainly know how to camp, my friend! And that wine looks fabulous. Thanks for joining the fun and games this month with the French Winophiles.

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  2. I like the way you camp. What a gorgeous view! I can't imagine much more perfect than a Côtes du Rhône with that view...unless maybe you had a view of the Rhône itself!

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  3. Wow! If that's what camping looks like sign me up! I am definitely recreating your cheese and charcuterie board the next time I have a similar wine. Yum!

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  4. What a great way to enjoy a change of scenery during this pandemic. I want to camp with you if you are serving up great food and wine like this.

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  5. What a setting to enjoy a wine and food pairing! Just beautiful. Everything tastes better in the outdoors, right?

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  6. That really is a gorgeous spot! A beautiful way to enjoy this wine.

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  7. Total land area of Greece is 131,957 km2 (approx. 50,949 mi²). 37520 km2 of Greece's territory is covered in forests. and forest land comprises 28% of all the land in the country.

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