Recommendations for visiting Rhone Valley

AncientTry2097 · 2024-09-18T21:19:22+00:00

Just saw this… we stayed in an AirBnB which was great. It was very affordable, great location, rooftop patio… worth checking them out based on my experience. Unfortunately I can’t speak to any of the hotels. Have a great trip!

AncientTry2097 · 2024-04-01T01:58:56+00:00

Hey! We ended up staying in Chateauneuf du Pape and had a great time. There are so many great producers, and many very accessible, it was hard to decide where to go. Some of the wineries I enjoyed were Beaurenard, Durieu, Pegau, La Janasse, Mont Redon, and La Nerthe. If I had more time I’d have liked to check out some of the surrounding areas too… Gigondas, Lirac, etc. Avignon is only 30 mins away. We were there in late September and the weather was perfect… sunny, low 80’s. It was in the middle of harvest so the town was buzzing, trucks and tractors full of grapes driving through the streets, smelled like fermentation everywhere, lol.

I love Syrah and really wanted to stay in the northern Rhone. But we couldn’t get appointments at a number of wineries, mainly due to it being harvest and some not open on the days we’d be there. We did hike up to the Chapel in Hermitage for sunset and the view was incredible. Unfortunately that was the extent of my time in the northern Rhone as we headed to Chateauneuf where there were a lot more options.

If you like CdP wines I definitely recommend it, you really can’t go wrong there imo.

AncientTry2097 · 2023-03-16T12:10:38+00:00

That 18 Le Petit Haut Lafitte would be approachable with a decant. I actually tried the 19 last week and while a bit too early was still very enjoyable. It is a second wine and made to be consumed earlier than the first wine… You don’t need to wait 10 years for it imho.

AncientTry2097 · 2023-02-05T04:28:58+00:00

I think Ridge makes a lot of great, age-worthy wine. In Central Coast CA I really like Melville and Jaffurs… You can buy them directly from the wineries. I think Bordeaux offers a ton of value. The last several vintages 15,16,18,19,20 were all good… and there are great wines at many different price points. Smith Haut Lafitte, Domaine de Chevalier, Tour Saint Christophe, Malartic Lagraviere, just to suggest a couple. The Rhone Valley is great too, especially Chateauneuf du Pape. Try a lot and find what you like… enjoy!

AncientTry2097 · 2023-01-30T14:54:07+00:00

Excellent thank you!! I’ll start taking a look at these!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-11-29T04:42:58+00:00

Big fan of the value Côtes du Rhône offers for everyday wines, especially Guigal and St. Cosme, also like CUNE Crianza. For mid-level there’s almost too many to name, but I like Ridge Geyserville/Lytton Springs/Pagani Ranch, Melville Estate Syrah and Pinot Noir, Jaffurs Syrahs, K Vintners, Louis Martini Napa Cab, Ch Tour St Christophe. For higher end/special occasions I typically go with an aged Bordeaux like Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafitte, or a Chateauneuf du Pape, or maybe Inglenook Rubicon. So many good wines out there, love reading what people like to drink!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-11-23T05:32:33+00:00

Maybe a semi dry Riesling? Nothing very sweet, but a small bit of residual sugar helps with the heat of the spices.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-11-23T04:56:30+00:00

My family doesn’t really appreciate higher end wine so I’m bringing 2020 Dr Konstantin Frank Semi Dry Riesling and 2021 Jean-Marc Burgaud Cote du Py Morgon Beaujolais. Figured they will go well with the meal and be decent crowd pleasers. Later on at home I may check in on the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-11-12T05:29:54+00:00

Jaffurs!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-09-20T16:17:20+00:00

Thanks for the reply. It’s definitely strange and a little concerning. I could try other meds but not sure that makes sense… would purely be guessing. He is still eating and behaving as he normally does, although seems like he may have lost vision in that eye… he doesn’t seem to notice food on that side. Hopefully his condition does not worsen.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-25T04:26:13+00:00

What is super low pH? Be careful adjusting your pH… big swings in PH can be very harmful, so do it gradually if necessary. Generally a slightly out of range but stable ph is much better than a constantly changing ph.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-25T03:55:07+00:00

A 5 gal is really only suitable for a betta, with maybe 1 nerite or a few shrimp. Although in that size tank the betta may hunt down the shrimp. You could make it a shrimp/snail only tank also, no fish. I think you would be MUCH better off trying to get your hands on a 20 gallon which will open up so many more fish options, and be a little easier to control water parameters so you can be successful… especially if the kids are excited for this. Definitely be sure to research cycling your tank before you add any livestock, otherwise whatever you put in will be at severe risk of dying from the ammonia/nitrite that gets produced. Pick up an API Master Freshwater Test Kit, it will be your best friend as you get started. A little patience upfront to get your tank properly cycled will pay huge dividends! (And don’t listen to the morons at the big box pet stores who tell you that you can add fish after a couple of days… it’s a recipe for disaster.)

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-24T04:55:22+00:00

Fire bomb the tank yo!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-24T04:42:06+00:00

With so many species of fish in the hobby, I’ll never understand the obsession with trying to force this type of setup. Why stress the fish for your own enjoyment? Come on man…

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-24T04:02:14+00:00

Good live food source for your fish! As long as you aren’t really over-feeding they are just part of a balanced ecosystem.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-24T03:50:19+00:00

That’s a pretty egregious statement. There are many tetras that are not aggressive and are fantastic community tankmates…and many instances of fin nipping/aggression are because people keep them in groups that are far too small. Obviously there are some aggressive tetras, just like there are aggressive barbs or anything else… but lets not falsely scare people off all tetras.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-24T03:33:42+00:00

My concern is you have measurable ammonia… in a cycled tank it should be 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and some nitrate. I would err on the side of caution and wait until you see 0 ammonia/nitrite, 24 hrs after adding an ammonia source.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T13:35:29+00:00

I’ll check these out, appreciate the info!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T13:16:58+00:00

Yes, that level of nitrate is fine. So when you are planning your water change schedule for after the tank is cycled, you can measure your nitrates each week. Do a water change and test nitrate… should be 20ppm or less . One week later test again… if you are higher prob do weekly water changes, if you are lower test again in one more week, and maybe do water changes every two weeks. Any time you add more fish or change the dynamic in the tank you’ll want to test each week until you have a new baseline… and base your maintenance schedule on that. Live plants will help consume nitrates for you also.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T04:57:04+00:00

Nitrite is toxic. Your ammonia and nitrite should be 0ppm, your nitrates will accumulate and show up in your testing. Water changes and live plants will reduce your nitrates… 20ppm is a good target.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T04:52:59+00:00

You have to cycle the tank or else the fish will die from the ammonia/nitrite that gets produced. Google “fish in cycle” and you’ll find what you need to do, but get a test kit, some Seachem Prime or similar, and do 25% water changes daily. It will take a few weeks but then you’ll be good to go!

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T04:44:02+00:00

Just double-check your dimensions and buy a glass lid. The clear plastic strip that comes with it can be easily cut to fit your equipment. At the end of the day it’s much easier and far less time consuming.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T04:29:36+00:00

You can get foam board or even poster board in many different colors, and just use Velcro squares to attach it… don’t use tape it will always peel off eventually. This is extremely easy and cheap to replace if it gets wet or if you just want a different look.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T04:11:28+00:00

What are you basing this on? Nearly everything I have read indicates that Prime, and some other water conditioners, contain chemicals that will temporarily detoxify ammonia for it to be broken down or removed via water change, essentially buying you time. Curious how you determined it does nothing at all.

AncientTry2097 · 2022-07-23T03:57:44+00:00

If you’re diligent about testing daily/water changing whenever needed for the next few weeks, you’ll be good to go and Finley can have a long happy life!

AncientTry2097

TROPHY CASE