Besides Gigondas, which itself is a charming town, there are several other small wine villages in the area. During our stay we visited Seguret, Le Crestet, Malaucene where we visited the weekly market and bought cheese from a darling cheeseman who proudly told us about his 600 sheep. We stopped in Beaumes-de-la-Venise where we had another wonderful lunch. And we stopped at the Domaine les Girasols winery, suggested by Rick Steves. The tasting was hosted by Marie-Elizabeth Joyet, a beautiful and friendly woman. We went through aperitifs, main course, and dessert, all by 10:30 AM! But just the wines. Mme. Joyet’s daughter is married to a Californian who was studying wine-making in the Napa Valley and they now live here in this gorgeous place.