Rhône Valley

The prime viticultural areas of the Rhône Valley lie on either side of the Rhône River beginning roughly about 20 miles south of the city of Lyon and ending approximately 120 miles south at the city of Avignon. The area is clearly divided between the north and south, with a 30 miles gap between the two.

The northern Rhône vineyards lie in a narrow strip about 40 miles in length along both banks of the river. The climate is still more continental than Mediterranean, with hot summers and cold winters – the baking summer sun is reflected in the name given to part of this area: Côte Rôtie “the roasted hillside.”

The vineyards of the Southern Rhône are situated below the point at which the Rhône breaks out of the mountains and into a broad area of lowlands that run all the way to the Mediterranean. The area enjoys the Mediterranean climate of Southern France, with abundant sunshine, warm temperatures, and minimal precipitation during the growing season.

In both parts of the Rhône Valley – but more intensely in the south – the strong, cold wind from the north known as the mistral can cause damage to the grapevines and impact the local climate.

Syrah dominates the plantings in the north. As for white grape varieties, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne are common. In the south, two dozen grape varieties are permitted. The most important grape variety of the south is by far Grenache, accounting for two-thirds of the red grapes. Among other permitted red grapes are Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. For white grape varieties: Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Muscat, etc.

In the north, you can find some of the most high-end Syrahs in the world of wine, especially in appellations like Côte-Rôtie and Cornas (Guigal, Jamet, Rostaing, Thierry Allemand, Auguste Clape, to name a few...) Côte-Rôties can be dark, inky, with very deep tannins, whereas Cornas can be more elegant and floral.

To the south, the most recognized appellation is known as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which was the first in history to become a certified AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). These wines can be both white and red. The most recognized producers of this region are Vieux Télégraphe, Château Rayas, and Château de Beaucastel.