Rhône Valley
Two regions sharing a river: steep granite Syrah in the north, sun-baked blends in the south.
The Rhône is really two wine regions joined by a river. The northern Rhône is a narrow strip of vertiginous granite slopes where Syrah is the only red grape allowed — sometimes co-fermented with a little white Viognier to lift the perfume. Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas make some of the most age-worthy Syrah on earth. Further south, after a stretch with few vineyards, the valley opens into the broad, sunny southern Rhône, where Grenache leads blends that can draw on more than a dozen varieties. The mistral, which can blow for days, keeps the vines dry and healthy and concentrates the grapes.
Grapes grown here 8
What the region makes
Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage: black olive, violet, pepper and smoked meat.
Grenache-led, warm and spicy, grown among heat-storing stones.
The everyday southern blend — and the region's volume engine.
Pure Viognier: apricot, peach blossom and a rich, oily texture.
An appellation that makes only rosé — rare in France.
Worth knowing
Châteauneuf-du-Pape — "the Pope's new castle" — is named for the summer residence of the 14th-century popes of Avignon.
In Côte-Rôtie up to 20% Viognier may be fermented together with the Syrah: a white grape deepening the colour and perfume of a red.
Rules drawn up by Châteauneuf-du-Pape's growers in the 1920s were a model for France's national appellation system.
Try this region if you like savoury, peppery reds — or generous, spicy ones.
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