Rhône Valley
NORTHERN RHONE
Main grapes: RED – Syrah, WHITE – Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane
Sub-regions: Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas
Climate: Noticeably cooler than the southern end of the valley the Northern Rhone is labeled moderate to continental. Many of the vineyards are planted on steep, south-facing hills that work to protect the vines from the cold northern mistralwind. If those aren’t sneaky tactics, then I don’t what are.
You should know... Syrah is the only red grape allowed to be grown in this region and Viognier is very much a dominate force for white grapes here, so really there are only two main grape varieties grown here. There is only a small amount of white wine produced here, but that by no means detracts from its stellar rep since these wines are often rated very highly amongst those who really know what they’re talking about.
SOUTHERN
Main grapes: RED - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, WHITE – Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc
Sub-regions: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Lirac
Climate: All out summer vibes – a Mediterranean climate means that winters are mild here and summers are warm and dry, sometimes seemingly too dry as droughts can cause problems here on occasion.
You should know... Rhône wines are very much a product of thinking outside the box. While typically only 1 or 2 grape varieties are used to make a wine, here they often create complex blends sometimes using several different varieties. Though there are some white grapes grown, this region is very much dominated by red wine production.
Main grapes: RED – Syrah, WHITE – Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane
Sub-regions: Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas
Climate: Noticeably cooler than the southern end of the valley the Northern Rhone is labeled moderate to continental. Many of the vineyards are planted on steep, south-facing hills that work to protect the vines from the cold northern mistralwind. If those aren’t sneaky tactics, then I don’t what are.
You should know... Syrah is the only red grape allowed to be grown in this region and Viognier is very much a dominate force for white grapes here, so really there are only two main grape varieties grown here. There is only a small amount of white wine produced here, but that by no means detracts from its stellar rep since these wines are often rated very highly amongst those who really know what they’re talking about.
SOUTHERN
Main grapes: RED - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, WHITE – Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc
Sub-regions: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Lirac
Climate: All out summer vibes – a Mediterranean climate means that winters are mild here and summers are warm and dry, sometimes seemingly too dry as droughts can cause problems here on occasion.
You should know... Rhône wines are very much a product of thinking outside the box. While typically only 1 or 2 grape varieties are used to make a wine, here they often create complex blends sometimes using several different varieties. Though there are some white grapes grown, this region is very much dominated by red wine production.
