The Rhone Valley has been a hub of viticulture in France for millennia and some of the countries oldest vines can be found here . From the steep hillsides of Hermitage in the North to the galet strewn vines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the south, there is great variation in style and certainly a wine for everyone in the Rhone.
The River Rhone has its source in the Swiss Alps, flows through Lake Geneva, west towards Lyon and then almost straight south carving its way through to the Mediterranean Sea at Arles. Therefore the Rhone Valley covers a huge area, and the vineyards fall into two very separate areas, Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone, with an area in the middle where no vines exist. The wines from the North and the South vary considerably, with different grapes planted in these areas and with very different climates.
NORTHERN RHONE
The Northern Rhône is generally cooler than the south. In the Northern Rhone the vine perches on terraced cliffs of crumbling granite wherever best the exposure to the sun can be found. All the work must be done by hand as machines can’t manoeuvre the slopes. The primary red grape is Syrah, also known as Shiraz in other wine growing regions around the world, and also some Grenache is grown here, there are also three white grapes grown, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Cote-Rotie, Condrieu and Hermitage are widely considered to be the most impressive Northern Rhone wines, but there are also other famous appellations which include:
St-Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Cornas
Cotes du Rhone
SOUTHERN RHONE
Wine was probably first introduced to the area in the 1300’s when the Pope moved his residence from Rome to Avignon. Apparently in the course of a normal week, over 10,000 litres of wine were consumed by the papal entourage. The basic appellation is Cotes du Rhone which is a general one for red, white and rosé, covering almost 140,000 acres this is France’s second-biggest wine region after Bordeaux.
Of course there is a wide variation of quality and style. A unique characteristic to this area is the soil, which is composed of clay, limestone, sand and pebbles. The soil protects the vines by giving them water slowly and retaining heat for the cooler evenings.
Generally the AOCs can use up to 21 grape varieties but most of the Crus, like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, are regulated to 13. You’ll find many blends but Grenache is the primary variety used, this often blended with Syrah and Mouverde, known as GSM. Of the 13, there are 4 grapes that are used for whites, with the primary white grape being Grenache Blanc.
Just North of Avignon you will find Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is the heartland of Southern Rhone wine production. It is surrounded by a cluster of villages, each with their unique tasting wines.
Luberon
Ventoux
Gigondas
Lirac
Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise
Rasteau
Tavel
Vacqueyras
Vinsobres
WINE CLASSIFICATIONS
The Crus- top of pyramid:
Côte du Rhône (named) Village AOC
Côte du Rhône Village AOC
Côte du Rhône AOC - 50% of the wine production of the Rhône falls into this category
MAIN DIFFERENCES
In general terms the North and South Rhone are very different climatically and geographically, with North being cooler and having steeper valleys or Cotes. But the biggest difference is that you will mainly find 100% Syrah wines in the Northern Rhone, whereas in the Cru Villages of the Southern Rhone up to 13 grapes varieties can be used. This is a fascinating area of France, and really produces some absolute classic wines.
