Rhone Valley ｜Wine Time

Rhone Valley

The Rhone region is located in the south of France. It has a warm climate and is famous for producing red wine with a spicy smell. The grape varieties are mainly
Syrah and Grenache are the main ones. White wine grapes include Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and so on. The Rhone Valley is home to many celebrities, such as the famous novelist Alexandre Dumas, the Roman scholar Pliny, the French King Philip IV, the second president of the United States Jefferson, the great writer Hugo, the music master Wagner, the former French President Charles de Gaulle and other favorite places have also attracted many wine critics and wine review agencies in the wine industry, such as Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Decanter, and Wine Cellar. The Wine Cellar Insider, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator are full of praise, and they all speak highly of the region.

History

The Rhone Valley has been the center of wine culture since ancient times. The Côtes du Rhône is one of the oldest vineyard regions on earth. The first cultivated vines were probably planted around 600 BC, and Syrah and Vionier are presumed to be two of the northern Rhône's most famous grape varieties. Some believe the Greeks brought the Syrah grape from the Persian city of Syrah. It is also said that the grape originated in the ancient Sicilian city of Syracuse, from where the Romans sailed and entered the Rhone Valley with their prized Syrah and Viognier vines.

However you look at the history books, by the 1st century the Greeks were already producing wine near Marseille, at the southernmost tip of the Rhone Valley. In the north, the Romans planted vines along the steep slopes and started the first commercial vineyards in the region. Wine production in the Rhône Valley was interrupted until the 13th century when the Romans and Greeks left to pursue Roman and Greek "raiding" elsewhere.

The next major impact on the region occurred between 1309 and 1377, when the Catholic popes (under Pope Clement V of France) moved from their traditional home in Rome to Avignon, France. The residence is called "Châteauneuf-du-Pape" (CDNP), which literally means "The Pope's New Home". Because of his and subsequent popes' penchant for wine, the popes planted extensive vineyards, giving new impetus to the region's thriving wine trade.

Great difference between North and South

While we often talk about the wines of the Rhone Valley as a whole, the northern and southern regions are very different. The fact that this famous wine region is vast means that it has always varied geographically and stylistically.

Northern Rhone

Syrah's Shrine

The north is much smaller and more densely planted than the south, and its climate is continental with hot summers and very cold winters. The Northern Rhône is also deeply driven by terroir. In the north, the only red grape variety allowed is Syrah. Syrah is the "leader" in the north. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are the only white varieties allowed

Most northern vineyards are on dry, rugged, terraced slopes that rise steeply above towns along the Rhone. Old gnarled vines grow over what appears to be scorched earth. The vineyards look rustic and somewhat primitive. In a sense, the vineyard mirrors the taste of the wine—dry, concentrated, somewhat gritty, gritty. These red wines were born in challenging circumstances, yet endured after many years in the bottle. They do have distinct differences, with some being lighter and smoother, others fuller and more full-bodied—but they're all the same mold. Thanks to the dominant grape - Syrah.

The famous production areas of the North Rhone include Côte-Rotie, Condrieu, Chateau Grillet, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, etc. .

Southern Rhone

GSM Blend

Known for its wide variety of red and white grapes, the southern Rhône (méridionale) has a distinctly Mediterranean climate, periodically accompanied by cold and persistent Mistral winds.

GSM blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are most common, but dozens of other red varieties are planted, including Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise wait. While Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier are also popular in the Southern Rhône, other white varieties are permitted, including Clairette, Picpoul, Bourboulenc, and others. There are more than 5,000 producers, cooperatives and vintners producing great-value wines.

Famous regions in the South of the Rhone include Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, Tavel, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, among others.

Rhone Classification System

The legal production areas in the Rhone Valley are mainly divided into three levels. The lowest level is Cote du Rhone, which belongs to the regional level;
The first level is the village level, which can be labeled Cote du Rhone Villages, a total of 95 villages, of which 16 villages with the best conditions can be labeled with village names; the highest level is 15 independent villages and towns with the best conditions, called Crus. the

AOC Cote du Rhone

The production area of the Côte du Rhône is vast, accounting for more than half of the production of the Rhône. According to the new regulations in 1996, red wine and pink wine, Grenache use a minimum of 40% (except for the North Rhone River that uses a single variety Syrah), and the minimum alcohol content of all wines must not be lower than 11 degrees.

AOC Cote du Rhone Villages

For red wine, use Grenache at least 50%, Syrah or Mouvedre at least 20%, and other varieties must not exceed 20%;
In addition to the same restrictions on the variety ratio of pink wine and red wine, the variety of white wine mixed in must not exceed 20%, and all wines have a minimum
The natural alcohol content must not be lower than 12 degrees. the

AOC Crus des Cote du Rhone

From 15 independent villages and towns with the best natural conditions in the Rhone Valley, these wines are good at aging and have distinctive personality and characteristics.
It is the most wine worth trying. Among them, there are 8 in the North Rhone and 7 in the South Rhone.