History

The Rhône River
by The Wine Explorer

The Rhône River Valley is one of France's premier wine regions. Since before the Romans the region was known for the distinct grapes that give the wine its fame. These days a bottle of Hermitage or Châteauneuf-du-Pape can command very high prices in the same league has a good Bordeaux or Burgundy. This makes the region a pilgrimage for the wine enthusiasts around the world.

The RRV (Rhône River Valley) is located roughly between just south of Lyon where the Rhône takes a turn towards the Mediterranean Sea all the way down the River until just North of Avignon near the mouth of the river in Marseille. The wine region is divided into a much smaller Northern section (5%) and the massive Southern section roughly centered around the tiny village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Between the two areas is a break from viticulture of 30 miles from Valence to Montelimar. While they share the same River they are markedly different in climate and terrain. The North hugs the steep river hills gathering the Sun rays on steep vineyards. There are surrounding plateau wines but do not reflect the supreme quality of the cliff side. In contrast, the South region is mostly spread out in a vast river plain that runs up into the hills at the foot of Mont Ventoux, an iconic landmark of Provence.

The regions are also split in the grapes that are featured in each. In the North, the Syrah is King as some of the tiny sub-regions feature exclusively Syrah. A small amount of white is made mostly of Viognier. Blending here is not the practice. Therefore when you find a Northern Rhône red wine it will be a Syrah, simple. This is one reason that you will not find the name of the grape on the label as is the practice in the USA.

In the South, the Grenache rules the vineyards. Syrah and a bit of Mourvedre are often blended in with the Grenache, giving rise to the popular red blend GSM. In the sub-region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache stands out. While in all 13 grape varietals can be used in a CDP, the backbone is always Grenache. Other Southern regions feature Rosé and other lesser know wines. There is a broad variety of wines produced here.

To understand the wines of the Rhône it is necessary to understand the various classifications. The first to classify their wines was CDP in 1923 and began what we now know as the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) roughly equivalent to the USA's AVA (American Viticultural Area). The French system is very strict in what is grown and how, furthermore, regions are given different status levels according to the quality of the wines. Starting with the umbrella label of Côte de Rhône, a mostly table wine all the way up to the Crus wines of say CDP. Two levels exist between these two, the Côte du Rhône-Villages and the Côte du Rhône-Villages (named). Remember when reading a French wine label it's the consumers responsibility to understand which grapes go into a particular wine.

From an online description:
Red wine is the speciality of the Rhône. The vineyards of the Rhône valley are in sight of the famous Mount Ventoux, which dominates the skyline of the region. In 2017, 371 million bottles of Rhône wines were sold in 192 countries globally.

The key wine producing areas of the Southern Rhône are Côte du Rhône, Côte du Rhône Villages, and the AOP's of Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Rasteau Tavel and Vacqueyras. The wines in the South are made from a blend of a number of different grape varieties.

The warmer climate of the Southern Rhône means that the grapes are usually blended. A host of grape varieties are used and most have their origins in Spain. The key red grape is Grenache (Garnacha), a Spanish grape variety, known for its brawn rather than its beauty. When blended Grenache give mixed soft red fruit flavours to the blend which usually involves Mourvèdre and a little bit of Syrah. Mourvèdre (Monastrell), another Spanish grape variety, brings higher alcohol and lots of beefy tannin and a gamey flavour to the mix.

Located in a triangle formed by Carpentras, Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine, the village of Gigondas was in Roman times known as Jucunditas (Latin for:to give oneself up to joy) - a fitting name for a place dedicated to wine, where the winemaking tradition has developed for over two millennia.

Although there is a long tradition of winemaking in Gigondas, its wines first achieved official recognition in 1971 when it obtained its own appellation Gigondas, Cru desCôte du Rhône. Yet for some 2,000 years, the principal activity of this village nestled in the rugged Dentelles de Montmirail mountains has been winemaking. Today, some 200 winemakers continue this tradition.