The Rhône wine region in France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) designations. The region’s major appellation in terms of production volume is the Côtes du Rhône AOC.
The Rhône is normally divided into two smaller regions with distinct traditions of winemaking, the Northern and the Southern. The northern region produces red wines from the Syrah or Shiraz grape, occasionally blended with viognier or white wines from the viognier variety. The southern produces an array of red, white and rosé wines, often blends of several grapes such as in the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The first cultivated vines in the Rhone were probably planted around 600 BC. The origins of the two most important grape varieties in the northern Rhone (Syrah and Viognier) are subject to discussion. Some believe that the Greeks were responsible for bringing the Syrah grape from the Persian city of Shiraz. Others say the grape came half a century later when Greeks fled from the Persian king Cyrus I. Yet others say the grape came from thecity of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, from where, around 280 AD, the Romans brought it and the Viognier variety. Meanwhile extensive DNA typing and research has led scientists to conclude that Syrah variety originated in the Rhône region itself.
Notwithstanding the origins, when the Romans left so too did interest in the wine of the region. Rhône resurfaced in the 13th century when the Pope moved to Avignon, after this time the production of wine grew hugely. The wines were traded to such an extent that the Duke of Burgundy banned the import and export of non-Burgundian wines. The name Côtes du Rhône arose from public administration in the 1500’s and was the name of a district in the Gard depardement. In the year 1650, to prevent counterfeits, a set of rules were introduced to try to guarantee the provenance of the wine. In 1737 the then Monarch proclaimed that all casks intended for resale should be marked as “C.D.R. “. Those were the wines from the area around Chusclan, Lirac, Roquemure and Tavel. Just over a century later, wines from other parts of the region were added to the same definition.
The northern Rhône is characterised by a typically continental climate with harsh winters but warm summers. It is influenced by the mistral winds, which draw in colder air from the Massif Central. Due to this colder air northern region of Rhône is cooler than southern region, which leads to the mix of planted grape varieties and therefore wine styles to be different.
Syrah ( or Shiraz ) is the only red grape allowed in red AOC wines from this sub-region. The grape, which is alleged to have originated in or quite close to the Rhône region, is
also referred to as Shiraz, its name in the Antipodes and much of the Anglicised world, and has recently become very popular with wine drinkers around the world. For wines carrying the Cornas AOC badge, only the Syrah variety is allowed, whereas other reds from the northern Rhône sub-region may be blended with white grapes, either Marsanne, Roussanne or Viognier, depending on the appellation. Viognier alone is used for the white wines from Condrieu and Château-Grillet. Marsanne and Roussanne are used for the white wines from Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint Joseph, and Saint Péray.
- From north to south the appellations in the northern Rhône are:
Côte-Rôtie AOC – red wines made of Syrah and up to a maximum of 20% Viognier. - Condrieu AOC – white cote du rhone wines produced using only Viognier.
- Château-Grillet AOC – again white cote du rhone wines made only from Viognier.
- Saint-Joseph AOC – red wine blends of Syrah and up to a maximum of ten percent of Marsanne and Roussanne. For white wines only the Marsanne and Roussanne grape varieties are allowed.
- Crozes-Hermitage AOC – red wine blends of Syrah and up to a maximum of 15% of Marsanne and Roussanne; white wines made of only Marsanne and Roussanne.
- Hermitage AOC – red wine blends made from Syrah and up to a maximum of 15% of Marsanne and Roussanne; whites of only Marsanne and Roussanne.
- Cornas AOC – red wines only using 100% Syrah.
- Saint-Péray AOC – sparkling and still white wines made only from Marsanne and
Roussanne.
Northern Rhône reds are often identified by their signature aromas of green
olives and smoky bacon.
The southern Rhône has a more Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers. Drought can be a problem in the area, but some limited irrigation is permitted. The differing terroirs, together with the rugged landscape which partly protects the valleys from the Mistral, produce microclimates which give rise to an expansive diversity of wines. A feature of the cultivation of the region is the use of large pebbles around the bases of the vines to absorb the heat of the sun during the day to keep the vines warm at night when, due to the cloudless skies, there is often a significant drop in temperature.
The southern Rhône’s most famous red wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a blend containing up to 13 varieties of wine grapes (eight red and five white) as permitted by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC rules. Other nearby AOC regions including Coteaux du Tricastin AOC, Côtes du Ventoux AOC, Côtes du Vivarais AOC, Lirac AOC, Tavel AOC and Vacqueyras AOC may contain even more varieties in the blend. Gigondas AOC, on the other hand, is made, in the main, from Grenache Noir and has a more restricted set of permitted grape varieties. Depending on specific AOC rules, grapes blended into southern Rhône red wines can include Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. The reds produced on the left bank are full bodied, rich in tannins in their youth, and are characterised by aromas of prune, chocolate and ripe black fruit. The right bank red wines are slightly lighter and fruitier.
Southern Rhône appellations:
- Côtes du Vivarais AOC
- Côtes du Rhône AOC
- Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
- Côtes du Rhône Villages (named villages)
- Coteaux du Tricastin AOC
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
- Vacqueyras AOC
- Rasteau AOC
- Gigondas AOC
- Beaumes de Venise AOC
- Muscat de Beaumes de Venise AOC
- Tavel AOC
White wines from the southern Rhône, such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, are also typically blends of several wine grape varieties. These can include Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul, Roussanne and Ugni Blanc. Since the late 90’s viognier is increasingly being used and is also appearing as a single varietal.
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône AOC is an AOC that spans both the northern and southern sub-regions of the Rhône. Typically it is only used if the wine does not qualify for an appellation that can command a higher price. Therefore, almost all Côtes du Rhône AOC wine is produced in southern Rhône, since the northern sub-region is covered by many well-known appellations and also is much smaller in terms of total vineyard surface. Red Côtes du Rhône wines are usually dominated by Grenache.
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