Rhône

The Rhône is not just a river, but also the common thread that connects 27 French wine appellations. They are all grouped under the collective term Vallée du Rhône. A distinction is made between the northern and southern halves. The northern Rhône boasts world-famous wines such as the reds from St-Joseph or Hermitage, or the white wines from Condrieu. The vines grow in a continental climate, often on steep slopes along the river. It doesn’t take long to list all the grape varieties here: the only approved red grape is Syrah. White wine is made either from Viognier or from an assemblage of Marsanne and Roussane. Grapes from this section of the mighty river are rare and expensive: they account for just five per cent of the Rhône Valley’s total production.

If you follow the river southwards, the landscape becomes visibly flatter and the climate more Mediterranean. This half of the growing region is characterised by a cheerful blend of grape varieties. For example, in the world-famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape: a single bottle can contain up to 13 different grape varieties. Incidentally, the wine-growing region owes its name to Pope John XXII, who resided in nearby Avignon and had a summer residence built in Châteauneuf. Close to the Mediterranean it is too warm for the Syrah grape. Instead, hot-blooded varieties such as Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre grow here. The white wines include Grenache blanc, Ugni blanc and Clairette. A speciality of the Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau wine regions are sweet wines made according to an age-old method. They are known as Vin Doux Naturel. And if you’re looking for rosé, you’ll find it among the winemakers in Tavel: this is where the most fragrant rosé wines in all of France grow.