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Wine Baby’s Guide to: The Rhône

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I have to admit, the Rhône is one of my favourite French wine regions. Definitely my favourite for reds.

It is actually comprised of two very different and distinct areas. If it weren’t for the Rhône River flowing through the middle of both, they would surely be considered separate regions.

As such, it’s easiest if we understand them separately: the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône.

The Northern Rhône is quite small, and recognized for the exceptional quality of wines produced there. The Southern Rhône, on the other hand, is much larger. It more than makes up for the North in production. Combined, they are the second highest producing wine region in France, second only to Bordeaux.

LOCATION

The Rhône River starts its journey in the Alps, carving it’s way through Southeast France, and finally emptying into the Mediterranean.

The Northern region begins roughly 30km South of the city of Lyon, with Côte-Rôtie. Along the way, we hit Montélimar and there is a gap in the vines for nearly 50km. They resume when the steep hills of the North open up into broader hillsides, ending at the city of Avignon. It total, it spans 193km.

THE RHÔNE CLIMATE

The Northern Rhône has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. It also gets significantly more rainfall than the South and is much greener as a result.

While we may think of rain as always being good for growing, that’s not the case with grape vines. This wetter whether raises risks of it’s own, including poor weather when the vines begin to flower, hail, and fungal diseases.

The South, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is very hot and dry with it’s Mediterranean climate. There is plenty of sunshine and warmth to help ripen the grapes, but with minimal precipitation, drought can become an issue.

Another viticultural hazard is the infamous mistral. Wild freezing winds from the North that are powerful enough to damage the crops.

TERROIR OF THE RHÔNE

Although both regions sit along the banks of the Rhône River, their terroir could not be more different.

In the North, vineyards scale the steep, narrow banks of granite. They are so steep, in fact, that they had to be terraced in order for the work to be done.

And that work can be backbreaking, as the crumbling granite falls victim to soil erosion. Vineyard workers must then carry the rock back up by hand, as the slopes are too steep for machinery.

That effort is worth it, though, to produce some of the best Syrah in the world. The steepness and southerly aspect expose the vines to as much sunlight as possible to help ripen the grapes. The granite drains well and retains warmth. And the cooling factor of elevation allows the grapes to keep their acidity, whereas in the South it can get too hot for Syrah.

But the South is like a different world. The steep banks fall away to much gentler hills, and the vineyards are able to sprawl out further from the river.

Here the soil is much more diverse. Sand, limestone, clay, and alluvial soils can all be found, and even galets, giant pebbles that are particularly associated to Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

GRAPE VARIETALS OF THE RHÔNE

Due to the differences in climate and terroir, different grape varietals thrive in the different regions.

The North is straightforward, as so few varietals are permitted to be planted. Syrah is the only black grape allowed. And the whites are restricted to Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne.

The South is the opposite, bursting with variety. There are over two dozen that can be blended in numerous ways, with each commune attached to their own style and methods.

For red wines, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Mourvèdre are the best known (see GSM blends), but Carignan and Cinsault are also frequent flyers,

For whites, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Clairette are the star players, with Ugni Blanc, Viognier, Vermentino, Muscat, and Chardonnay playing supporting roles.

The vast majority of wines from both the North and South are red, with white and rosé production making up only between 5 and 10% each.

RHÔNE NAMES TO KNOW

North

The Northern Rhône consists of only 8 appellations.

The most notorious of these are Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Condrieu.

Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage are famous for their robust and wild Syrah. They are, however, allowed to blend in a small amount of Viognier, which adds softer floral notes.

Condrieu produces a beautiful white made from 100% Viognier.

Lesser but still respected names to look out for include Cornas (100% Syrah), St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage (a blend of Syrah, Roussanne, and Marsanne), Château-Grillet (100% Viognier), and St-Péray (sparkling wines made from Marsanne and Roussane).

South

There are far more appellations in the South, but many simply fall under the umbrella term Côtes du Rhône. These winds are almost all blends of multiple grapes, primarily Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (commonly, GSM).

Côtes du Rhône wines can vary greatly in style and quality, so if you are looking to move a step up, look for Côtes du Rhône-Village wines.

Although numerous communes qualify to use the -Village suffix, only the best of those can then add their own names. It creates quite a mouthful, but all you need to know is that the longer the name, the higher the quality in this case.

Beyond that, the best of the best can apply to have their own appellation recognized individually. The few that have done so include Cairanne, Gigondas, Grignan-les-Adhémar, Lirac, , Rasteau, Vacqueyras, Vinsobres, Beaumes-de-Venise (famous for it’s sweet wine Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise), and Tavel (which exclusively produces rosé).

And of course, who can forget the iconic Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Others

In addition to the Northern and Southern Rhône, there are actually two smaller, lesser known segments: those around the Diois, and the outlying regions.

The Diois area branches off eastward from the Rhône, north of Montélimar. It includes Châtillon-en-Diois, Clairette de Die, Coteaux de Die, and Crémant de Die.

Outlying regions include Clairette de Bellegarde, Costières de Nîmes, Côtes du Vivarais, Duché d’Uzès, Luberon, and Ventoux.

Are you a North or South fan? Let us know in the comments!