The Rhone Valley wine region of France looks very much like a small version of Italy as it stretches about 125 miles from the south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. In this part of the country the climate varies from the cold winters and warm summers of the Rhone to classical Mediterranean weather where the summers are hot and the winters mild.
The Rhone Valley wine region of France looks to a fair degree like a small version of Italy as it stretches approximately 200 kilometers from south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. Along this course the weather varies from the cold winters and warm summers of the Rhone to the classic Mediterranean where summers are hot and winters mild.
The reasonably constant sun combines with granite soil in the north of the region and limestone soil in the south of the region to produce Grenache, Carignan and Syrah grapes used in red wines and Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Grenache Blanc used to make whites.
The Grenache is the dominant grape with more than half of the total red wine grapes while the Clairette makes up just over one third of white wine grapes grown. Combined some 8,000 to 10,000 winemakers produce 450 million bottles of wine on a massive 170,000 acres of land of which three-quarters is devoted to the full-bodied Côte Rôtie in the north and the fruity reds of Châteauneuf du Pape in the south.
The village of Chartreuse de Valbonne enjoys a quite different climate from that of the surrounding Mediterranean. Enfolded by forest atop horseshoe-shaped hills the area boasts a huge number of terraces composed of a mix of limestone and stony chalk. Some of the wine barrels from this area date clear back to the 13th century and the area around the village is home to spicy Syrah, plump Grenach noir and Viognier grapes with aromas of violet and acacia honey.
Considered to be among the best of the Côtes du Rhône villages are Cairanne and Rasteau with Rasteau's tannic Domaine du Trapadis being preferred by those looking for a zesty wine and Cairanne's softer Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil being appreciated by those people who are a little more easy going.
From the Côtes du Rhône villages stony limestone and clay soil come the Grenache and Syrah grapes that are turned into some 19,000,000 bottles of medium-bodied fruity red wines.
The history of the wine of Gigondas traces back to the Romans and good advantage is taken today of the Mediterranean weather and the red clay soil to produce an perfumed alternative to the costly Châteauneuf du Pape. On about 3,000 acres vintners produce the Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache grapes which go into making 5.5 million bottles of this popular wine.
For those whose mouth needs a little shock of pleasure there is the Vignobles Darriaud's Grenache Syrah which is a full-bodied red wine with earthy and plumy aromas and with chocolate tones which combine with a peppery finish after the wine has been allowed to age for approximately 3 to 5 years.
Finally, we must turn our attention to the slopes of Châteauneuf du Pape which lie between Orange and Avignon and which were once summer retreat of many Popes. The wine is thick and richly colored by the Grenache, Clairette, Syrah and ten other grape varieties. On about 7,600 acres of sandy red clay and quartz soil grow the vines which produce 13,000,000 bottles of wine which can take up to 20 years to age with aromas of red fruits, cinnamon and vanilla.
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