Rhone wines have captured the attention and imagination of wine makers in new-world regions. In the US, a non-profit organization called “Rhone Rangers” was formed with the charter of “advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Rhone wines produced in America” (see Rhone Rangers for more details).
Rhone is divided into Northen Rhone and Southern Rhone. Appellations in Rhone are listed here with a brief description of the wines produced in each region.
NORTHERN RHONE
SOUTHERN RHONE
Geography and climate
The Rhône river begins life way to the north in Switzerland. As it makes it way down through the length of France it widens to become the central feature of the Rhône valley, which spans roughly between Lyons and Avignon.
The Rhône valley divides neatly into north/south regions at the town of Valence.
The Northern Rhône is a land of steep, steep slopes carved into granite hillsides by the progress of the river over thousands of years. Vines cling to near vertical surfaces, or terraces carved into the rock. It is predominantly a red wine area, but some rare and expensive whites come from here.
Towards the south, the steep slopes give way to a broad valley floor which is baking hot in the summer. An enormous quantity of mediocre red wine is produced, but pockets of superb quality exist.
Grapes
There are two great grapes of the Northern Rhône:
Syrah - the noble red wine grape (often called Shiraz outside France)
Viognier- for white wines and, interestingly, a small proportion of some reds
Marsanne and Roussanne are also grown for white wines.
In the Southern Rhône a large variety of grapes is permitted. These include:
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsaut for reds
Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Roussanne and Marsanne for whites.
The great wines of the Northern Rhône
Cephas Along with those in Germany's Mosel valley, the vineyards here are amongst the steepest and most difficult to work in the world. The Northern Rhône's finest wines are the Syrah reds: also some of the world's greatest wines. The winemakers of the north are largely lfamily-owned concerns who have worked these daunting slopes for decades.
Hermitage
The famous wine of Hermitage takes its name from the hill of Hermitage above the town of Tain. These are historically regarded as the "manliest" of French wines. Deep, dark and serious, these wines are strapping, tannic and vigorous in youth, developing complexity and finesse as they age over 20 years or more. White Hermitage is also produced, from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes.
Côte-Rôtie
Côte-Rôtie is an unusual red wine that may contain up to 20% of the white Viognier grape in its blend. This is rarely done however, more often the wines are 100% Syrah. Côte-Rôtie shares some of the character of Hermitage, but generally is more approachable when young, is more aromatic, and has a more graceful appeal.
Other red wines
Look out for Crozes-Hermitage, a more easily available wine made from less formidable slopes around Hermitage. It is a Syrah with some of the quality, but at a fraction of the price. The co-operative of Tain l'Hermitage has a good reputation. St-Joseph and Cornas are other Syrahs with strong personality at a fraction of the price of Hermitage. The vineyards sit on the opposite bank of the river.
White wines
The north is also the home of rare and expensive white wines made from the Viognier grape, such as Condrieu and Château-Grillet. These wines are clean and highly aromatic yet at the same time powerful and full-bodied. They are also very expensive and can be very long lived. Château-Grillet is highly unusual in that it is an Appellation Contrôlée that is under the ownership of only one producer.
The great wines of the Southern Rhône
The Southern Rhône is mostly known for its red wines. These include famous names like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the area is perhaps best known for the less expensive wines of the Côtes du Rhône.
The Côtes du Rhône
This Appellation Contrôlée actually encompasses the Northern Rhône too, but the vast majority of wine is produced from the flat, arid plains of the south. Quality is highly variable. A vast amount of light, easy-drinking wine is made, sometimes using the technique of carbonic maceration found in Beaujolais.
Look out for Côtes du Rhône-Villages, which comes from the best 17 villages of the area. Rather like the Beaujolais Villages, the best are sometimes labelled with the village name, Côtes du Rhône appearing only in tiny print: Cairanne, Sablet, St-Gervais, Seguret, etc. These should be superior wines, spicy, strong and suitable candidates for 5 to 10 years cellaring. They have lower yields and higher alcohol than the basic appellation.
Whites in the south tend also to be blends. Modern techniques mean they are usually fresh and enjoyable.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The name Châteauneuf-du-Pape means "The Pope's new castle", a reference to when nearby Avignon became the home of the papal court in the 14th century. No fewer than 13 grape varieties are permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is easily the leading wine of the Southern Rhône. In theory this means the wine-maker has various options at his or her disposal each vintage depending on how individual grape varieties have performed. In practice, most Châteauneuf-du-Pape is made up of the 3 highest quality grapes: Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. This is a wine which is invariably high-alcohol, heady and rich. The best Châteauneuf is usually estate bottled.
Such wines are easily distinguished by the papal coat of arms embossed on the neck of the bottle, though this should not be considered a guarantee of quality. Some, but by no means all, of the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are distinctive in that the earth is strewn with a deep layer of large, rounded stones known as "galets". The galets are said to retain the heat of the sun which helps in the ripening process. This may be true, but many fine properties have soils without a galet in sight, yet they produce ripe and healthy wines.
Other wines
The wines of Gigondas and Vacqueyras are built in a similar style to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and can offer high quality, often substantially cheaper than their famous neighbour. There are some very good wines being made in outlying appellations within the Rhône valley. I have been impressed by the red wines of Costières de Nîmes as well as some examples from Coteaux du Tricastin and the Côtes du Lubéron.
A good deal of quality fortified sweet wine is made too, the most famous example being the Muscats of Beaumes-de-Venise. These are "Vins Doux Naturels", that is they are fortified wines, made by adding spirit part way through fermentation. This produces a wine that is high in alcohol and sugar, and is dominated by grapey flavours. I've had mixed experiences with these once again: the best producers making delicate, finely balanced wines, others being sweet and luscious but also rather raw and alcoholic.
Northern Rhône
The relatively small appellations of the north produce less wine than those of the south, but they are equally famous if not more so. The most northerly is Côte Rôtie (the "roasted slope"), which produces fine wine from the Syrah grape, sometimes with a small percentage of Viognier blended in to add an extra dimension to the wine. The slopes on which the grapes for these wines are grown are precipitous, vertigo-inducing affairs, but the wines are so fine that the vignerons will always persist here despite the difficult conditions. This pleases me immensely - I think Côte Rôtie can be the finest wine of the Rhône Valley. They are certainly wines for the long haul - from a good vintage many will be at their best when fifteen or twenty years old.
Just south of Côte Rôtie we find Condrieu, and here the colour changes from red to white. This is a wine made solely from the Viognier grape, a lovely variety, which is also used to add interest to Côte Rôtie. This, in my opinion, is the Rhône's finest white wine. At its best it is heady and intense, but it maintains balance, with fresh acidity and sensible alcohol - this latter characteristic being the point on which all New World Viognier wines disappoint me - they can be intense, but generally have excessive, mouth-searing alcohol. Unlike many wines of the Rhône, Condrieu is best enjoyed young - within a few years of bottling.
My top wines: Les Chaillets from Cuilleron and Coteau du Chéry from Perret are the best wines. Guigal's oaked La Doriane isn't cheap but their négociant bottling is good and widely available.
Château Grillet is the next appellation, one of the smallest (but not the smallest) appellations in France. This is a single domaine with its own appellation, and the wine produced is essentially Condrieu (100% Viognier), but of a lesser quality and a higher price tag.
St-Joseph is one of the less significant appellations of the Northern Rhône, but there are some excellent wines produced here, and they can be good value. This appellation produces red (Syrah) and white (Marsanne and Rousanne) wines. The reds are the more interesting.
Like St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage produces wine for relatively early consumption, perhaps within a decade of the vintage, although some can certainly last much longer than this. It is another source of value wines.
After Côte Rôtie, Hermitage is the other truly great red wine of the Northern Rhône. Amazingly, there was a time when red Hermitage was frequently used to bolster thinner wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy, a practice that nowadays is wholely illegal. Hermitage now has a fine reputation of its own, and accordingly it commands a price similar to many of the wines which it was once used to doctor. Unlike Côte Rôtie, Hermitage may also be white, and unlike Condrieu, white Hermitage is made from Marsanne and Rousanne, and may age well for years. Red Hermitage is generally 100% Syrah, although appellation laws do in fact allow for the blending in of some white grapes.
Cornas is another great appellation, not least because some great Rhône wines can be had at some very fair prices. They are red wines made from 100% Syrah, and they can be impenetrably dark and intensely, richly flavoured.
Finally, St Péray, a small appellation producing some unexciting still white wines, but also some quite reasonable sparkling wines, both made from Marsanne and Rousanne. I have fond memories of chilling a bottle of Chaboud St-Péray in a tributary of the Rhône, when exploring the Valley in 1997.
Southern Rhône
In the south Syrah makes way for a more varied selection of grape varieties, with Grenache leading the pack. There are some more famous names here, particularly Châteauneuf du Pape, although I'm glad to say only a few top wines command the prices that we see in the north.
Undoubtedly the lead appellation of the Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf du Pape is named for the papal palace that was once situated in the centre of the town. This was essentially a summer home for the Pope, who in the 14th century was based in nearby Avignon. The palace survived until the 1940's, when it was destroyed in the Second World War. The imposing ruins exist to this day, standing tall over the rest of the town. Châteauneuf du Pape is also famous for being the home of Baron Le Roy, owner of Château Fortia, and founder of the appellation contrôlée system which defines much of the vineyard areas in France. The red wine itself may be a blend of up to thirteen different grape varieties, although in practice many of the top wines use only three or four. Most Châteauneuf du Pape is red, but a small percentage is white, although this is of less interest. The red can be a fine and yet often very affordable wine.
Gigondas is probably the next most well known appellation of the south. Grenache dominates here. The best wines are full bodied, rich and laden with sweet fruit.
Vacqueyras is a lesser appellation, legally defined in 1990. It produces mainly red wines, with a small amount of white and rosé. The reds are dominated by Grenache.
On the west bank of the Rhône is Lirac which, like Vacqueyras, produces red, white and rosé. Again, this is a sources of value rather than fine wines.
Other Rhône Wines
Other than St-Péray, there is one other sparkling wine produced in the Rhône Valley that is worth mentioning, this being from the appellation of Clairette de Die. The vineyards are sited somewhat east of the central part of the valley, and are quite isolated from any other of the Rhône vineyards. The wine is made from Clairette, sometimes with the addition of Muscat.
Large swathes of vineyards in the Southern Rhône produce wine which can be sold under the appellations of Coteaux du Tricastin and Côtes du Ventoux. They may be red, white or rosé.
Lastly throughout the Rhône Valley wines are produced that may be sold as Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages. Again, these may be red, white or rosé.
Nearby is Tavel, an unusual appellation in that it is the only one in France to permit only rosé wines - any red or white wine produced here cannot legally be labelled as Tavel. Tavel does not have a great following, but as rosé wines go these are pretty good. They are produced from a number of different varieties, but again Grenache dominates. As with all rosés, the wines are best drunk young, within a few years of bottling.
Finally, the village of Beaumes-de-Venise has become renowned for a sweet wine, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. This is an inexpensive and sometimes good value dessert wine. Red or white wines produced under this appellation are sold as Côtes du Rhône Villages.
Rhone Rangers
THE RHONE RANGERS: ADVANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND ENJOYMENT OF RHONE WINES PRODUCED IN AMERICA
The Rhone Rangers is America's leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines. American Rhone-style wines are made from the same grapes that have flourished for centuries in France’s Rhone River Valley, and their growing popularity in the United States speaks to their versatility with food, wide range of rich flavors, and to the skills of American winemakers.
Our mission is to educate the public on Rhone varietal wine grapes grown in America and to promote the production and enjoyment of these wines, with emphasis on integration into our daily lives. For a wine to qualify as a “Rhone Rangers” wine, the winery must be a member of the organization and 75% of the wine’s content must include one or more of the twenty-two traditional Rhone grape varieties as approved by the French government for the wines of the Cotes du Rhone (including Petite Sirah/Durif).
The resources on our site including our database of winery members and the grapes they grow, our educational materials, and our listing of member winery events. And whatever your affiliation to Rhone varietal wines – winery, grower, supplier or consumer – consider becoming a Rhone Rangers member to gain access to other wineries, wines, and resources dedicated to these terrific grape varieties.
In France's Rhone Valley, twenty-two traditional grape varieties may be grown. Twelve of these grapes are planted in the United States, including the best-known Syrah and Viognier, the up and coming Mourvèdre, Grenache, Roussanne and Marsanne, and the truly obscure (but delicious) Counoise, Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. Plus Petite Sirah, whose parentage places it clearly in the Rhone. Perhaps most exciting, most of these grapes play well with others, and most Rhone Rangers wineries produce blends as well as single-varietal wines.
We have pictures and descriptions of all the principal Rhone Rangers grapes, and you can download PDF sheets of the principal red and white Rhone varietals.
Rhone Ranger Member Wineries
Want to find a Rhone Ranger near you? Discover which wineries make a Syrah from Mendocino County? Or discover wine tours in the Central Coast? Visit our searchable member database!
Rhone Ranger Events
The Rhone Rangers holds tastings around the country, some open to the public, some focused for the trade, to spread the word. You can view an overview of Rhone Ranger events, including our annual San Francisco Grand Tasting and our Seattle and Los Angeles tastings.
Rhone Ranger Knowledge
Even if you can't make it to one of our grand tastings, we have compiled lots of information here to help explain these unique and wonderful wines. You can view a Rhone Ranger event "starter kit" or read our most recent quarterly newsletter. View recipes designed to pair with Rhone wines, or read what the press is saying about Rhone Ranger wines. Have other questions, or an event you'd like a Rhone Ranger winery to attend? See http://www.rhonerangers.org/ for more information.