Region Rhône

The vineyard of the Rhone Valley is huge and extends over 200km between Vienne and Avignon. Stretched between the central massif and the Alps, geographical and climatical differences offer very different wines. Through this vineyard, the biggest producers express their unique style : Guigal, Jaboulet, Jean Louis Chave, Chapoutier, Clape, Rayas... The northern part, from Condrieu to Valencia, is very steep and the vineyards there are hung in terraces on hillsides. The appellations are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray. Only syrah is cultivated in red and marsanne, roussane and viognier in white. The southern part (which surrounds Chateauneuf du Pape) is more hilly. The appellations are Vinsobres, Rasteau, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-de-Venise, Châteauneuf-du-pape, Lirac, Cairanne and Tavel. The grape variety is very varied. If Grenache dominates very widely, it is frequently associated with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan but there are in all about twenty red grape varieties. For the whites we find Clairette Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne and Roussane.