Climate: Continental climate to
the North of the region and Mediterranean climate in the Southern
portion with little variation in the seasonal temperature.
Soil: Varied with granite, gravel
and sand in the North transforming to limestone and pebbles to the
South.
Appellations: Chateau Grillet,
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clairette de Die, Condrieu, Cornas, Coteaux
du Tricastin, Cotes du Ventoux, Cotes du Rhone, Cote Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage,
Gigondas, Hermitage, Lirac, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Rasteau,
St. Joseph, St. Peray, Tavel and Vacqueyras (***there a several
other small appellations in the Rhone Valley).
16 Villages of Cotes du Rhone:
(1) Beaumes-de-Venise, (2) Brézéme [has its own
appellation], (3) Cairanne, (4) Chusclan, (5) Laudun, (6) Tasteau,
(7) Roaix, (8) Rochegude, (9) Sablet, (10) St. Gervais, (11) St.
Maurice-sur-Eygues, (12) St. Panteléon-les-Vignes and Roussett-les-Vignes,
(13) Séguret, (14) Valréas, (15) Vinsobres and (16)
Visan.
Production: 173,000 acres (70,000
ha); 450 million bottles.
The northern part of the Rhone Valley produce smoky,
blackberry flavors that are soley from the Syrah grape. These appellations
are Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, Cote Rotie and St. Joseph. Other appellations,
such as Chateau-du-Pape, Gigondas and the villages of Cotes du Rhone,
produce more varied flavors of wines with varieties of grapes and
blending methods; the main varieties here are the Syrah and Grenache.
These reds from Rhone were blended with Bordeaux
and Burgundy reds to improve the appearance and color of their weak
looking wines. It was in the Medoc that Rhone reds were introduced
into blending and began known as hermitage wines, that is
doused with Hermitage. This blending technique is no longer lawful
according to the wine regulations of Italy.
