Everything You Need to Know About the Rhône, the Underrated Region Wine Insiders Love

As with other European denominations, Rhône Valley wines are referred to by appellation rather than grape, so you will likely see them listed under names such as Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, or Condrieu rather than by the name of the grape. The good news for savvy wine lovers is that while Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon command sky-high prices on tables and shelves, the Rhône Valley varieties’ insider-secret status often makes them much more accessible than bottles from elsewhere in France.

History of the Rhône Valley

Home to wine grapes on its steep riverside slopes since the time of the Greeks and Romans, the Rhône Valley was a centre of amphora production for the storage and transport of wine by the first century AD, a period that also saw the construction of stone retaining walls and terraced vineyards. The collapse of the Roman Empire marked the end of the region’s importance in the wider Mediterranean basin, and although viticulture continued up and down the river, it took the relocation of the seat of the Catholic Church from Rome to Avignon in the early 14th century to give rise to extensive grapevine planting in and around the southern part of the valley.

In the late 17th century, the port of Roquemaure, eight miles north of Avignon, became a prominent centre for shipping goods by river. The area was by then well known for its wine, and the tops of barrels sent by boat bore the initials CDR for Coste du Rhône, an early sign of provenance. Some of the first rules of what has become the French AOC system began here: in 1936, Châteauneuf-du-Pape was designated the first AOC in the country, and the overarching Côtes du Rhône achieved that status a year later.

Climate and Geography of the Rhône Valley

Running 150 miles from north to south along steep riverbanks, the Rhône Valley is home to just under 160,000 acres of grapevines across 148 communes. The valley’s striking landscape is the result of epic geological phenomena that occurred some 300 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions in the Massif Central gave birth to the granite rocks of the northern Rhône, while layers of calcareous marine deposits in the south gave rise to prominent sandstone formations. Between 24 and seven million years ago, shifting tectonic plates caused the Alps to rise and led to the collapse of the valley floor, allowing water from the Mediterranean to enter. As this eventually receded, it left behind a base layer of limestone, clay, sand, and granite that exists to this day.

The northern portion of the valley has cold, windy continental winters and hot Mediterranean summers, while the south experiences a more moderate Mediterranean climate year-round. While 32 different winds—each with its own name—are noted for bringing varied weather conditions, the most notorious is the Mistral. Sometimes blowing with such intense force that it knocks ancient trees to the ground, it also sweeps moisture and clouds out of its path, creating hot, sunny days and cool nights tempered by heat-retaining rocks and stony vineyard soils.

The Rhône is divided into two distinct regions, the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône, which are further subdivided into village appellations, each with its own production regulations. The basic quality level is Côtes du Rhône, which accounts for 60 per cent of the region’s output. The most notable wines from the north, all Syrah-dominant, are Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, and Saint-Joseph. The most prominent Southern Rhône appellations, producing Grenache-heavy blends, are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas.

While white wines account for only about 12 per cent of total production, a wide range of white Côtes du Rhône wines are available on the market, along with bottles from Condrieu, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Péray, and Saint-Joseph in the north, and Côtes du Rhône Villages, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, and Vacqueyras in the south. There is also one sweet wine AOC, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, which is a favourite accompaniment to crème brûlée or foie gras in many restaurants.

Key Grapes of the Rhône Valley

Among the 37 grape varieties cultivated here, 88 per cent are red and 12 per cent are white; a portion of the red grapes goes into rosé wines, which account for about 14 per cent of total production. The two main red grapes are Syrah and Grenache, with Syrah predominant in the north and Grenache holding first place in the south, where it is commonly blended with other varieties including Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault. While most of these grapes have grown here and across the border in Spain for hundreds of years, a more recent addition is Marselan, a cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon first bred in 1961.

The key white varieties in the Northern Rhône are Marsanne and Viognier; the Southern Rhône offers greater diversity, including those two as well as Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne. The 13 varieties traditionally permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardin, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, and Cinsault. Wine scholars will recognise this as a mix of red and white grapes, with white permitted only in very small amounts.

The Rhône Valley’s Top Winemakers

More than 6,000 vineyards grow grapes for around 1,800 private wineries and 103 co-operatives, offering an enormous range of producers to choose from. Widely considered one of the finest Syrahs in the world, Domaine de la Chapelle’s La Chapelle Hermitage hails from a steep hillside that has been planted with the variety for 800 years. For 16 generations, the Chave family has been making wine in the Northern Rhône, and Jean‑Louis Chave, who took over in 1993, continues to produce bottles beloved by oenophiles.

The granitic, pebble-strewn soils of Domaine Les Alexandrins’ Saint-Joseph Les Ponts represent another coveted site for Syrah cultivation. At the northern edge of the Southern Rhône, Château de Beaucastel has been farming all 13 permitted varieties organically for its benchmark Châteauneuf-du-Pape since the 1960s. Domaine du Colombier Cuvée Gaby Crozes-Hermitage, another superb Syrah, is named for proprietors David and Florent Viale’s father, Gaby; the grapes are cultivated on a plot planted by their grandfather more than 50 years ago.

Made from 100 per cent Clairette, Château de Saint Cosme Le Poste Gigondas Blanc is a testament to the Barruol family’s expertise across the appellation. Château La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a single-vineyard cuvée of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, is an outstanding example of the white wines from an AOC far better known for its reds.

Best Vintages from the Rhône Valley

Despite an erratic growing season that included a cool spring, intermittent summer hail in some areas, and soaring temperatures in August, 2023 proved to be a good vintage for reds and an excellent one for whites. By contrast, 2022 saw an extremely dry, hot summer which, in some areas, was saved by mid-August rain; this yielded better results for red wines than whites, though sticking with top producers remains advisable.

Despite a relatively hot and dry summer and an early harvest, the 2020 vintage is noted for excellent freshness and acidity across the board, thanks to cooler-than-average nights and an absence of prolonged heat spikes. The 2019 vintage is heralded for equally high quality in both red and white wines, noted for their complexity and acidity. Those seeking mature whites ready to drink alongside reds that are also approachable yet capable of further cellaring should look to 2015, which was widely considered the best vintage of the century at the time.

Fun Facts About the Rhône Valley

• Côtes du Rhône was originally called the singular Coste du Rhône, as wines initially came only from the right bank of the river.
• Since 1954, the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape has had a law forbidding flying saucers from landing in, taking off from, or flying over its vineyards.
• Condrieu and its wholly contained single-vineyard AOC, Château-Grillet, are the world’s only appellations whose wines are made from 100 per cent Viognier.

The papacy moved from Rome to Avignon in 1309 and remained there until 1377 due to political unrest in Rome, giving rise to the term Châteauneuf-du-Pape, meaning “the Pope’s new castle”.