The Rhone Valley wine region looks to a fair degree like a miniature Italy as it extends about 200 kilometers from south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. In this part of the country the weather varies from the warm summers and cold winters of the Rhone to the classic Mediterranean where summers are hot and winters are mild.
The relatively more constant sun combines with granitic soil in the north and limestone soil in the south to produce Grenache, Syrah and Carignan grapes used to produce red wines and Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Blanc for white wines.
The Grenache is the dominant grape and represents more than half of the total red wine grapes while the Clairette makes up 35 percent of white wine grapes grown. In total approximately 8,000 to 10,000 winemakers produce 450 million bottles of wine on a vast 170,000 acres of land of which 75 percent is given over 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 very different climate from that of the surrounding Mediterranean. Sheltered by forested horseshoe-shaped hills there are a huge number of terraces composed of stony chalk and limestone. Some barrels from this area date back to the 13th century and the area around the village is home to plump Viognier, Grenache noir and spicy Syrah grapes with aromas of acacia honey and violet.
Considered some of the best Côtes du Rhône villages are Cairanne and Rasteau with Rasteau's tannic Domaine du Trapadis being the preference of those who are looking for a zesty wine and Cairanne's softer Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil being appreciated by the easy-going.
From the Côtes du Rhône villages stony limestone and clay earth come the Grenache and Syrah grapes that produce approximately 19 million bottles of medium body fruity red wines.
The history of Gigondas wine traces back to the Romans and advantage is taken nowadays of the red clay soil and Mediterranean weather to make an fragrant alternative to the costly Châteauneuf du Pape. On approximately 3,000 acres vintners tend the Syrah, Grenacha and Mourvèdre grapes which go into making 5.5 million bottles of this excellent wine.
For those whose mouth requires a little shock of pleasure there is the Vignobles Darriaud's Grenache Syrah which is a full-bodied red with earthy and plumy aromas and with chocolate tones which mix with a peppery finish once the wine has aged for about 4 or 5 years.
In conclusion, we must turn our attention to the slopes of Châteauneuf du Pape which lie between Orange and Avignon and which were formerly used as the summer retreat of many Popes. The wine is thick and richly colored by the Clairette, Syrah, Grenache and ten other grape varieties. On these 7,600 acres of quartz and sandy red clay soil are grown the vines which produce 13,000,000 bottles which can age for up to 20 years with aromas of cinnamon, vanilla and red fruits.
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