The Rhone Valley is now the second leading French wine producing region by volume for appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) wines, after Bordeaux. Some wines, like those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, "have absolutely no rival in the world" as said Robert Parker. If the Rhône wine region is a great wine region, is also here that winegrowing and History have become intimately linked.
The history of the region is marked by the exceptional destiny of the city of Avignon, one-time capital of the Christian world.
Archeological digs have revealed the presence of a Neolithic city on the site as early as 2000 BC, making Avignon one of the oldest cities in Europe. But in 1309 the city experienced the event that changed its destiny forever: the arrival of Pope Clement V. Nine successive Popes then took up residence in Avignon, a period during which Avignon became one of the most populous and flourishing cities in the western part of the Christian world.
The town was transformed. The famous Palais des Papes was built, the residence of the Pope and the seat of papal power, as well as many churches and religious buildings, which today constitute one of the most beautiful collections of gothic buildings in Europe.
In the fourteenth century, the Popes, having taken up residence in Avignon, greatly contributed to the development of the vineyards in the region. Pope John XXII's preference is for the wines of Chateauneuf, which thus become known as "the Pope's wine" (le vin du Pape), before finally becoming "Chateauneuf-du-Pape". Many deeds of sale attest to that time, the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape already enjoying a lofty reputation. In the late eighteenth century, the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape were shipped to Italy, Germany, England and the United States. In 1793, the quality of these wines was officially recognized. Thus was granted to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape winemakers the right to sell their wines one third more than the maximum permitted regional price.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape has remained true to this tradition of quality and now produces some of the best wines in the world. In 2007 the famous Clos des Papes was rewarded the world’s best wine in the Top 100 of Wine Spectator. The bottle, inspired by the papal tiara, reminds us of the history of this prestigious wine.
Once again, nothing is simple. The best thing to understand the region is to go for Rhône wine holidays and enjoy the simple Côtes du Rhône wines or the sumptuous Châteuneuf du Pape. But for now, to understand the wines of the Rhone Valley, we will consider two separate regions: the southern part of the Rhone Valley and the northern part.
Towards the northern part of the valley the vineyards are planted on steep hillsides or granite terraces. The climate is cooler than in the south and tempered by morning fog. This climatic feature allows the Syrah varietal to express the finesse of its aromas of cassis and raspberries.
In the south, the valley widens. The landforms soften. The climate is dominated by the warm Mediterranean and the mistral, that strong wind that is so beneficial to the development of the vine. These conditions herald the production of generous wines, round and full bodied. Production of generic Côtes du Rhône is overwhelmingly concentrated in the southern Rhône, between Valence and Avignon. The Grenache varietal is the most used in this part of the Rhone Valley, giving the wine its characteristic aromas of licorice, toast or cocoa.. But a wide variety of other varietals (Mourvedre, Cinsault, etc ...) are used in this rich wine region. The wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape can thus be derived from a blend of 13 varietals, so the wines of the appellation can be very different in style.
Although 95% of Rhône wine is made up of red wine, there are a growing number of increasingly good white wines coming on to the market. Three grapes varities like Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, are responsible for the white wines, which like the reds, are rich and full.