RHÔNE VALLEY

Question 1

What are the climatic influences in the Rhône Valley?

Answer 1

Rhône river
Mistral wind

North Rhône more continental, more narrow valley and steeper hillsides

South Rhône more mediterranean influenced. Garrigue and wider landscape

Question 2

Name the districts and sub-districts of Rhône

Answer 2

Northern Rhône

Côte-Rôtie
Condrieu (+ Château Grillet)
Saint-Joseph
Crozes-Hermitage
Hermitage
Cornas
Saint Péray

Southern Rhône
(Montélimar to Mediterranean)

Beaumes-de-Venise

Cairanne
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Costiéres de Nîmes
Coteaux de Pierrevert

Côtes du Lubéron
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Ventoux
Côtes du Vivarais

Gigondas
Grignan-les-Adhémar

Lirac

Rasteau

Tavel

Vacqueras
Vinsobres

Question 3

What are the principal grape varieties and the wines produced from them?

Answer 3

Syrah giving structured, ageworthy red wines
Viognier serving as a blend to many Syrah wines
Marsanne and Rousanne gives aromatic and spiced white wines

In the South Rhône there are more and bigger blends
GSM = Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre is commonly used

Question 4

What are the blends in South Rhône?

Answer 4

GSM - grenache+syrah+mourvedre

GRE = 72 % of total plantings
SYR = 10 %
Mourvedre = 7 %

Whites are just 7 % of total
Grenache Blanc
Clairette
Marsanne
Rousanne
Bourbulenc
Viognier

CdP: 13 grapes allowed

Question 5

What wine styles are found in Rhône?

Answer 5

Red
Whites
Rosé

Question 6

Name the principal AOP´s in Rhône

Answer 6

There are 17 distinctive crus, responsible for
20% of Rhône wine production:

Beaumes des Venise AOP
Cairanne AOP (elevated in 2016)
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP
Gigondas AOP
Lirac AOP
Tavel AOP
Rasteau AOP (changed in 2009)
Vacqueyras AOP
Vinsorbes AOP (elevated 2006)

Cornas AOP
Condrieu AOP
Château-Grillet AOP
Côte-Rôtie AOP
Crozes-Hermitage AOP
Hermitage AOP
Saint-Joseph AOP
Saint Péray AOP

Diois AOP

Question 7

What terms are used in the labels of Rhône?

Answer 7

Côtes-du-Rhône (name) Villages AOC

Côtes-du-Rhône Villages AOC

Côtes-du-Rhône AOC

Question 8

What is VDN and VDL wines?

Answer 8

Rasteau =
Sweet fortified wines (VDN) on
GRE (a true “sugarbuilder”)
Labelled
“Hors d´âge” - stored 5 years
“Rancio” - oxidative treatment (half-filling of barrel)
vines planted here since 30 BC

Cairanne

Costiéres de Nîmes =
one of the oldest vineyard regions in Europe
veterans of Caesars legions settled in this region

VDN = Vin Doux Naturel
(adding spirit during fermentation)
naturally sweet wine. The process of
mutage or adding spirit to the wine must to kill the yeast
stop fermentation and preserve sweetness

It was invented in the Languedoc in the 13th century

VDL = Vin de Liqueur
(adding spirit before fermentation)
a sweet, fortified style of French wine,
fortified with brandy to
unfermented grape must

Question 9

Name the principal estates in Châteuneuf-du-Pape

Answer 9

Château Beucastel
Blend of Grenache (30%) + most or all of the permitted grapes

Château Rayas
Grenache (100%)

Vieux Télegraph
Domaine du Pegau
Clos des Papes

The thirteen grapes are:

Grenache
Syrah
Cinsault
Counoise
Mourvédre +

Bourboulenc
Clairette Blanche
Clairette Rosé

Grenache Blanc, gris
Muscadin

Picardan
Picpoul Blanc, Gris, Noir
Roussanne

Terret Noir
Vaccarése

Question 10

What VDN and VDL wines are produced in Rhône? What grapes are used?

Question 11

Name characteristics of the principal sites in North Rhône