Rhone Valley

Key Datas: 

• Location:In the Rhône valley, south of Lyon to the Mediterranean Sea
• Size of the vineyards:70,000 hectares (170,000 acres)
• Vineyards:8 to 10,000 winemakers
• Soil:Granite in the north of the Rhône region, Limestone in the south
• Weather:Continental in the north of the Rhône region (cold winter warm summer), Mediterranean in the south (mild winter hot summer)
• Red Grapes in Rhône:Grenache 55%, Syrah 15%, Carignan 15%, Mourvèdre
• White Grapes in Rhône:Clairette 35%, Grenache blanc 20%, Ugni blanc 20%, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier
• Production:450 million bottles, 77% red wine - 8 % rosé - 5 % dry white wine, 14% of French wine production
• Type of Wine:Full body red wine (north), Light to medium body fruity red wine (south), Dry full body white wine (north)

Côtes du Rhône is probably the most diverse wine region in France from the very different full-body red wines of Côte Rôtie in the north and Châteauneuf du Pape in the south to the exquisite white wine of Condrieu and Château Grillet and the fruity red wines of Crozes Hermitage and of the southern Rhône region.

Very diverse wines take most advantage of the weather and winemaking conditions of the Rhône valley.

The climate in Côtes du Rhône is hot and sunny, more constant than in the other French wine producing regions.

The soil is stony, mainly made of granite.

The main grapes in Côtes du Rhône are Grenache, Syrah and Carignan for red wine, Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Blanc for white wine. Côtes du Rhône is also famous for the Viognier white wine made in the northern part of the region (Condrieu, Château Grillet) which is one of the most distinctive in France.

Over 75% of Côtes du Rhône wines are red. They are generally thick, robust and their alcoholic content higher than that of most French wines.