1. What is the Rhône Valley?

The Rhône Valley is the second largest wine region in France, behind Bordeaux. It is split into two sections: Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Between these two areas, there are about 30 different appellations totaling over 72,000 hectares of vineyard. The valley gets its name from the Rhône, a major river in France, which begins in the Alps and flows south to the Mediterranean Sea.

While there are conflicting reports on the circumstances in what prompted them to enter the area, wine production in the Rhone Valley can be traced back to the ancient Greeks around the 600BC. The Romans later expanded and refined wine production, establishing vineyards and developing techniques for storing wine. 

Although wine production fell off after the Romans pulled out of the area, wine production restarted in the 13th century when the Popes started moving into Avignon (More on this later). With renewed interest and investment in the area, production of wine expanded greatly and remains to this day.

2. The Rhone Valley is split between Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone, with each possessing unique environmental qualities that shape their distinct wines.

The Rhone Valley can be split into two distinct regions: Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Northern Rhône is much smaller than its Southern counterpart; just 40 miles long and responsible for no more than 5% of the region's wines. These two regions have distinct climates and environments:

• Northern Rhône has a continental climate and experiences cold winters, warm summers, while Southern Rhone has a more Mediterranean climate and experiences milder winters and dry, hotter summers. 
• Northern  Rhône's vineyards sit on steep terrains while Southern Rhone's vineyards tend to sit on flatter ground. 

Given these distinct climates, the differences in the wines they produce start to emerge:

Generally speaking, the Northern Rhône is popular for their red wines, which are made from Syrah grape varietals - the sole red grape varietal found in the region - as well as white wines made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. 

Northern Rhône wines are often distinguished for their intensity and balance - with the red wines exhibiting notes of berries, plum, peppers and tannins with aging potential, while their white wines are rich with flavors of stone fruits, honey and almonds. 

Meanwhile, the Southern Rhône is known for red wines that are often blends made from several grapes - which include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignane and Cinsault - as well as white wine blends usually made from grapes such as Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul.

Southern Rhône are often touted as having more approachable profiles with great value, with their white wines especially recognised for their freshness and minerality.

3. Northern Rhône is the birthplace of Shiraz (and maybe) Voignier.

For those that have read our introduction to Red wine grapes, you might remember mentions of this particular grape variety.

It was once believed that the ancient Greeks were responsible for bringing the grape from the Persian city of Shiraz, or even half a century later when the Greeks fled from persecution by the Persian king Cyrus I. Some sources even said that the Romans brought it in circa 280 AD from the Sicilian city of Syracuse. 

However, modern science has confirmed that the variety originated from the Rhône region (Or at least close to it). Syrah (Or Shiraz) is the only red grape variety permitted in red AOC wines from this sub-region, with particular notes of bacon and olive oil that makes them quite popular.

Northern Rhône is also believed to be the birthplace of Voignier, although the history of this grape is much more steeped in mystery.

The general consensus is that the variety is an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia (present day Croatia) and then brought to the Rhône by the Romans. The reasons for tis passage are equally unknown, ranging from legends that  Roman emperor Probus brought the vine to the region in 281 AD to more fantastical stories of outlaws (near present-day Condrieu) siezing a Roman ship with the grape on board. 

Whatever the case, Northern Rhône was eventually one of the only places that were actively growing the grape. Although very common in the past, a creeping lack of demand and popularity found the grape bordering on complete extinction by 1965. It was even alleged that only eight acres in Northern Rhône was producing the wine. However, recent times have seen the wine rebound in terms of popularity and demand, along with a natural rise in price points.

5. Rhône wines are classified into four main appellations, with the most basic being Cotes du Rhône that spans both Northern and Southern regions.

There are four main appellations into which Rhône wines are classified under, each reflecting increasing degrees of quality and complexity and specificities in terroir.

1. Côtes du Rhône AOC: The most common classification which can be used across the entire Rhône wine region. 

2. Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC: Reflecting a step up in quality, this AOC is allowed for wines that come from one of 95 communes, with slightly stricter requirements around grape varietals and maturity standards than the basic Côtes du Rhône AOC. 

3. Côtes du Rhône Villages: Wines from this appellation can only come from one of 22 select villages, which are allowed be named on the label, together with the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC. 

• Visan
• Puyméras
• Séguret
• Saint-Gervais
• Suze-la-Rousse
• Sainte-Cécile
• Valréas
• Roaix
• Sablet
• Sinargues
• Rochegude
• Chusclan
• Rousset-les-Vignes
• St-Pantaléon-les-Vignes
• St-Maurice-sur-Eygues
• Gadagne
• Laudun
• Massif d’Uchaux
• Plan de Dieu
• Vaison la Romaine

• Beaumes des Venise AOP
• Cairanne AOP 
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP
• Gigondas AOP
• Lirac AOP
• Tavel AOP
• Rasteau AOP
• Vacqueyras AOP
• Vinsobres AOP
• Cornas AOP
• Condrieu AOP
• Château-Grillet AOP
• Côte-Rôtie AOP
• Crozes-Hermitage AOP
• Hermitage AOP
• Saint-Joseph AOP
• Saint Péray AOP

6. The Pope is the reason the region is now big on wines. 

As mentioned earlier, the region was headed down a path of neglect (in terms of wine) when the ancient Romans decided to exit the area. 

It was the Pope that eventually revived the production of wines in Rhône. In 1308, Pope Clement V relocated to the town of Avignon in 1308. It is said that the papacy really quite enjoyed the wines produced in the area. While subsequent popes didn't remain in the area after Clement V's death, they remained fond of their Burgundy, and continued to invest in the area.

In fact, Châteauneuf-du-Pape — one of the more popular appellations in Rhône — translates to “the Pope’s new castle” because of the aforementioned relocation. The papacy's influence can be observed to this day; In the Tavel region of southern Rhône, rosé wines were so beloved by the popes that they decreed nothing else should be produced. 

While the "nothing else" part isn't exactly upheld today, Tavel AOC remains synonymous with Rose, even naming themselves “Le Roi des Rosés” – “ The King of Roses”.

7. Côte-Rôtie, one of the key wine appelations which helped popularize the Rhône Valley, is featured in a scene from Pixar's Ratatouille! 

In a particularly humorous scene in Pixar's Ratatouille (2007), the feared food critic Anton Ego is seen drinking a glass of a mysterious wine when he is interrupted by his butler.

Eagle-eyed viewers may notice that the wine in question is an E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie. E. Guigal is a widely renowned winemaker that popularised and championed Côte-Rôtie wines, which are produced in the northern Rhone wine region of France from Syrah grapes. Côte-Rôtie wines often carry distinctive aromatic notes of florals, olives and bacon.

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of coherence a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.