Rhone Valley
Written By: Brian Freedman on Mon, Oct 29th 2007
Among wine lovers, there are few places in the world with as much potential, allure, and downright fabulous wine as France's Rhone Valley. Located in the southeast of the country, this haven for all things vinous is home to a range of styles as wide as anywhere in the world. From the syrah-dominated Northern Rhone (home to the beloved Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, St.-Joseph, and Cornas) to the blending haven of the south (where grenache is the key more often than not, and where the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and Cotes-du-Rhone are born), the Rhone Valley is truly a wonder to behold. And while most people tend to focus on the red wines of the Rhone Valley, the whites are worthy of consideration, too.Viognier grows better in the Northern Rhone's Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet than anywhere else in the world, and the delicious, versatile marsanne, rousanne, and clairette truly come into their own in the Rhone. And with prices in Bordeaux and Burgundy as high as they are, the wines of the Rhone Valley, for the most part, still represent a very good deal, especially when the pure pleasure these wines provide is factored into the equation.
