Rhone Valley is a key wine-producing region in the southeast of France.
The length of the valley means that Rhone wines are the product of a wide variety of soil types and mesoclimate. While the granite-blessed slopes of the north are paired with a continental climate, the rocky, sandy soils of the flatter south enjoy the warmer winters of a Medite Prestige is also a key differentiator between the northern and southern areas of the Rhone. The south is not entirely lacking in prestige, however, as it is here that the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation is located.
The most notable of these are the red varieties Grenache and Mourvedre, which are combined with Syrah to produce the ‘GSM’ blend so characteristic of the southern Rhone.
The appellation Cotes du Rhone Villages is restricted to specific villages whose terroir produces wine of a slightly higher quality. By chance, they are clustered in the southern section of the Rhone valley, around the town of Orange. An elected sub-set of about 20 (this list changes over time) are permitted to add their village names to the title Cotes du Rhone Villages.
Rhone Valley Wine are now available at The Oaks Cellars