Rhone region offers best of France
By Wine Atlas, Thursday 22 March 2007 :: Wine - France :: #140 :: rss
One of the best things about watching the annual Tour de France bike race on TV is the incredible views of the French countryside taken by helicopter.
The video tapestry shows quaint towns and villages dotting the landscape, each with its own incredible architecture and character. You sense that some piece of history was made in each one. Miles of agricultural lands span the horizon, often dominated by vineyards.
Some of the most spectacular scenery is in the Rhone Valley in southeast France, home to many of the most special wines in the world. The Rhone River begins in the Swiss Alps and flows into France through the Jura Mountains. It was here that the syrah grape was first nurtured into fine wine, a tradition that is celebrated to this very day.
Similar "Rhone style" wines made in North and South America and in Australia are hugely popular. But there is truly nothing like the original.
I recently popped the cork of an old favorite I hadn't enjoyed in years, E. Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone, this one a 2004 ($15). The sweet earthiness, smoky dark fruit, fig and plum flavors took me back to when this was a staple wine in our home. As the velvety texture seduced my palate, I knew it was time I reminded people about wonderful Rhone region wines. advertisement
The Rhone is divided into two sub regions, creatively called northern and southern.
The Northern Rhone is fairly small and more prestigious than the Southern Rhone, where the wines are more well known. These grape-growing areas are not contiguous; it's about an hour's drive between the two. In both the north and the south there are many wine districts or appellations - geographic areas that are precisely defined.
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