The Rhone Valley wine region of France looks to a fair degree like a small Italy as it stretches approximately 200 kilometers from the south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. In this part of France the weather varies from the Rhone's cold winters and warm summers to classical Mediterranean weather where the winters are mild and the summers are hot.



The relatively constant sunshine combines with granite soil of the north of the region and the limestone of the south of the region to produce Carignan, Syrah and Grenache grapes used to produce red wines and Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Grenache Blanc used to make white wines.

The Grenache is the major grape grown and represents more than half of the total red wine grapes grown while the Clairette makes up just over one third of the white wine grapes grown in the region. Overall roughly 8-10 thousand winemakers produce 450 million bottles of wine on a vast 170,000 acres of land of which three-quarters is given over to the fruity reds of Ch�teauneuf du Pape in the south and the full-bodied C�te R�tie in the north.

The village of Chartreuse de Valbonne enjoys a very different climate from that of the surrounding area. Enfolded by forested horseshoe-shaped hills there are numberless terraces composed of stony chalk and limestone. Some barrels of the area date back to the thirteenth century and the village is home to plum Grenache noir, Viognier and spicy Syrah grapes with aromas of acacia honey and violet.

Considered some of the best C�tes du Rh�ne villages are Cairanne and Rasteau with Rasteau's tannic Domaine du Trapadis being the preference of those who are seeking a more zesty wine and Cairanne's softer Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil being appreciated by the easy-going.

From the C�tes du Rh�ne villages stony limestone and clay soil come the Syrah and Grenache grapes that produce roughly 19,000,000 bottles of medium body fruity red wines.

The history of the wine of Gigondas traces back to the Roman Empire and advantage is taken nowadays of the red clay soil and Mediterranean weather to produce an aromatic alternative to the more expensive Ch�teauneuf du Pape. On nearly 3,000 acres vintners produce the Mourv�dre, Grenache and Syrah grapes that go into making 5,500,000 bottles of this popular wine.

For those whose tongue requires a small shock of pleasure there is the Vignobles Darriaud's Grenache Syrah which is a full-bodied red with plumy and earthy aromas and with chocolate tones that combine with a peppery finish once the wine has been allowed to age for some 4 or 5 years.

In conclusion, we must take a look at the slopes of Ch�teauneuf du Pape which lie between Orange and Avignon and which were formerly summer home of many Popes. The wine is thick and richly colored by the Syrah, Clairette, Grenache and ten other grape varieties. On in the region of 7,600 acres of quartz and sandy red clay soil are grown the vines that produce 13 million bottles of wine that can age for up to 20 years with aromas of cinnamon, red fruits and vanilla.