When I think of Rhone, I think of dusty cherries. To me, this is what Rhone wines taste like and I love it. The wines here are bigger and fuller than reds from Burgundy and have a higher alcohol percentage. This is because the region gets more sun, so the grapes produce more sugar. That extra sugar gets converted into extra alcohol. The soil here is rocky which helps to retain the heat from the day, into the night.

Rhone is located in southeastern France, just south of Burgundy. The majority (90%) of Rhone Valley wines come from the southern region. The south produces wines that are predominately Grenache based and blended with Syrah. The main appellations here are Tavel, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, and Vacqueyras. In Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines, they can actually use up to 13 different grape varietals.

In the north it is flipped, mainly Syrah is blended with Grenache. The main regions here are Crozes-Hermitage, Cote Rotie, & Hermitage. If you haven’t tried a Rhone yet, get your hands on one. They are quite hot now, especially ‘07 Chateauneuf-du-Pape!