Giddy days
Ardèche might have Provence to the South but just as important is the Côte de Rhône to the East. A magnificient area of France well known for producing some of the best wines in the world. The wines are market under various appellation d’origine cotrôlée (AOC) designations but the most popular in terms of production volume is Côte de Rhône AOC.
When you reach l'autoroute de soleil near Montelimar 45 minuts from Hermannhouse you have to decide whether to continue to the Southern Rhône or to the Northern Rhône. The two sub-regions each have distinct vinicultural traditions. The northern sub-region produces red wines from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with white wine grapes, and white wines from Viognier grapes. The vines are cultivated on very steep slopes making the harvest extremely arduous. The grapes are manually picked and have to be hauled up the hillside on trolleys, a feature which adds to the price. The most famous appelation in the Northern Region is the Hermitage AOC. The southern sub-region produces an array of red, white and rosé wines and often blends of several grapes. However, all red wines must have a minimum of 40% Grenache. The most famous appellation in the Southern Region is Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC.
Click on the image to see details of the region
