Côtes-du-Rhône: History and Appellations

Sep 30, 2024

Let's go back to the beginning

For millions of years, the Rhône has carved its way between the Massif Central and the Alps, creating the Rhône Valley, known today throughout the world for its exceptional wines.

In this collapsed gap between the Massif Central and the Alps, first filled then abandoned by the retreating Mediterranean, this great river found room to dig its bed.

It is also in this great maritime back and forth movement that the structure of the soil in granite, sandy silica, clay and limestone finds its origin. Today, this beautiful mineral diversity allows a regulation of the water supply of the vine and gives the wines of the region their aromas and their very specific tastes.

The Rhone vineyard is among the oldest in France.

Vines were already cultivated four centuries before our era in the Marseille region, but it was from the first century after Jesus Christ that they developed in the north of the Rhone corridor under the impetus of the Roman Empire. The Romans launched major projects in the region (terraces, plantations, etc.) and were the initiators of the growth of the vineyard.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, its development suffered a serious setback and it was not until the Middle Ages that viticulture was revived under the impetus of the church and the papacy. The popes, installed in Avignon in the 14th century, did indeed work greatly for the development and recognition of the vineyard.

In the 17th century, shipments via the port of Roquemaure (Gard) were established and allowed the expansion of what was called at the time the Coste du Rhône.

It was finally in the middle of the 19th century that the Coste du Rhône became the Côtes du Rhône.

The Rhone vineyard is also at the origin of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée and it is thanks to Baron Pierre Le Roy that this famous appellation was born in France. Through his pioneering spirit and his commitment to having excellence in Châteauneuf du Pape recognized, he obtained the first AOC in 1936.

From that moment on, the achievement of this precious appellation and the search for guaranteed quality definitively became the driving forces of this exceptional national wine region.

Nowadays

Today, the Rhone Valley extends across three French regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie .

Its climate, or rather its climates, give this endearing wine region even more personality.

In fact, we move from a typically Mediterranean climate in the south to an alternation of harsh winters and very hot summers in the northern part with a greater risk of frost and hail.

Today, the vineyard extends over 69,000 hectares from north to south (approximately 250 kilometers) and produces just under 3 million hectoliters from the cellars.

In 2018, Rhône Valley winegrowers produced 79% red wines, 19% rosé wines and only 2% white wines.

Also in 2018, 33% of production was exported, or one bottle in three, with the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium as the preferred destinations, in order.

The Côtes du Rhône are also following the movement and the conversion to biodynamics is clearly increasing. Today, it is estimated that 30-35% of the vineyard is worked biodynamically, but the organic harvest still only represented 9% in 2018.

Prices for Côtes du Rhône have seen an overall increase of around 30 to 50% over the last fifteen years. In addition, the success and relative rarity of certain northern appellations can lead to a relatively sharp increase in prices.

Despite this, we can see that Rhone wines are often in first position at wine merchants or on restaurant menus. The rating of its wines continues to rise and the future seems rather bright in the Rhone Valley….

Grape varieties and appellations

The grape varieties present in the Rhone Valley are relatively different between the northern part and the southern part of the vineyard.

In the north, Syrah is the only red grape variety but it can be blended at 20%.

In white, Marsanne and Roussanne go hand in hand in Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph and Hermitage for example and Viognier is the only grape variety in Condrieu and Château-Grillet.

In the south, there are five red grape varieties, but the most common are Grenache Noir and Carignan Noir. Mourvèdre and Syrah are also found, but to a lesser extent. Finally, Cinsault is used in the blending of Tavel and Gigondas.

For the whites, we use bourboulenc, white grenache, marsanne and roussanne in a blend.

Finally, clairette is also used in particular for Bellegarde clairette.

There are some very fine AOCs in both the northern and southern Rhône valleys.

In the north of the region, there are eight AOCs:

  • Côte-Rôtie and Cornas, which only produce red wines but whose reputation is well established
  • Condrieu, Château-Grillet and Saint Péray which only offer white wines
  • Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage offering magnificent white and red wines

The southern region has nearly twenty AOCs, including the following examples:

  • Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages
  • Chateauneuf-du-Pape
  • Vacqueyras
  • Gigondas
  • Rasteau
  • Tavel
  • ...

In the south of the Rhône Valley, we also find two beautiful AOCs in Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Rasteau.

VINAdemi now offers you a representative range of wines and renowned producers in this great and beautiful region. We will continue to offer you the best of the Côtes du Rhône vineyard and a nice surprise will enrich our range in the coming weeks.