Spotlight On: The Rhône Valley
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| Wines of the Rhône Valley |
The Rhône River splashes through a Garden of Eden. Along its banks, orchards explode with ripe fruit. Cattle graze in open pastures. Forests teem with game. And vineyards from Lyon to Avignon give birth to incredibly diverse wines. Such resources, and history predating the Greeks, make the Rhône Valley a food lover’s paradise.
The Culinary Capital of France
The Rhône River rushes into Lyon from 8,000 feet high in the Swiss Alps. It meets the northern Saône River and cuts hard, due South toward the Mediterranean Sea. Lyon’s rich history of home cooking and famous chefs makes it France’s culinary capital. Masters such as Paul Bocuse nurture the city’s 16 Michelin-starred restaurants, and local Bouchons Lyonnais dish up the town’s best down-to-earth, traditional cuisine.
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| Bouchons Lyonnais |
Bouchons are small, convivial restaurants specializing in Lyon’s hearty, handmade cuisine. This isn’t high dining; it’s typical, home-cooked, family-style, stick-to-your-ribs fare. About 20 bouchons earn the annual ‘authentic’ certification from the Association de Défense des Bouchons Lyonnais, but many restaurants use the term. Regular patrons return for rustic, robust, absolutely scrumptious meals of petit salé (ham and lentils), quenelles (fish dumplings), or more daring dishes such as andouillette (offal sausage).
Exquisite cheeses come from the pastures south of Lyon as well. St. Félicien and St. Marcellin are rich, creamy, cow’s milk cheeses that ooze when you cut into them. Bouchons serve Cervelle de Canuts: chives, shallots, and spices creamed into fresh, yogurt-like fromage blanc.
Rhône Wines
French journalist Léon Daudet said, “There are three rivers in Lyon: the Rhône, the Saône, and the Beaujolais”. But many choose to wash down this fare with fruity Côtes du Rhône.
The broad Côtes du Rhône appellation covers the entire Rhône Valley. These wines are simple, fruity, and deliver excellent value. A step up in quality, Côtes du Rhône-Villages’ tighter quality controls deliver more concentrated, elegant wines. But look to smaller appellations, usually named after a town, for top quality.
Rhône Septentrional (Northern Rhône)
These smaller appellations start about 20 miles south of Lyon, near the ancient Roman town of Vienne. Most renowned are Côte Rôtie and Hermitage; fine wines that compete with Burgundy and Bordeaux for prestige. From mostly Syrah (Côte Rôtie allows some Viognier), they reach incredible length and finesse, flourishing black fruit and floral aromas. St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage are better priced Syrahs, but seldom reach the same heights.
These zones produce some white too, but the star, white-only denominations are Condrieu and Château Grillet. Made of 100% Viognier, these rare wines rank among France’s best whites. The north may enjoy more fame, but some 95% of the Rhône’s wine comes from the south.
Rhône Méridional (Southern Rhône)
The vineyards hug the Rhône closely until Valence, where they almost vanish. When they pick up again south of Montélimar, they stretch farther from the river and gain a more Provençal flair. The grape varieties expand as well: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the South’s top appellation, allows up to 13 red grapes in the blend.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, (New Castle of the Pope) got its name from the Avignon Popes. In 1309, French Pope Clement V moved his court to Avignon. Seven Popes reigned from here until 1377, when Gregory XI moved his retinue back to Rome. The French Popes encouraged the vineyards and built a summer palace northeast of Avignon, in the town of Châteauneuf- Calcernier. Renamed Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the 19th century, the town is surrounded by rocky vineyards that produce full, spicy, deep red wines. Of the 13 red grapes permitted, most producers use four: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault.
Gigondas and Vacqueyras are neighboring wines that use similar blends. Gigondas is often more rustic than Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the better producers make excellent wines. Vacqueyras resembles the best Côtes du Rhône-Villages.
Although 95% of the Rhône’s wines are red, France’s most prized rosés come from the south. Just north of Avignon, across the Rhône to the west, Tavel and Lirac produce crisp, dry rosés from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
Southern Cooking
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| Provençal Village |
Provence and southern Rhône cuisine reflect the Mediterranean sun. Garden vegetables, olives, herbs, and garlic are the base for many a mouth-watering dish in the south of France. Daube Provençale is a hearty stew, often with beef from the free-range, black bulls of the Camargue; the marshy plain south of Arles. While Marseille is famous for Bouillabaisse, throughout the south you find Soupe de Poisson, a velvety fish soup served with garlic-spread croutons and spicy mayonnaise-like rouille.
Exploring the length of the Rhône, you experience 3000 years of history and a vast array of culinary treats. Check out our Provence & the Côtes du Rhône Wine Tour. You’ll enjoy elegant dining and typical bouchons, famous wineries and family estates, colorful Provençal markets, and awe-inspiring Roman ruins. We hope you’ll join us in June.
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