West Valley Wine Group

This week, we are continuing a study of various regional blends. Our stop this week is the Southern Rhone Valley region of France. Southern Rhone White Blend is a blanket term used to describe the various combinations of white wine grapes used in the southern half of the Rhone Valley. The wines themselves are not confined to the Rhone production zone and have been interpreted and replicated with varying degrees of success in the majority of the world's wine regions.

The principal varieties involved in a white wine from the southern Rhone are any combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul, though other local grapes may be used where appropriate. In the past decade Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) is appearing in an increasing number of blended wines from the southern Rhone. While southern Rhone red blends are far more common in this part of France, white wines are included in several notable appellations in the region. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is the most famous of these, using Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette and a small handful of obscure local varieties. White Cotes du Rhone wines use a similar blend, often along with Marsanne and Viognier.

Since there are so many possible incarnations of the blend, it is extremely difficult to narrow down any singular characteristic in these wines. The aromas, flavors, bodyweight, mouthfeel, aging potential and dryness level all depend entirely on the grape varieties used and the winemaking techniques involved. Some Southern Rhone White Blends are rich and fruity, showing stonefruit (Viognier) and citrus (Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc) flavors, while others are more spicy, with white pepper a commonly identified descriptor when Grenache Blanc is involved. Herbal notes can be expressed in Roussanne-driven wines, while Marsanne can bring out honeysuckle flavors, especially as the wine ages.

Food pairings for White Southern Rhone Blend wines include:

• Porc à la moutarde (pork steaks with a creamy mustard reduction)
• Chicken and chickpea stew
• Sea bream baked in a salt crust

We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/u-lZrtUgC8g?si=pn_RUYm5jcu25xQl - White wines from the Rhône - Vignobles de la Vallee du Rhone (1:27)
2. https://youtu.be/ACoJWRmydzs?si=-bOEQ1fxofAV5ms4 - COTES DU RHONE BLANC - Bob Paulinski, MW (8:30)
3. https://youtu.be/SLXxi5o9WIw?si=9b6HKNouoOs1bk1J - Wine grape school: Rhone whites - Montreal Gazette (2:20)
4. https://youtu.be/xxSouISTcMo?si=j0tVPg1BPTFMPXTV - Rhône Blends: All About GSMs and White Rhône Blends - V is for Vino (2:02)

So, pick up a bottle of wine and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!

Broadly speaking, the southern section of the (viticultural) Rhône valley begins at Montélimar and runs south. The northernmost appellation here is Grignan-les-Adhémar, which was formerly known as the Coteaux du Tricastin but renamed in 2011 after the establishment of the controversial Tricastin nuclear power plant. On the other, western, side of the river is Côtes du Vivarais, in the Ardèche.

Immediately south of Grignan-les-Adhémar and the Côtes du Vivarais lie the broad Côtes du Rhône Villages titles, restricted to specific villages and comunes whose terroir produces wine of a slightly higher quality. These regions are spread either side of the river around the town of Orange.

The Côtes du Rhône Villages title covers around 20 such regions (the list changes over time) and wines from a single zone can append their region to the label, producing the likes of Côtes du Rhone Villages Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues.

Some areas use their Villages status as a stepping stone to the creation of an appellation. For instance, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne became the Cairanne appellation (regionally known as a "cru") in 2016.
As well the Côtes du Rhône Villages and their cru titles (which includes the likes of Vacqueyras, Rasteau and Gigondas), the wider region also hosts the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation (between Orange and Avignon on the east bank of the river) as well as Lirac and Tavel on the western side of the Rhône.

We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/oXoO6o6FxVc?si=rXzIP7JItH2z2pSW - SOUTHERN RHONE Wines: Diverse, Underrated & Affordable - No Sediment (9:17)
2. https://youtu.be/2msMmx1-b-4?si=REDsVtJEbMB2oK25 - The Story And History Behind Chateauneuf Du Pape - Elicite' (3:01)
3. https://youtu.be/NLnqy3FPLdQ?si=5Raxa5Ah7GlATw9b - The BEST WINE ROAD TRIP in France? Join me in the Southern Rhône Valley! - V is for Vino (52:43)
4. https://youtu.be/xxSouISTcMo?si=j0tVPg1BPTFMPXTV - Rhône Blends: All Abou - t GSMs and White Rhône Blends - V is for Vino (2:02)

So, pick up a bottle of wine and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!