Rhone Valley Wine Region

The Rhone Valley Wine Region (Cotes du Rohne in French) stretches along the banks of the Rhone River, just south of Lyon and stops just short of where the wine region of Provence begins. Perhaps the lesser known of the wine regions, farmers and winemakers in the Rhone Valley pride themselves on their history and expertise in winemaking, which are only now gaining recognition.

Nestled in a lovely valley, the Rhone Valley Wine Region (which is separated into a northern and a southern region) experiences a hot and sunny climate year round, and has a soil consistency that is stony and coarse. Due to these conditions, over 90% of the wines produced in this region are red wines.

Red grape varieties permitted in this region include Grenache, Syrah, and Mourverdre, but the rare Viognier, a white grape, is also famous in this region for producing a fruity and very aromatic white wine.

Recent vintages from the Rhone Valley have received worldwide acclaim for their body and aroma, and the tourism industry is consequently promoting its vineyards and winemakers in order to attract a larger audience to the lovely Rhone Valley Wine Region. Learn more about French Wines Rhone Valley.