Condrieu AOC - whites of Viognier only.Côte-Rôtie AOC - reds of Syrah and up to 20% Viognier.Marsanne and Roussanne are in turn used for the whites from Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint Joseph, and Saint Péray.įrom north to south the appellations in the northern Rhône are: Viognier by itself is used for white wines from Condrieu and Château-Grillet. However, while this is allowed by the AOC rules, blending with white grapes is widely practiced only for Côte-Rôtie. For wines bearing the Cornas AOC designation, Syrah must be used exclusively, whereas other reds from the northern Rhône sub-region may be blended with white wine grapes, either Viognier or Marsanne and Roussanne, depending on the appellation. The grape, which is believed to have originated in or close to the Rhône region, is also widely known as Shiraz, its name in Australia and much of the English-speaking world, and has recently become very popular with consumers around the world. Syrah is the only red grape variety permitted in red AOC wines from this sub-region. Northern Rhône is therefore cooler than southern Rhône, which means that the mix of planted grape varieties and wine styles are slightly different. Its climate is influenced by the mistral wind, which brings colder air from the Massif Central. The northern Rhône is characterised by a continental climate with harsh winters but warm summers. The steep hill on which the Hermitage AOC grapes are produced, to the right, stands above the Rhône, on this northward view from the heights of Tournon-sur-Rhône. The prestigious Northern Rhône appellations account for less than 5% of the total Rhône wine production. The entire Rhône region produces around 4 million hl of wine each year, of which over half is classified under the Côte du Rhône and Côte du Rhône-Villages appellations. Those vineyard owners which do not vinify their wines themselves deliver their grapes in bulk either to a winemaking cooperative, for example Cellier des Dauphins, or sell them to one of the 51 négociants (wine producers and merchants) who blend, distribute, and export on an industrial scale. The various AOC wines of the Rhône Valley region are produced by over 6,000 wine growing properties including 1,837 private wineries and 103 cooperatives. Just over 100 years later, wines from the 'left' bank were included in the C.D.R. These were the wines from the area around Tavel, Roquemaure, Lirac and Chusclan on the western ('right') bank of the Rhône. In 1737 the King decreed that all casks destined for resale should be branded C.D.R. In 1650, to guard against forgeries a set of rules was passed in an attempt to guarantee the origin of the wine. The name Côtes du Rhône comes from public administration in the Middle Ages and was the name (Côte without 's') of a district in the Gard département. In 1446 the city of Dijon forbade all wines from Lyon, Tournon and Vienne, arguing that they were " très petits et pauvres vins" – very small and miserable wines. The wines were traded to such a degree that the Duke of Burgundy banned import and export of non-Burgundian wines. Rhône reappeared in the 13th century when the Popes and their considerable purchasing power moved to Avignon, at which time the production of wine expanded greatly. When the Romans left the area interest in the wine of the region disappeared. However, extensive DNA typing and viticultural research has established beyond doubt that Syrah originated in the Rhône region itself. Yet others suggested the grape came from the Sicilian city of Syracuse, whence circa 280 AD the Romans brought it and the Viognier grape. Others that the grape came 50 years later when Greeks fled from the Persian king Cyrus I. Some suggested that the Greeks were responsible for bringing the Syrah grape from the Persian city of Shiraz. The origins of the two most important grape varieties in the northern Rhone ( Syrah and Viognier) have in the past been subject to speculation. All are set for a standard 8.5x11 in page.The first cultivated vines in the region were probably planted around 600 BC. They can even be laminated for use with dry-erase markers. I found it helpful to print the blank map on one side of a sheet and the key on the back. Not only do they offer another type of visual association for memorizing, there's a good chance you'll get at least one "Where precisely is appellation X?" type of question in an exam. Often there's little rhyme or reason to the organization, naming and winemaking of different regions. The amount of information on which one can be tested (in any of the exams) is staggering.
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