Rhône Valley

Learn More About The Rhône

Where is The Rhône Valley?

Stretching for more than 200km along the Rhône River in southeastern France, the Rhône Valley runs from Lyon in the north to Avignon in the south. While it's often spoken about as a single region, it's really two distinct wine-growing areas with very different landscapes, climates and wine styles.

The Northern Rhône is small and steep, with vineyards clinging to dramatic granite hillsides. It's home to famous appellations such as Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas and Condrieu. The Southern Rhône is much larger, producing the majority of the region's wine and including well-known names such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne and Côtes du Rhône.

What Makes The Rhône So Special?

Few wine regions offer such a broad range of styles. In the north, Syrah reigns supreme, producing savoury, peppery reds with notes of blackberry, violet and smoked meat. White wines are equally distinctive, with Viognier creating beautifully aromatic wines, while Marsanne and Roussanne produce richer, textured styles.

The Southern Rhône is all about blending. Grenache typically forms the backbone of the reds, supported by Syrah, Mourvèdre and a host of other permitted varieties. These wines are generous, full of ripe berry fruit, herbs and warming spice, yet often retain remarkable freshness.

From everyday Côtes du Rhône to some of France's most celebrated fine wines, the region delivers exceptional quality across every price point.

Climate, Soils & Winemaking

The Rhône Valley's climate changes dramatically from north to south. The Northern Rhône has a cooler continental climate, where steep slopes maximise sunlight and help grapes ripen slowly. Further south, a warm Mediterranean climate brings long, dry summers and abundant sunshine, producing wines with greater richness and generosity.

The powerful Mistral wind is one of the region's defining features. It helps keep vineyards healthy by drying vines after rain, reducing disease pressure and concentrating flavours in the grapes.

Soils vary enormously, from granite slopes in the north to the famous rounded galets roulés (large heat-retaining stones) of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, along with limestone, clay and sandy soils throughout the region. Winemaking styles range from traditional large oak foudres to modern approaches using concrete, stainless steel and smaller oak barrels, but the focus remains on expressing the Rhône's generous fruit, savoury complexity and remarkable sense of place.