The Rhone is one of Franceâ??s most important wine regions. Divided into two separate zones, the north is probably the most prestigious. It is home to the appellations of Condrieu, C?´te R?´tie, St. Joseph, Hermitage, and Crozes-Hermitage. Syrah is king with the exception of the Condrieu (100% Viognier) and Hermitage, which also makes big whites from Marsanne and Roussanne. The South is a much larger region where most Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Village come from. In the villages of Ch??teauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and Rasteau, Syrah is blended in varying proportions with Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsaut, and a host of obscure varieties such as Muscardin, Vaccarese, Terret and Counoise, to produce full-bodied reds brimming with energy.
Ch??teauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous village in the southern Rhone. It is here that Grenache, the primary varietal, is arguably at its very best. Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsaut are also normally included however the proportions can vary significantly from producer to producer. In some cases (Ch??teau Beaucastel), all thirteen permitted varieties are included. They are often very age-worthy wines with incredible depth and concentration, and which develop complex secondary aromas including dried fruit, spice and earth.
White wine is a wine whose color can be pale-yellow, yellow-green, and yellow-gold colored. The wine is produced from a variety of grape varieties. The flavor and color comes from the juice of the grape and sometimes the skin of the grape as well. Interestingly, not all white wine comes from white grapes. Some select red grapes are used as in Champagne.
