The Rhône Valley in France is overwhelmingly devoted to red wine production.
While the Rhône River is dotted with vineyards from its headwaters in Switzerland to its mouth on the French Mediterranean coast, the Rhône Valley properly refers to two clusters of appellations along the banks of the river in Southern France. The Northern Rhône, or Rhône septentrionale, occupies a narrow band of vineyards hugging the river just south of Beaujolais, from Vienne to Valence. The vineyards of the Southern Rhône, or Rhône méridionale, funnel outward south of Montélimar toward Avignon, near the river’s Mediterranean basin. While these two separate stretches are often considered collectively, the Northern and Southern Rhône are climatically and viticulturally distinct.
The Rhône Valley and its environs boast a long history of enological importance. The introduction of winemaking in France can be traced to the Greeks, who established vine cultivation at their Massalia settlement—modern-day Marseilles—in approximately 600 BCE. At the height of Greek trade, some 10 million liters of wine in amphorae were shipped through Massalia into the heart of Gaul via the Rhône River. The Romans continued this trend with their arrival in the Southern Rhône in 125 BCE, and viticulture spread to the Northern Rhône by the first century CE. The Northern Rhône’s picturesque, hallmark terraces were first constructed by Roman workers. Vienne evolved as an important Roman provincial capital, and the Viennese vinum picatum, or "pitched wine," was exported to Rome itself. Whether vinum picatum was simply a reference to the wine’s character resulting from its mode of transport
In Cotes du Rhone France officail homepage saids Cote du Rhone Village can add 18 Communes. (www.rhone-wines.com/.../appellation)
Please check that and also I just wonder different thing between Cremant de Die and Clairette de Die. Cremant makes 100% Clairette. and Clairette Die has two style I know. One is Tradition methode only use Clairette and Ancestrale be blend clairette and Muscat. Is it right?
Jacob Conn I can see where you may conclude there are 3 styles but there are only 2. The description at the end of the paragraph about the ancestral method refers generally to that technique of producing sparkling wine. However, Methode Dioise Ancestrale is a type of ancestral method sparkling wine that is produced specifically within Clairette de Die AOP. Diose Ancestrale is the same process as ancestral, but is specifically tailored to this appellation. The ancestral method can be used anywhere in the world to produce sparkling wine, but Dioise Ancestrale is only permitted within this appellation and has its own set of production requirements. Does that make sense?
I'm slightly confused.
There are "two styles of sparkling wines: méthode traditionnelle and méthode Dioise ancestrale. While Clairette is the sole grape in the traditional method wines, the méthode Dioise ancestrale requires its rustic sparkling wines to contain—confusingly—a minimum 75% Muscat à Petit Grains. The méthode ancestrale is an old technique of sparkling wine production wherein the wine is bottled without dosage before fermentation has concluded. The wines are disgorged into pressurized tanks and rebottled without liqueur d’expédition."
It states that there's two styles but they mention three: Methode traditionnelle, method dioise ancestrale and method ancestrale. Or is method dioise ancestrale and method ancestrale the same thing? If there not shouldn't it be 3 styles not 2 or are they just mentioning what method ancestrale is and it has no affiliation to Clairette de Die AOP?
Michael Hildbold Check out the side bar on this topic in the Expanded Guide to Wine Law for an explanation.
I'm a bit confused about the Style/Encepagement vs Assemblage. In the study guide above, it says that Fronton AOP produces wines with a minimum 50% Negrette. When I click on the link to go to the compendium, the Styles/Encepagement says the requirement is a minimum of 50% Negrette, but the Assemblage says minimum 40% Negrette. I take this to mean that 50% of the vineyard area must be planted with Negrette, but only 40% minimum has to make it into the finished wine? If so, the way it is written in the guide is confusing. Can you set me straight?