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Cote du Rhone Wine

The vineyards that stretch down to the Rhône produce some of the world's most delicious reds - and also one of the most legendary whites. But the Rhône's greatest success has been to remain true to its winemaking tradition.

In recent years the classic winemaking regions of France, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire, have responded to New World competition in different ways.

Some producers in Bordeaux have tried to compete by creating brands that they hope will succeed in matching those from Australia - although in many cases these have been a triumph of style over substance. In Burgundy the response of most winemakers has been to keep their heads firmly in the sand and carry on producing a combination of thin, unattractive wines and some fabulous vintages that are beyond the reach of all but the extremely wealthy. In the Loire, producers have swiftly cleaned up their act and now produce better wines than ever before.

But producers in the Rhône Valley have taken an altogether more courageous approach. Rather than burying their heads or following fashion, they have simply had faith in their ability to create some of the world's greatest wines, ranging from simple, cockle-warming everyday wines to sublime, complex Hermitage and Chateauneuf du Pape. The result is that they have succeeded in leading rather than following. While winemakers in other French wine regions have tried to mimic the hugely successful style of Australian Shiraz (a wine made from the Rhône's classic red grape, Syrah), the Rhône's winemakers have made a huge effort to improve what they were already doing - with stunning results.

A WHISTLESTOP TOUR DOWN THE RHÔNE

The Rhône River stretches all the way from Switzerland to France's deep hot south. For simplicity, it is useful to split the region in two: the northern Rhône and southern Rhône.

The northern Rhône is where the Syrah grape holds sway, producing fabulous individual wines such as Cote Rotie, Hermitage, St Joseph, Crozes Hermitage and Cornas. It's also here that the white Viognier grape has its spiritual home in the tiny region of Condrieu, where it makes magnificent sensual wines with an almost mythical reputation.

As the river heads to the warmer south, the wines get beefier, ranging from simple Cotes du Rhône to complex Chateauneuf du Pape. These derive much of their charm from the fact that they are made from a range of grapes, including Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan.

THE PERFECT WINTER WINE

Rhône reds could have been made for chilly winter evenings. The combination of spicy, warming flavours to be found in a good Chateauneuf du Pape might seem incongruous on a sweltering evening in July - but in the depths of February, they offer more comfort and succour than any red Bordeaux or Australian Cabernet. It is for this reason that a ballsy Rhône red is considered the classic partner to hearty stews.

TASTE TEST

The following tasting will demonstrate the variety of styles offered by the region:

good-quality Hermitage + good-quality Chateauneuf du Pape + good-quality Cotes du Rhône + basic Cotes du Rhône + good-quality Australian Shiraz + inexpensive Australian Cabernet Sauvignon

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Although the Syrah grape dominates the Rhône, the region's wines are not about grapes: they are about rich flavours, sun and soil. Nevertheless, comparing them closely with single-variety wines such as Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz should make you see them in a very different light.

THE RHÔNE WANNABES

The style of Rhône wines has been widely copied by droves of New World producers. In California, Rhône-style blends offer an alternative to the monotony of single-variety reds such as Cabernet and Merlot, and in South Africa one producer has been so keen to pay homage to the region that he has produced a wine called Goats du Roam.

VIOGNIER

The tiny Rhône Valley region of Condrieu is where the fabulously scented quality and luscious texture of the Viognier grape are perfectly expressed. However the quality of Viognier - both from Condrieu and elsewhere - can be enormously variable and a truly delicious example tends to be the exception rather than the rule. Nevertheless, find a good example and you could be at the start of a lifelong love affair.


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