The Côte du Rhône

The Côte du Rhône has been a major thoroughfare for traders since man first settled in the region. Celts, Galls, Romans, Visigoths, Carolingian, Merovingian all settled here and it is said the Greeks and Phoenicians planted the first vines when they ventured along the Rhône from the Mediterranean coast.

From Lyon to the Mediterranean, the Rhône River remains one of the busier trading routes of France. Although the river barges have slowly disappeared, road traffic is very heavy indeed with endless streams of heavy lorries from Sunday night to Saturday night.

Although heavy with industry, the Côte du Rhône still offers an amazing cross-section of countryside and views forming a very attractive area well worth exploring with mountain views from all points. The river's delta begins near Arles, about 40 kilometres from the sea where two branches of the river enclose the famous ‘Camargue’ with its white horses and bird life. Flamingos, egrets, ibis, and other rare species thrive in this protected nature reserve.

Lyon is justly proud of its gastronomic heritage. There is a vast range of food styles and tastes from all parts of the world, from the reasonably priced ‘plat de jour’ (dish of the day) to a full blown expensive banquet.

The old quays at Lyon with their merchant houses, demonstrate the wealth of this very old city and the renaissance buildings are well maintained attracting visitors from around the world. South from Lyon are the Roman ruins at Vienne, Valence, Romans-sur-Isère, Orange, Avignon and Carpentras. The famous vineyards to the south of Lyon begin at Ampuis and continue to the Côtes de Provence.

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Marsanne and Roussanne are among grape types which produce wines with names recognised around the world including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage and Côtes du Rhône.

Today, the historic vineyard is on the increase despite generally dwindling sales of French wine and the upturn of wines from the 'new world'. However, a virtue of French wine is its quality and pedigree, and none could argue that the Côte du Rhone stands out in both respects.

In the Côte Rotie, the vines cling to the sheer rock face on small terraces, more suitable for goats than vines and man. The resulting wine is dark purple, with a nose of spices, red fruits and many with vanilla notes that comes from ageing in oak barrels. Heading south is the appellation of Condrieu and the grape variety considered by many to be one of the most difficult to cultivate, the Viognier. Get it right, and the finished product is an exquisite white wine, very fruity yet highly perfumed - an ideal accompaniment to fish.

St Joseph produces fruity wines with deep colour yet a surprisingly light taste, while further south is another famous name, Hermitage. Although the soil and climate of Crozes-Hermitage are the same as Hermitage, the wines are not in the same category. However, they are eminently drinkable and some will age well for 8 to 10 years but can also be drunk young.

Cornas is reputed to be one of the oldest vineyards of France dating from the Roman era. Some wine experts believe the wines of today could be the same as those drunk more than 2000 years ago. Gigondas has an ageing potential of 10 - 15 years. The small village of Gigondas has a long history and sits in the shelter of the Dentelles de Montmirail with limestone crags reminiscent of a set of teeth.

The name 'Châteauneuf-du-Pape' probably needs little introduction. Its wines were drunk by the Avignon Popes and some claim they rival the fine wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages