Côtes du Rhône AOC,
a Wine Region in Full Revival

Côtes du Rhône, a synonym with diversity

The vineyards of the vast Côtes du Rhône AOC (around 30,000 hectares) cover six departments on both banks of the river, between Vienne and Avignon. The appellation applies to red, rosé and white wines. However most of the wine produced is red.

On the proposal of the winegrowers, a new decree of the appellation was adopted in 1996 to claim and reinforce the typicity of Côtes du Rhône wines.

The climate is  Mediterranean refreshed by the cleansing Mistral wind.

Côtes du Rhône wines are mainly blends of several grape varieties.

For red wines, Grenache must represent at least 40% of the grape varieties. The other varieties include Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise. The reds are mostly medium bodied, simple and fruity wines.

For white wines, the most common grape varieties are Grenache blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Viognier. The whites are mainly round and fruity wines.

As for the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages appellation, it was officially established in 1967 and today covers 95 communes in the Rhône region. Although the soils are the same as for the Côtes-du-Rhône AOC, the criteria are different: wines subject to production constraints (yield), vinification (alcohol content) or delimitation of the terroirs can claim the "villages" label. For the most part, the Côtes-du-Rhône Village AOC are red wines. They are tannic wines that have a very good ageing potential.