Grenoble to Rhone Valley Wine Trip

 

Last Sunday I suggested to a couple of friends that we visit a nearby wine region.  I know there are some wine lovers out there but this is more than most of you readers will care to know about wine.  And, I might add, it was quickly written so don't read too closely.  A brief mention of the return trip through le Vercors is included, as are a few photos for your viewing pleasure.  (see more in 6: Le Vercors and Spring!)

 

 

The Rhone Valley consists of two distinct regions:  the North and the South.  At one time, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the wines of this region were the most expensive in the world and were often blended with wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy to give them more body and zest.  Once again the Rhone wines have reached that caliber and level of consumer demand.  For the sake of brevity I will discuss just the red wines.  The only red grape grown in the northern valley, by law, is Syrah.  The southern region of the valley, perhaps 100 miles away and closer to the Mediterranean climate of the coast, grows a variety of red grapes.   It is the southern Rhone where Chateauneuf-du-Pape (translated: new castle of the Pope--where the Pope once called home) is produced, from a blend of over a dozen grape varieties, both red and white.  Virtually no grapes of consequence are grown in the area between the two regions (sounds like a waste land to me).  Also, you may be more familiar with the other name for Syrah:  Shiraz, a popular wine of Australia.

 

Tain l'Hermitage, a village just north of the large city of Valence, consists of several small wine regions, three of which are St Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and the star of the region, Hermitage.  (see photo of The Rhone Valley and of the village).  Each area has its own unique characteristics which affect the flavor and body of the wine, for example, soil, sun, drainage.  

 

 

Crozes-Hermitage covers a relatively large area on the left bank of the Rhone, on mostly flat land.  St Joseph is produced from Syrah grown across the river, on the right bank.  The Rhone flows from north to south here so the right bank is west of the river. 

 

 

To be labeled "Hermitage" (as opposed to Crozes-Hermitage or St Joseph or Cornas, etc.) the wine must be produced from Syrah grapes grown on a single small hill just north of the village.  To put this in perspective, imagine an area about 50 miles long by 20 miles wide with a 1000 foot-high hill in the middle.  The south-facing side of this hill totals just 300 acres.  This is the area from which Hermitage can be produced.  (in the photo of the Chapoutier vineyard, Crozes-Hermitage comes from the vines in the foreground and Hermitage from grapes on the hillside in the background)

 

 

A personal note about this wine:  Several of us on this project dine together regularly.  We eat out at least five nights a week (or we don't eat!).  We have wine every night, usually red, and usually one of the more expensive ones on the menu.  We dine at average quality restaurants and the wines we drink, if available in a USA wine store, would probably sell for about $25 and at a USA restaurant for probably $30-$40.  We pay about $15.  We have had wines from Bordeaux (cabernets, merlot), Burgundy (pinot noir), Beaujolais (gamay), from Italy (you name it), from Lebanon (can't name it) and elsewhere. 

We all tend to prefer the northern Rhone's Crozes-Hermitage, which is more plentiful and what we typically find in restaurants.  It is definitely a full-bodied red and, I suspect, will not be enjoyed by most.  It takes some getting used to but goes great with spaghetti.  A good Hermitage vintage such as a 1998 or 1999 can be aged until I die, or well over 20 years.  By the way.  While 2000 is expected to be a fantastic year for Bordeaux and southern Rhone wines, the grapes in the northern Rhone were actually too sweet.

 

Now for the return trip.  I, being one who usually prefers the "scenic route", convinced my passengers to return to Grenoble through the Vercors.  The Grand Goulet is still closed due to a rock slide (see photos in 6: Le Vercors and Spring!) but the guy at the winery suggested another route.  The road took us along a cliff, through tunnels, and finally to the "cirque de Combe Laval" (see photo).  The drive this time of the year is beautiful.  The lilacs are in bloom and the trees have leaves!  Our descent from the high plateau of the Vercors gave us an aerial view of Grenoble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One final note on the Vercors region.  This area is a plateau, as I mentioned, protected by high cliffs, probably 40 miles long, stretching from the SW corner of Grenoble towards the south.  It was a major stronghold for the French Resistance during WW II because the 2000 foot-tall vertical cliffs that surround this area make it extremely difficult to reach.  Even with its close proximity to Grenoble it remains secluded countryside (see photo).  Eventually, the Germans penetrated the area and zapped everyone. 

 

Once again it's past my sleep time.  Hope you like the pics.

 

salut.