The Côtes du Rhône, unlike other areas in France, is not a uniformly defined region. Actually, it is two different areas. The most spectacular part in terms of landscape is certainly the northern Rhône. The best Syrah and Viognier wines come from here, but only in a very limited production. In the small sub-regions of Côte Rôtie and Saint-Joseph, the vines stand in barren granite soil on terraces. Here, the wines are produced almost exclusively from Syrah; a small addition of the white wine variety Viognier is permitted, but this practice is largely uncommon today. The strong Mistral wind poses problems for vines and winemakers - as it does almost everywhere along the Rhône. Right next to the Côte Rôtie is the small Condrieu region, famous for white wines of the Viognier variety. This also plays the main role in the smallest controlled region in France - Château Grillet. This AOP, which covers just three hectares, is actually owned by only one producer. Further south, one comes across the vineyards of Cornas, also appreciated for their high-quality Syrah wines. Opposite, the Hermitage vineyard rises as a monument to French viticulture on the Rhône. The wines are very high quality and rare, Paul Jaboulet's Hermitage "La Chapelle" even enjoys great cult status. This vineyard is surrounded by the Crozes-Hermitage region, which stands for simpler, but by no means inferior wines. After about 50 kilometres, one comes across the southern vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône. The red wines are mostly blends of Grenache, Cinsault or Carignan. The small production of white wine is mostly Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The wines of the Côtes du Rhône, which extend to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region, can be good, but do not reach the class of the northern Rhône.
