There’s Nothing Better than a good Friend, except a good friend with a bottle of wine
Like the rest of us, most wine drinkers are looking to purchase quality wines at reasonable prices and many will find themselves gravitating toward mainstream wine. Too many shoppers don’t realize that they are shortchanging themselves by overlooking high pedigree wines within the same price point that are not always noticed or rated by critics. But some of the best Old World wines are the often disregarded gems that come out of the Rhone Valley of France. Many of these wines can deliver the elegance of Burgundy and the power and longevity of Bordeaux at a much lower cost.
Northern Rhone
The Rhone region is divided into two separate demarcated districts, North and South, and of the two, Northern Rhone is considered by many as the most prestigious. This is where you will find names like Cote Rotie, Hermitage and the renowned Condrieu. Wineries from the north not only share the same grapes, the noble red Syrah and classic whites such as Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne, but they share the difficulty of working the steep terrain within their vineyards. Some slopes are so treacherous that vines would not grow if not for the manmade terraces allowing both workers and vines to thrive. During harvest, the terrain is still so difficult that winches and pullies are required to get baskets of grapes from vineyard to winery.
Condrieu and Chateau Grillet make white wine exclusively from the Viognier grape. The vines of Grillet are planted on terraces so small that some can only contain around 10 vines per terrace, making this the smallest AOC in France. Wine from Cote Rotie and Cornas cover less than 500 acres, limiting production and fostering red wines with exceptional structure that are suitable for long term aging. Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage and St-Joseph are unique tasting wines that can have savory notes including bacon fat and subtle smells of barnyard. On their own, these wines may not sound appealing, but imagine pairing them with bacon wrapped beef wellington or a wrapped fillet Mignon. Or how about a roasted garlic stuffed lamb!?
Southern Rhone
In the southern Rhone you will find Cotes-du-Rhone, Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages and the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The topography of southern Rhone is much flatter than its northern counterpart and the climate is Mediterranean rather than Continental, which makes the diurnal temperatures more consistent.
On the eastern bank of the Rhone River is the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The name translates to the “New Castle of the Pope.” Many don’t realize that not all Popes lived in Rome. In fact, from 1303-1378 there were 7 Popes that resided in Avignon, France and were known as the Avignon Papacy or the Babylon Captivity. The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the reference to the period in Jewish history where a number of Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylonia after the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE.
As of 2009, 18 different grape varieties are now permitted in the making of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is not required to use all 18 varieties and few actually do. The majority of these wines, roughly 70%, use Grenache as the base blend. Chateau Beaucastel, however, has always chosen to include all approved variety’s in their wines. On rare occasions, you might find a bottle of white Chateauneuf-du-Pape. These are difficult to find because they represent less than 5% of the grapes harvested. Still, with white varieties approved to be grown, that means your red Chateauneuf-du-Pape could actually have small portions of white grapes blended in! Within the southern Rhone you will find a great number of quality wines from districts such as Vacqueyras, Gigondas, and Raster. Two equally important appellations are Lirac and Tavel, which are known for their classic Rosés.
So next time you’re out to purchase a bottle of wine, don’t go for the ordinary, go for the extraordinary, in a word, RHONE!
Selected below is a small sample of the vast selection of wines to be found at your nearest 21st amendment store. I think you will find these to be prime crowd pleasers well suited for most any drinking and dining experience. –Bryan Criswell
2014 Pont Du Rhone Red Blend, Cotes du Rhone, Rhone France ——————————————- $10.98
2015 Grange Des Dames Rose Blend, Ventoux, Rhone France ———————————————– $14.98
2012 Domaine Du Vieux Chene Red Blend, Cote-du-Rhone-Village, Rhone France ——————– $23.98
2006 Les Perrines Syrah Saint-Joseph, Rhone France ———————————————————- $24.98
2005 Domaine Jaboulet Rose Blend, Crozes Hermitage, Rhone France ———————————– $25.97
2007 Le Mas des Collines Rose Blend, Gigondas, Rhone France ——————————————– $29.99
Stop in to 21st Amendment at 3404 E.146th St. Carmel, In 46033. Meet Wine Director Bryan Criswell a Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and Wine Master from the Wine Education Guild. Bryan will freely consult with you Tuesday through Saturday & assist with any purchase, questions or suggestions that you may have.