Posts Tagged ‘northern rhone’

The Rhone. As French wine regions go, it is hardly the most dramatic or awe inspiring. In fact, up until a few years ago most wine drinkers would have told you that Rhone wines were simply working class wines meant for common French citizens.

Situated in south western France the Rhone produces wines which are largely different then any other wine produced in France. Given better overall sunlight and a longer growing season mean that red wine is almost exclusively grown here and that wine is typically much more fruit flavored and intense then wine from any other region of France.

The region is named for the river which runs from the Swiss Alps and passes through the valley on the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The region has been split for all intensive purposes into two halves, which is much the norm in France.

The northern Rhone is a smaller, more prestigious, less well known outside of France that only produces one wine: a red wine grape named Syrah. This is the only red wine grape allowed to be grown in the Rhone and for good reason, it creates some of the most wild and untamed wines in the world when grown in the steep hillsides that follow the river across the entire valley.

The southern Rhone is a much larger, better known region that begins about fifty miles south of where the northern Rhone ends. In effect the two regions have nothing in common but the river which gives them their name. Although hotter then many wine growing regions in the entire world, the southern Rhone is a challenging wine growing regions. Severe winds blow down from the Swiss Alps and grow stronger as they pass over the land, these winds are given credit for increasing sugar and acidity in the wines while also possessing the power to rip the vines apart if it grows too strong.

One of the other significant differences between the Rhone regions is that while red wine in the north is only Syrah, red wine in south is always a combination of multiple varietals. In many ways blending is essential in the south because a grape like Syrah will lose its trademark intensity in such warm growing conditions. Many grapes suffer this same fate so blending of different varietals is a way to combine specific qualities of grapes and create a sum which is truly better then its original parts.

Lastly, I should note that the most common grape in the south is Grenache which is of Spanish decent and more highly adapted to the harsh warm growing conditions found in the southern Rhone.

Author: Mark A Aselstine
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that youll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Viognier.

Among Frances eleven wine-growing regions the Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest in actual area and ranks fourth in acreage planted in wine grapes. This area, which includes the Midi, was once known for producing huge quantities of questionable quality wine called vin ordinaire. Now, however, in part due to the influence of Australian winemakers, the region is producing more and more fine wine. Unlike most other regions of France, many Languedoc-Roussillon wines, such as the one reviewed below, are identified by their grape variety on the label.

Dont think of this region as being uniform. For example, Languedoc tends to be flat, whereas Roussillon is hilly. In addition, several areas with their own unique combination of microclimate and soil (terroir) produce their own AOC (Appellation dOrigine Contrl) wines, which tend to be more expensive. Sooner or later well be looking at some of these wines in our series. There are almost 50 AOC wine appellations in Languedoc-Roussillon; covering the entire range, red, white, ros, sparkling, and sweet. This diversity is not surprising when you consider that the region grows over 30 grape varieties.

The Viognier grape was on the edge of extinction about forty years ago. At that time it was restricted to France with a grand total of about 35 acres. Times have changed and this grape is now grown in California, Italy, Australia, Chile, and Canada, with more countries on the way. The classic Viognier wines come from the Northern Rhone Valley of eastern France, but we probably wont be reviewing them because of their limited availability and high cost.

Of course the Languedoc-Roussillon region has many places to visit. Well just focus on a single city, Carcassonne whose population is about 45 thousand. Talk about location. This city lies on a hilltop on the route leading from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. And its not far from the Spanish border. Small wonder that it dates back well over two thousand years. The Romans fortified it about 100 BC. Carcassonne has the longest standing city walls in all of Europe. Its name comes from Dame Carcas, who fed the last of the citys wheat to a pig in clear view of the French Emperor Charlemagne. He mistakenly believed that the besieged city was in no danger of starvation, and called off the siege.

The Aude River divides the fortified upper town, La Cit, from the newer lower town, La Basse Ville. The upper town is basically closed to private cars. Among the upper town sites to see are the Fortress, the Bascilica of Sainte Nazaire, Museum of Chivalry, Arms and Archery, and the Museum of the Middle Ages, focusing on military history. The lower town has a fine arts museum and, in season (April to mid-November), an Australian Animal Preserve with kangaroos and emus.

Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Huitres de Bouzigues (Oysters from Bouzigues).
For your second course savor Bourride (Fish with Aoli, a local mayonnaise).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Crme Colane (Dessert Cream with Lemon, Vanilla, and Dill Seed).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Domaine des Salices Viognier 2005 13% about $12

Lets start by quoting the marketing materials. Over the past decade, Viognier has shown remarkable success in the vineyards of Languedoc-Roussillon (a.k.a., Midi). Once confined to vineyards in northern Rhne, today Viognier is thriving not just in the Midi, but throughout other warm climate regions around the world. Enjoy this fruity, low acid, aromatic wonder with lightly spiced seafood dishes, turkey breast or grilled salmon.

My first meal consisted of baked chicken leg with the skin on in a medley of spices (garlic, onion, cumin, and uncharacteristically tame Moroccan Harissa), rice, and green beans. I identified apples, pears, and a floral taste in the wine. I liked the acidity and the way that it cut the tasty grease of the chicken skin. The wine was a good accompaniment to fresh pineapple. I tried an off-the-wall combination by finishing my glass with jalapeno roasted almonds. The wine went dead. I dont blame the Viognier for this mismatch.

The next meal was an omelet with brown mushrooms, red onions, and American cheese (a mistake). The Viognier was moderately acidic and very slightly sweet with light fruits. Frankly, I preferred sipping the wine to this combination. There is a well-known rule when pairing a wine to dessert: make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. I broke the rule with a homemade cheesecake that simply denatured the wine. On the other hand, the wine held up better with a homemade chocolate cake that wasnt as sweet.

My final meal was vegetarian. There was a moderately spicy broccoli mushroom sort of quiche that contained no cheese. The wine was very refreshing and almost ethereal. The other dish was a sweet potato, olive, and rustic potato concoction held together by crushed crackers. The wine was somewhat less exciting than before but still fine. As often with vegetarian meals, I was still hungry. Always on the lookout for an unconventional pairing, I tried dried, lightly sweetened cranberries. They killed the wine. Why stop there? Candy-coated peanuts went better. They turned up the wines acidity but the combination was good enough to go back for seconds.

The first cheese was a goats milk cheese, a Palet de Chevre from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. This cheese looked and tasted more like a Camembert than like a goats milk cheese. But the wine was quite fruity and pleasant with it. The second cheese was a nutty tasting Gruyere from Switzerland. Once again the wine was fruity and a bit acidic. Just before the wine and cheese tasting I went to the local supermarket. On the cheese shelf was a local Asiago, a sharp cheese originally from northern Italy. Usually I dont taste local cheeses with these wines, but because I actually preferred this local Asiago to the imported version, I thought that Id make an exception. The combination was quite good; the wine came out fruity and lightly acidic. Slices of fresh tomato perked it up even more.

Final verdict. I liked this wine and intend to buy it again, even more so at its relatively low price. Ill let you in on a secret; this is the first Viognier wine that I liked to any extent. I plan to taste other Viognier wines in this series. I dont promise that Ill try the top-of-the-line offerings from the northern Rhone Valley; they are quite pricey.

Author: Levi Reiss
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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