The Rhone Valley wine region of France looks to a fair degree like a miniature version of Italy as it stretches roughly 125 miles from the south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. In this part of France the weather varies from the Rhone's cold winters and warm summers to the classic Mediterranean where the summers are hot and the winters are mild.

The relatively more constant sun combines with granite soil of the north of the region and the limestone of the south of the region to produce Grenache, Carignan and Syrah grapes used in the production of red wines and Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Grenache Blanc used to make whites.

The Grenache dominates and represents more than half of the total red wine grapes grown while the Clairette makes up just over one third of the white wine grapes grown. Combined about 8,000 to 10,000 winemakers produce 450 million bottles of wine on a vast 170,000 acres of land of which 75 percent is devoted to the fruity reds of Châteauneuf du Pape in the south and the full-bodied Côte Rôtie in the north.

The village of Chartreuse de Valbonne enjoys a very different climate from that of the surrounding area. Surrounded by forest atop horseshoe-shaped hills the area boasts a huge number of terraces composed of a mixture of limestone and stony chalk. Some of the wine barrels of the area date back to the thirteenth century and the village is home to plump Viognier, Grenache noir and spicy Syrah grapes with aromas of violet and acacia honey.

Considered among the best of the Côtes du Rhône villages are Cairanne and Rasteau with Rasteau's tannic Domaine du Trapadis being the preference of those who seek a zesty wine and Cairanne's softer Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil being appreciated by those people who are a little more easy going.

From the Côtes du Rhône villages clay and stony limestone soil come the Grenache and Syrah grapes that are turned into roughly 19,000,000 bottles of medium-bodied fruity reds.

The history of Gigondas wine traces back to the Roman Empire and advantage is taken nowadays of the red clay soil and Mediterranean weather to ferment an fragrant alternative to the costly Châteauneuf du Pape. On approximately 3,000 acres vintners tend the Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah grapes that go into making 5,500,000 bottles of this first class wine.

For those whose mouth needs a small shock of pleasure there is the Vignobles Darriaud's Grenache Syrah which is a full-bodied red wine with plumy and earthy aromas and with chocolate tones that mingle with a peppery finish after the wine has aged for approximately 3 or 4 years.

Before leaving the Côtes du Rhône, we must turn our attention to the slopes of Châteauneuf du Pape which lie between Orange and Avignon and which were once used as the summer home of many Popes. The wine is thick and richly colored by the Grenache, Clairette, Syrah and ten other grape varieties. On approximately 7,600 acres of sandy red clay and quartz soil grow the vines that produce 13,000,000 bottles that can take up to 20 years to age with aromas of red fruits, cinnamon and vanilla.

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