Category: Rhone

The history of Rhône Valley wines dates back to ancient times, with evidence of winemaking in the region dating back to at least 600 BC. The Romans further developed viticulture in the area; over the centuries, the region’s wines gained renown for their quality.  Rhône Valley wines remain popular due to their diverse range of styles, from bold and spicy…

It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Denis Guthmuller, winemaker and President of the Syndicat des Vignerons des Cotes du Rhone, in Vancouver at the Rhone Valley Vineyards Wine Maker Tour.  I spoke with Mr. Guthmuller about the current harvest in the Rhone Valley for his winery.  Watch the video and see what you can expect from Cotes du Rhone…

Did you know that ten bottles of Rhone Valley wines are consumed every second?  Recently, Rhone Valley Vineyards‘ winemakers visited Vancouver to remind us that they are more than just Syrah and GSM blends.  They also produce white wines, rose wines, and sparkling wines.  I attended a lively presentation from five Rhone winemakers to cover their wines plus remind us…

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, situated in the southern Rhône Valley of France, is a renowned wine region celebrated for its exceptional wine production. This historic appellation is located in the department of Vaucluse, where the terroir is characterized by its distinctive rocky soils and a Mediterranean climate that basks in the warm, sun-drenched days. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are highly esteemed and have gained worldwide…

March 8 is officially International Women’s Day.  The Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages AOCs in the south of France put out this press release to show what women are doing in all aspects of grape growing, wine production, and sales in their AOCs.  We too in BC have women working in our wine industry.  It is great…

Have you ever had a chance to taste a wine made from biodynamic methods in the vineyard and at the winery?  I have found that biodynamic wines have a brightness or liveliness to them. You have an opportunity to enjoy a winemaker dinner with Frédéric Sigonneau of Loire’s Domaine de l’R.  There will be two dinners; one in Victoria and…

Bordeaux blends are popular around the world.  Many wineries make Bordeaux blends in BC, but few have a winemaker from Bordeaux!  One such winery is French Door Estate Winery, a family-run winery founded in 2019 just south of Oliver, BC, on the Black Sage Bench.  They are extremely fortunate to have Pascal Madevon as its winemaker.  As I mentioned Pascal…

Can you name the native grapes of the Rhone Valley?  There are the north and south ends of the valley and different varieties.  The main varieties of the north end are Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. The northern Rhone is cooler and the valley has steep hillsides while in the southern Rhone, the climate is more Mediterranean and the terrain…

In 2021 we stayed at home mostly, with little travel, usually local, due to COVID.  I’ve read that sales of wine, beer and spirits had increased in 2021.  I wondered a bit more about the wines we were drinking across Canada.  For example, was Chardonnay the top white wine in BC or Nova Scotia?  Was Ontario the top consumer of…

Today I have another lesser-known AOC in the southern Rhone Valley – AOC Ventoux.  You may be very familiar with one of the wineries from AOC Ventoux, Château Pesquié.  Their wine labels in solid blocks of colour should be very familiar to you when you check on the shelves in the BC Liquor Stores and elsewhere across Canada.  I have…