On his trip through France in 1787 Thomas Jefferson visited Vidal-Fleury, today considered one of the most consistent producers in the Rhone Valley. This 2009 Cotes-du-Rhone was a great vintage year and a value at the same time. What a great price and value?!? and shipping was free.

We had a quick tour de France I was looking for an example of a Rhone that would fit within our budget. opted for this 2009 Cotes du Rhone from Domaine de Ferrand, a small producer in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. “La Ferrande” is a tiny anomaly from the area known for blending since it is 100% syrah. wine picks

The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. Christian Seely just posted a video of blending at Mas Belles Eaux. you can see it here. You can read about my visit below. Visiting Mas Belles Eaux.

The region, once a Cotes-du-Rhone village, earned its own appellation in 1971. Tonight I decided to open up and sip on my lone bottle of French wine, the Gigondas, a blend of Grenache (60%), Mourvèdre (30%), and Syrah (10%). I very rarely buy, order or drink French wines. nice dark garnet red color filled the glass. Gigondas French

Reds include Merlot, some Rhone varietals, and red blends. It was a Syrah and notable for its dry elegance and balance. Arco Laamar & Harry Haddon (checked shirt). Two wineries being neighborly!”. Both seemed very effervescent and personable and passionate about South Africa and its wines. Tread Lightly by Backsberg anyone?).

This Syrah is absolutely incredible!”. Given the incredible backdrop described above, you might expect that the Syrah served to a guest would be elegant and balanced. Perhaps from a famous winemaker like Guigal or Chapoutier in the Northern Rhone. Winemaker Carl Van der Merwe. Appelbaum's lovely cat Sally! News S.

The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?” the woman’s voice says, incredulous. Sunday: Dinner in a Chateau. Perfect Berries. The Control Room. The Lunch.

It is planted with a majority of Malbec and some Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot as well as Chardonnay and Viognier that will be used for futurewines. liked the Chardonnay and Viognier as well, with the Viognier being a style similiar to what one might find in the Southern Rhone, rich and ripe with restrained fruit.

The lanky, California maker of pinot noir, chardonnay, and syrah told me at his Sonoma winery that he had his conversion in 2005, after returning from a trip to Burgundy and the Rhone. He tasted the pinot noirs and syrahs he had been making since starting his own label, Copain Wines , in 1999. Search for Copain wines at retail.

2010 Vidal-Fleury Cotes Du Rhone Rosé. Columns News 2010 Vidal-Fleury Cotes Du Rhone Rosé 2010 Xavier Flourent Nationale 7“I’ll have what she’s having,” says a woman sitting at an outdoor café in Soho, watching a couple enjoy a refreshing glass of a pale pink wine, the bottle chilling in a silver ice bucket. Great with salads and fish.

This is a tiny town in the Northern Rhone, famous for its red wine made from Syrah and white from Viognier. Today this is the Rhone valley's continuously operating winery. Rhone News guy sarton du jonchay vidal fleuryImagine yourself in Ampuis in 1781. The soil is clay, granite, and sand. They are available in the U.S.

He grows Carignan, Syrah, Mouvedre and Grenache. 80%grenach and 20% syrah from shale. The last wine is 2007 Les Trois Maries with 80% grenache, and 20% syrah from granite soil. Syrah on granite soil - normally a pure syrah is forbidden, yet he was able to get away with it. The horse is working, enjoying the sea."

Find your Mojo" at Hospices du Rhone 2011 in Paso Robles opens with "L.A. Tensley Wines 2009 Vineyard Syrah - opaque purple, on the nose intense minerality, On the palate, cool mint, intense earth and minerals, rich concentrated fruit, with finish of very intense earth and fruit. Hard to believe it is a CA wine, very northern syrah.

The room is full of Rhone wine fans from around the world! Christophe began by explaining the popularity of Rhone style wines - they are food friendly delicious, and increasingly many producers are organic/biodynamic. He brought two red wines, with the first being Domaine Alain Voge 2008 Cotes du Rhone Les Peyrouses. 100% Syrah.

From the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Rhone Valley, France, made from a blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault. Deep ruby in color, on the nose red cherries, leather and funk, and animal notes. Dry with medium acidity and tannins and supported by flavors of red fruits, pepper and sour cherry.

So far the Discover Rhone festivities have been a non-stop adventure of Master Classes, tastings, fabulous lunches and dinners, and evening events and parties. Unlike the Cote Rotie, where producers can add up to twenty percent Syrah to soften the grapes, most of the Syrah was pure. News discover rhone

So here I am in Ampuis at the "Discover Rhone" festival that happens only every two years. little later, I met in person Faith Wells from Hospices Du Rhone in California - I am going there for their April festivities. Also, a vertical tasting of both viognier and syrah with the ten year old wines holding up fabulously.

Rhone, the Caveau is a wonderful place to stop and experience the magic of M. Rhone News biodynamic caveau l'ermitge m. chapoutier michel north rhone organic syrah tain wine“Welcome!&# We shake hands in the M. Would it sound strange if I tell you I am a bit thrilled by the soils? Jeremy asks. Eagerly, we say yes.

Ah, Syrah! When it comes to choosing a Syrah from its strict, mineral-rich, traditional home in the Rhone Valley, or its competition, the fresh-faced, fruit-forward California eye-candy, one would think that in a blind tasting the two wines are easy to define and name. Do you prefer it young, fresh, and juicy with expression?

Domain de Mourchon Seguret Loubie (Rose) 2007 Having a Cote du Rhone designation, this Loubie Rose blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah comes from 40 year old estate grown vines. Flavor: broad and fresh; the characteristic fruity aromas of the bouquet come through with complexity and end with a clean finish.

Because of economic grants and the demands of the international market, many producers are blending with international varietals especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay. Rhone, and presents us with tastes of several wines made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Rousanne. About Lisbon. Meeting Producers.

The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. Visiting Mas Belles Eaux. love the Languedoc and was very eager to visit the AXA property Mas Belles Eaux. The Winery. The Vineyards. mas grapes. The Lunch.

The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?&# the woman’s voice says, incredulous. Sunday: Dinner in a Chateau. The Control Room. The Cellar.

Apparently, blending syrah from the Northern Rhone with Bordeaux was fairly common in the pre- appellation controllée era, particularly in weaker vintages, to result in a wine that had been “Hermitagé,&# so-called after the celebrated region that produces fine syrah. in the one I tasted last week.

Tags: Imbibe Wine Club Wine Reviews Wine Stories Imbibe New York Wine Club Syrah Wines from Northern Rhone

Tags: Imbibe Wine Club Wine Reviews Wine Stories Imbibe New York Wine Club Syrah Wines from Northern Rhone

While Merlot’s fall from grace can be traced to one line in the movie Sideways , the fall of Syrah has been more difficult to track. Even more broadly, it’s still a tough sell: producers and retailers have repeatedly told me that save for a few appellations in the Northern Rhone, the homeland of the grape, Syrah remains a sluggish category.

When I asked winemaker Roli Velich of the Moric winery which grape was the most apt comparison for Blaufränkisch, he suggested no fewer than three: pinot noir from Burgundy, Syrah from the Northern Rhone and Nebbiolo from Piedmont. When it came time to sell the wine, he priced it the same as his better known Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cashmere is a silky and wonderful blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah. Winemaker Notes: We initially created this blend as an auction lot for the Hospice du Rhone held in Paso Robles each year. was reminded of just that this past week as I chatted with an old friend and High School classmate from the mid-60's. My Pro Cycling Blog.

was roasting in the Rhone, looking upward, wondering just how hot it was going to get in an hour. The one in the Northern Rhone was about syrah. How did this happen without me seeing it? But out of nostalgia I thought I'd repost my very first before this grew into something else, bigger than myself.

Syrah has always been one to those wines I could take or leave it. While visiting Damiani Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake this past spring I tasted an excellent Syrah and I was sold. found that the Syrah's produced here in the US were smoother and not as bold as the full bodied Shiraz I had become accustomed to.

At Buttermilk Channel recently we ordered a 2006 Grammercy Cellars Lagniappe Syrah ** from Columbia Valley, produced by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington. The viognier is very expressive on the nose and the overall impression is of a Northern Rhone styled wine.

From the Columbia and Walla Walla Valley in Oregon comes this tasty blend made from 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 14% Syrah. The climate east of the Cascade Mountains is far more hospitable to the Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. It is aged for 9 months in French oak barrels before blending.

So grab a glass of wine, throw another log on the fire, grab a sandwich, channel your inner wine geek, and listen to John opine on the topics of natural wines, zero dosage champagne, some pitfalls of collecting, 2007 vintage for Port and in the Rhone, the nobility of chenin blanc, the Piedmont producer Produttori del Barbaresco and more!

Glycerine aromas mark this smooth Grenche and Syrah blend from Cotes-Du-Ventoux, super balnced with a slight pepper edge. The appellation extends for 18,000 acres and mirrors the climatic conditions and grape varieties of its neighbor, the Côtes-du-Rhone. The grapes are Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%).

When the time came, I found myself still buying a couple bottles of one of my favorite Pax Cellars Wine, the Kobler Family Vineyard Russian River Valley Syrah, thinking it would be the last time. Wind Gap is the culmination of all we have learned from working so diligently with Syrah." Rumor had it that disagreements with co-owner(?)

The 2007 Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache ** is also tight, almost light, almost too searing, with blue fruits and tons of tannin. Eric Baugher said Ridge may be phasing out its syrah and grenache programs from the Lytton Estate. These Rhone wines need time to evolve. would hate to see the end of Ridge's syrah and grenache program.

But I'll have made a sincere effort to create something new and strange and different, which may be the best you can hope for in the New World." --Randall Grahm, April 2009 It's also why I ponied up $95 last night to go to a Bonny Doon wine tasting at City Winery and meet "the original Rhone deranger" himself. Neither was a "wow" wine.

Tasted the Domain de Mourchon Seguret Loubie (Rose) 2007: Domain de Mourchon is located in the southern Rhone Valley Village of Seguret, near Gigongas. Having a Cote du Rhone designation, this Loubie Rose blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah comes from 40 year old estate grown vines.

From his base in Santa Cruz, he rose to fame (and a good bit of fortune) by following the path of grape varieties traditionally from the Rhone and Italy–with a dose of Zinfandel. But his biggest experiment is with his 2008 wine called Le Cigare Volant, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. But Grahm has had a change of heart.

cool bottle : “Syrocco&# Syrah 2006 (Zenata, Morocco) - eye-rolling aside at the clever, rhyming name, the wine is a great value at $16.99. Alain Graillot of Northern Rhone fame is the man behind this project. Size of store : 320 sq feet, possibly the smallest in Manhattan [66 West Broadway; Tribeca].

Every time I'm knocked about by the Mistral, the powerful wind of Provence and the Rhone, I remember that I forgot its intensity. While that wind blowhards the bean pole-like vines of syrah, it doesn't hold a candle to what whips around Languedoc's St. Chinian, in the hills where Jean Marie Rimbert grows his vines. That and the cold?

In honor of Australia Day last week, and because I think syrah is most seasonally apt in the winter, I tried a Northern Rhone syrah against an Aussie shiraz. Okay, there was no shootout. Sort of a duel, but without the guns, wounds or Aaron Burr. Joseph. And the lighter alcohol was a relief from many a shiraz.

This blend of 50% Grenache - 30% Syrah - 20% Cinsault comes from a couple in the Southern Rhone who make their wines biodynamically. Everybody always wants a good wine under $10. And that’s never been more true than now. The sad thing is that it’s so hard to find good wines under $10. tanks. Importer: Louis/Dressner.

This red wine, done in the southern Rhone style but in a California terroir, is a blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache. Lots of ripe strawberry aromas with hints of field herbs like violets and lilacs, and spicy flavors of white pepper woven between layers of blueberry and rhubarb pie.

This California red is influenced by the style of the Southern Rhone valley with a blend of 46% Syrah, 23% Mourvedre, 17% Grenache and 14% Cinsault. Tags: Syrah Grenache Mourvedre cinsault Noticeably high in alcohol, 14.9%, and a palate of blackberry, herbs & spices, rhubarb pie and white pepper.

Cotes du Rhone (about $40; find this wine ). This big blend of grenache, syrah and carignan, has that ripe, juicy quality from many of the wines of the region. “Merry Christmas!&# I said to my aunt as she greeted us at the door for our annual wintry get together with my cousins. “Here’s 24 liters of wine!&#

The areas to consider are the Cote Du Rhone, The Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Southwest France. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut, these are the most popular grapes of Southern France and vignerons (French winemakers) play around with them in the cellars to create their own identities. Ah, the Holidays. promise.

If you want to see sweet and dry in action, try tasting these two Leitz wines or a Northern Rhone syrah against a ripe, sweet version of the same grape from somewhere in the New World (but not all are ripe and sweet Sweet wines generally start at about 45 grams of residual sugar (RS). What’s the opposite of sweet? need water!&#

Could it be that I'm just not a big fan of Syrah? I recently participated in the Wine & Spirits Northern Rhône tasting panel. Blind tasting 12 flights totaling 39 wines, 13 producers, and lots of discussion with a panel of articulate and experienced people. Most of the reds were just too enormous for me. Where was Dard et Ribo???

Yves makes highly regarded red and white wines from the Northern Rhone appellations of Condrieu, Cote Rotie, Saint Joseph, Cornas, and Saint Peray. really liked his ‘06 Saint Joseph, “Les Serrines,&# which is made from small berry Syrah and has great aromas of tar and black olives on the nose. find this wine ). percent.

Clairette de Bellegarde 2006 apricot, white flower and an edge of a finish Costieres de-Nimes Rouge Marginal 2007 True syrah for the northern rhone syrah nut, except its from further south and has that southern richness. But here you go--here is the listing of LOVE Laurent Barth 2006s Love the pinot noir and the pinot gris.

According to fellow blogger Dave Treiger , this Lirac was, "Made from 45% Grenache , 45% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre." Deep color, almost opaque. Tightly wound nose of wild flowers and wood. This is a very good, wintery bistro wine from an outstanding vintage. Dave liked its, "deep ruby color with initial aromas of black pepper and ripe plum."

is a 100% syrah from Walla Walla, Washington State. Cayuse garners big scores from the major wine writers for being a "full throttle" Northern Rhone look alike, but it didn't blow me away at all. I have a love/hate relationship with Wine Spectator. love their events. occasionally enjoy their magazine. Earth and minerality on the nose.

Cru Des Cotes Du Rhone. This blend from France is made from 45% Grenache , 45% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre , it has a deep ruby color with initial aromas of black pepper and ripe plum. It's big on the palate combining a fragrant spice with a nice barnyard kick and a fairly high alcohol content of 14.5%. At $14.99

So I went with a Grenache based Rhone wine. again went with a Rhone wine, this time thinking Châteauneuf-du-Pape. He called it as a Northern Rhone wine, but he thought it might be Chave. swear to you, it didn't taste like Syrah. Here are five red wines. They could be anything from anywhere in the world. I'm the idiot.

From the Paso Robles region of California where owner and Winemaker Stephan Asseo makes this Rhone blend of 40% Mourvedre , 30% Granache and 30% Syrah comes this ruby red from 100% estate grown fruit aged in French oak for 14 months. With a subtle nose comes forth spice, red fruits and a slight slate or chalk aroma. like that

2) 2006 Gilles Azzoni VdP Le Raisin et L'Ange Fable (100% Ard è che Syrah for acid freaks). Jenny & François' tasting is something that I have come to look forward to. And they provide brief but comprehensive notes on their producers and wines - all in the same order in which the wines are poured. And then there is Binner. ll take it.

Not your typical Syrah, that's for sure. But the aromas of young Syrah fruit - bacon fat, horses, purple flowers, herbs and earth - they are all readily apparent. This is not a post about wines that are chaste. This has nothing to do with the new Republican Vice Presidential nominee. New oak is either used or it's not. You decide.

Find some winemakers who eschew new wood even on their syrah and pinot. After debating which table, I looked approvingly at the Sablet, a Rhone Village Im partial to, in the middle of one and sat accordingly. But I was so happy for the silty, sweaty experience of the syrah. on the street? Its really not so hard. Fall in love.

Coeur D'Alene Cellars focuses mostly on the Rhone varietals Syrah and Viognier along with Cabernet Franc and the of course the usual suspects Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. We have the 2004 Coeur d' Alene Washington syrah. must confess that syrah is probably one of my favorite varietals on the planet. Idaho? Cheers

Find some winemakers who eschew new wood even on their syrah and pinot. After debating which table, I looked approvingly at the Sablet, a Rhone Village Im partial to, in the middle of one and sat accordingly. But I was so happy for the silty, sweaty experience of the syrah. on the street? Its really not so hard. Fall in love.

Washington State, is known to produce some exceptional reds, in particular Merlot, Syrah and yes, of course, Cabernet Sauvignon (and blends including all or some of the aforementioned varietals). Finally, I have heard many people compare the Mediterranean climate of Israel to that of the Southern Rhone Valley.

What sets Rhone apart from the other winemaking regions of France? think Rhone is not different from other great French terroirs. Why has the poularity of the wines of The Rhone increased in comparison to Bordeaux ? In the Rhone, the climate is set to produce ripe grapes nearly every year. at least.

I sampled this French red wine at the Alsace & Rhone Wine Expo this week, poured by the vintner, Luc Baudet. Deep purple rose in color, It is a blend of 60% Syrah , 20% Grenache , 10% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan and is designed to go well with food, especially duck or lamb. Enjoyed this one very much

From Rhone, France comes this blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah produced by Marianne & Marc Fues, whom I met at the Alsace & Rhone Valley Wine Expo earlier this week in NYC. Marc told me the oak the wine is aged in (for 12 months) comes from many different regions, giving it an interesting character.

Moving to the Rhone valley in France I tried some wines from Eric Texier. Domaine de la Janasse has several wines I was hoping to try but having skipped this table early on I was only able to taste the 2007 Janasse Cotes du Rhone Blanc. Eric Texier of The Rhone had some reds in addition to the whites I mentioned earlier.

This is a blend of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. I was very much impressed with the Jenny & Francois portfolio , so much so that I decided to buy a few and taste them at home with dinner. I'm happy to tell you that these wines are even better with a meal than they were at the tasting. You know what this means?

Put me at a table with this dish and a bottle of Pont de Crillon 2005 Pont de Crillon Les Chais de Pont de Crillon Cote Du Rhone and I am a happy wine geek. This beautiful Syrah is one of the most subtle and integrated Rhones I have had yet. Keith also writes a blog called East Village Wine Geek. Lamb, Baby! OOOHHHH WEEEE!

Merlot, Cab, Syrah - been there done that. lighter wine than a Cab, merlot or Syrah, Barbera is said to be the most (or second most) planter varietal in Italy. It is used in blends (often with Rhone varietals such as grenache & Syrah) to add color to red wines. Come on Wine Tasting Guy, give us something unusual.

Flight Two: All Syrah all the Time 2005 Edmunds St. John, From Parkers Wine Advocate Im going to get more articulate on this one but when it was first opened, it was shy, with some fruit fowardness and not that much animal syrah character. 2005 Dard & Ribo Crozes-Hermitage $30 CR, Rhone (It was austere and gorgeous. hate this.

Black berry, black currant, and freshly ground black pepper complete this texturally equisite syrah. Opaque plum, medium viscosity. Prune, fresh herbs, and graphite on the nose. Totall restrained still, but spicy, loamy, and an oaky finish that goes a nice long time, buoyed by fine sweet tannin.

The Domaine Terlato Chapoutier Shiraz Pyrenees Malakoff , A 100% Australian Shiraz (although the label makes it look more like a Cote du Rhone), is well priced here at under $30.  It can be found elsewhere online for between $33-$42.  Not cheap at $30, but seemingly a good deal where others are asking $35, $40 & even $42.

The base of most however is Grenache, often blended with Mourvedre, Syrah, & Cinsault. Many were wines made in the region, but were Cotes-du-Rhone. This afternoon I attended a fabulous Chateauneuf du Pape (CDP for simplicity) tasting at The Tribeca Grill in downtown Manhattan. This was not one of those HUGE industry tastings.

Mostly Carignan, with some Grenache and Syrah thrown in, the 2005 Domaine des 2 Anes Corbieres Fontanilles was smooth and supple, ripe and complex. 100% Syrah, it is a Vins de Pays de L'Ardeche, a country wine from the hilly region in the middle of the Rhone Valley, sort of bisecting it into Northern and Southern Rhone.

The two most affordable wine regions you will see in a shop are from the Rhone Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon. The red varietals that define this region, syrah, carignan, grenache, mouvedre and to some extent merlot and cabernet sauvignon are always blended together is some way shape or form depending on the appellation or sub-appellation.

Rhone Valley 2004 Eric Texier Cotes Du Rhone Brezeme , $16 (Chambers Street). This lovely Syrah from Texier is an excellent value at $16. Light and lively with strong acidity, but not off-putting, as it can be in young Syrahs sometimes. was trying to branch out, to taste some CDPs and other Rhone wines. Holy cow!

The Languedoc-Roussillon, also known as the Midi, is a huge area west of Provence, south of the Rhone Valley, just northeast of the Spanish Pyrenees, all of it draped around the Mediterranean Sea. This is hot weather France where hardy grapes thrive, like Grenache and Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, and of course, Syrah.

My 5's 2004 Eric Texier Cote-Rotie , $62 - This Northern Rhone Syrah was lighter than his other reds, incredibly intense nose of roasted meat and herbs, olives and soil. 2005 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone , $12 - fresh ripe raspberries on the nose, so nice! hauled my butt into Manhattan (!) Packed already, and only 1:10 PM.

Almost all of the Rhone grape varietals are used in the Languedoc-Roussillon - there are similarities in climate. Dry wines from the Collioure appellation, using Syrah, Mourvedre, and Counoise, a couple of whites here and there, and famous sweet wines from Banyuls. She told me about this red dessert wine called Banyuls. Sounds good.

Tim at Winecast is hosting this month, and new world Syrah is his theme of choice. have little experience with Syrah, and I don't drink much new world wine, other than Oregon Pinot Noir. So it was with an intrepid spirit and good cheer that I set out to taste a new world Syrah for WBW #30. We'll see. First, the lamb. So what?

Interestingly enough the red in the package this month was a syrah. was about to pop a bottle of boutique Monterey syrah. So last weekend My wife and I, syrah in hand journeyed to the upper west side to visit some close friends for a night of good company, good conversation and as it turns out, great wine. It's pretty exciting.

The red wines of the Northern Rhone are 100% Syrah (except in Cote-Rotie where a tiny amount of Viogner is sometimes added). St Joseph, Cornas, and Crozes-Hermitage are the other Northern Rhone applellations that produce red wines, and they are more approachable price-wise than Hermitage or Cote-Rotie. It needs food.

Beaujolais, the southern Rhone Valley, Languedoc, and Provence, New York, and Piedmont are wine areas that offer quality wines at reasonable prices. For example, why am I devoting 2% of my cellar space to Australian Syrah, even if it is produced by Two Hands and supposedly delicious? can open a good Pinot once or twice a week.

decided to stay in the Rhone Valley because I wanted to see what the other appellations had to offer in this price range. gazed pass the Languedoc and headed straight for the Rhone. The computer said one hundred percent granache but after tasting it there might some syrah and a little mouverde in there. Nothing. Scan.scan.scan.

And yesterday when I was roaming the aisles of Astor I found myself in the Rhone section. said that if I was going to take a chance on a valued French wine I figure I would start in the Rhone. love the grapes in the area (syrah, granache, cinsaut and mouverde) and I wanted to dig through there first. It was almost magnetic.

wanted me some Rhone. ordered the Rhone on the list and she suggested one of the wines on special for the evening. Vacqueyras is an appellation in the southern Rhone Valley that was established in 1990 so it is a fairly young appellation considering. The grapes grown here are Grenache, syrah, mouverde and cinsaut.