The RHONE Appellation system. (A.O.C.) (Appellation d? Orgine Contrôlée)
First of all, is that the Rhone valley in France is the second largest wine producing area in volume. Only Bordeaux is bigger.
Represents 160.000 acres of vineyards with about 6000 wineries.
The producing area lies roughly between Lyon and Avignon and is therefore about 100 miles (150 km) long. We make a big distinction, between the ?northern Rhone? and ?southern Rhone.

The northern Rhone starts at the ancient Roman city of Vienne, about 30 miles (50 km) south of Lyon going down to Valence. Most of the times, very steep slopes and the vineyards are on terraces. Everything needs to be done by hand.
The red wines are made (almost) exclusively from the Syrah, or ?Shiraz? grape, as the Australians call it. And we do encounter the white grapes: Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.
From Montelimar and further south to Avignon, we meet the southern Rhone, where the big difference is that the wines are always of a blend. The most popular grape is the Grenache, sometimes present for 50 to 60% and than we add so many to it. It is proven over hundreds if not thousands of years, that within the blend you make a stronger wine, than keeping them single. There are exceptions of course. ?As a country is not made by ?plumbers?, but we need a doctor, a fireman, a dentist?..we do it al together. It is somewhat the same with wine. Each and every grape adds something to it, so the total sum is better than keeping them ?single?.

There are a total of 21 grape varieties authorised in the Rhone valley.
The south is more gentle hill and soft slope sides.
If you look on the map above and take a straight north ?south line, you can call all the vineyards in this very light ?pinkie area? simply Côte du Rhône.

So if you own a piece of land in the northern part and also a piece of land in the south, the government, by the I.N.A.O. has declared this land simply a Côte du Rhône, and the wine made from single variety or blend can be called that way. The maximum yield lies about 2.7 tons per acre. So from a football field you could make about 6000 bottles.
Than only southern Rhône, makes one distinction more called: Côte du Rhône Villages, and there are only 18 villages, who can write their name on the label, and underneath you find the distinction. Appellation Côte du Rhône Village. The area is most of the times smaller and the rules are more strict. Means most of the times, lower yield per acreage, but therefore more concentrated wines. Maximum yield average lies by 2.3 tons per acre and minimum alcohol content should be 12% by natural fermentation. Adding sugar is forbidden. So from such a football field qualified in such a region, you could make only 4 to 5000 bottles.

The famous 18 villages are marked out with a red ?dot? on the map.
The highest distinction are marked with a red ?square?, north  and south Rhône valley, and have proven over many years that from there we make very special wines.
Once again, lower yields, more concentration. From a football size field with vines here, you make maybe only 2500 to 3000 bottles. Most of the times made with very old vines, and those can be 60 to 70, yes up to 100 years old. The older the better, but there for lower yields.

Famous names in the north are Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas for red wines; Condrieu, Chateau Grillet for 100% Viognier white wines. Chateau Grillet is a bit special. It is one vineyard of about 10 acres, but it is an A.O.C. by itself. Appelations can be relatively small and exactly determent. The famous hermitage hill is only 120 football fields big, and makes famous red wine based on Syrah, and famous white wines with blends of  Marsanne and Roussanne.
Southern Rhône valley is Grenache country with well-known areas like Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas. World famous rosé wines coming from Tavel. But always remind yourself that it is a blend of at least 2 up to 14 grapes together. Some regions you have to stick to a certain minimum or maximum, but for example in Châteauneuf du Pape, you are completely free to do what you want with the  grapes authorised for this area (up to 13).

Two exceptions in the Rhone valley with a little red ?tri-angle?. Those areas have the right to make ?sweet wines?. Beaume de Venise with the ?Muscat? grape. Not to be mistaken  with Moscatel, Muscadin(e) grape or Muscadet wine from France. And Rasteau doing it with the Grenache grape. In principle all the wine from the Rhone valley are in technical terms ?dry?, that is to say: ? There is no residual sugar left, all sugar turned into alcohol.
How it is made will be told in another chapter.

On the map for the south Rhone, we do add areas like Costière de Nimes, A.O.C Ventoux, A.O.C. de Lubéron,?.for we estimate them as ?sub-Appellations of the Rhône, for as they have a lot of common with the Rhone wines.