It’s harvest time in France’s Rhône Valley, a time when many of the winemakers and owners you meet are dressed in grape-stained and dirt-smeared T-shirts, an old pair of shorts, and a set of well-worn hiking boots. Winemaker grunge. It’s the uniform that tells an outsider it’s the most important time of year in the vineyards, and despite some challenges, the winemakers say they feel pretty good about 2024.
If you’re looking for great wine values, there may be no better place on Earth than the Rhône Valley. It’s a vast region in France’s southeast, stretching from the edge of Provence northward almost to Lyon, and bordering the Alps in the east. It offers an almost endless array of notable wines — red, white, and rosé — in the under-$25 range.
This is especially true of the Southern Rhône, where it’s all about blends. Grenache, the most important red grape, is typically blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre, but Counoise, Carignan, and other varieties can also be used. For the whites, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette, Picpoul, and Ugni Blanc are among the grapes. Almost 20 percent of the Rhône’s vineyards are farmed organically, helped by the low humidity and drying winds, most notably the famed Mistral that blew for days during my visit and that winemakers have a love-hate relationship with.
The biggest appellation, accounting for almost half the production, is Côtes du Rhône. Who hasn’t heard of it or drunk it? But with Côtes du Rhône ubiquitous in American
