There’s Something about the Rhone

What is it about the wines of the Rhone Valley that make me want to sing, dance and drink? Maybe it’s the way Cornas or Vacqueyras sound when you suggest one to a table looking for something different from Pinot Noir or Cabernet yet delicious in its own right. Maybe it’s how Syrah tastes when it’s grown in the perfect spot or maybe it’s because Viognier becomes heavenly when it comes from its birth mother in Condrieu.

I don’t know what makes the wines of the Rhone Valley so enticing, but I am pretty sure this area holds a special place in my heart of all things wine.

Tonight, I opened a bottle of 2006 Auguste Clape Cornas. I couldn’t resist. No special occassion, no rhyme, no reason, I just felt compelled to sip a Syrah from the Northern Rhone in its youth.

My reward came instantly. Black pepper, saturated berries and prosciutto filled my glass, and immediately, I felt the need to blog.

That’s what happens to me when I drink wines from the Rhone. They move me. They speak to me. They say, “drink more, Inez, drink more.”

Winter is coming. Some of you reading this may know that winter is already here. Drinking a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc with Cassoulet or a Cote Rotie with Black Pepper Angel Hair and Braised Pork Ragout is a perfect definition of heaven using a fork and glass. With cold weather all around us, try warming us with wines from the Rhone Valley.