Rich, Velvety, Bold, and Crisp The Many Faces of Wines in the Rhône Valley
Last week marked the first-ever PARC Aspen Flight Night, which will be taking place each Wednesday through the end of April. The Director of Wine & Beverage Greg Van Wagner guides guests through a four-glass flight of carefully selected wines from our extensive wine list. In an effort to prepare our guests to embark on this weekly wine journey, we are going to take a deeper look into each region that will be represented.
This week’s flight night is dedicated to the wines of Rhône Valley, a breathtaking wine region in southeast France near the Mediterranean Sea. Read on to learn about the unique characteristics of this region’s wines to better appreciate this week’s selection.
Where Is The Rhône Valley?
The history of the Rhône Valley is as rich and flavorful as the wines it produces. Spanning the north–south course of the Rhône river for 150 miles, this ancient region is characterized by a semi-hot to hot climate with seasonal rainfall. The climate is dictated by the Mediterranean Sea, which makes it an obvious place for vineyards to thrive.
First discovered by the Ancient Greeks, the valley was thought to be a paradise - so much so that its people begged the gods for a little chaos and thus, it is believed, the gods delivered what is known as the mistral winds. Scientifically speaking, however, the mistral winds are cold, dry, strong winds in southern France that blow down from the north along the lower Rhône River Valley toward the Mediterranean Sea. These consistent winds blow away cloud coverage, which allows the sun to cast its rays upon the vineyards increasing the sunlight hours and the grape’s chances of a steady ripening season.
The Rhône Valley is split into two sub-regions, the North and South, both of which have their own personalities. While both regions have world-renowned appellations - a legally defined and protected region that indicates where the grapes are grown - that produce meaty, rich, flavorful wines, their unique features lend themselves to two very different types of wine. This is what makes the entirety of the valley one of the most celebrated and versatile wine regions to date.
Let’s take a closer look at the unique characteristics of each region.
What Characterizes The Wines Of The Northern Rhône Valley?
The Northern Rhône Valley runs from Vienne to Valence with vineyards set in terraces that run along the scenic hillsides. Most famous for its use of the Syrah grape, the red wines from the Northern Rhône Valley are characterized by great, smoky, dark flavors, and velvety textures.
Thanks much in part to the soil and sediment in the area, these profound wines age exceptionally well. The most noteworthy appellations are best divided into producers of the region's red and white wines.
Northern Valley Reds
The Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage appellations are the most famous producers of the Northern Rhône Valley’s red wines. These wines primarily use the Syrah grape with up to 20% Viognier blended in (although most do no more than 5%.) The boldness of these wines makes them an excellent companion for hearty dishes made with lamb, beef, pork, and duck as well as stewed, roasted, and braised dishes.
Northern Valley Whites
While the Northern Rhône Valley is mostly known as a producer of red wines, the Condrieu and Saint Joseph appellations provide delightful aromatic whites made with Viognier and White Syrah grapes. These wines are characterized by their rich, oily flavors with fruity hints and a touch of nuttiness and pair extremely well with chicken and fish dishes.
What Characterizes The Wines Of The Southern Rhône Valley?
The wines of the Southern Rhône Valley are similar in their bold and recognizable flavors, however, the soils native to the southern region produce a different grape. The southern region's limestone, sand, and pebbles are better suited to produce white wines and light reds, so the flavors here tend to be more vibrant and crisp.
The most famous appellation in the southern region is Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The success of the grapes in this appellation is largely in part to the pebbles that retain the heat from the sun throughout the day allowing the grapes to ripen faster than in other areas of the region. Here, the mistral winds work to dry away any moisture adding to the already dry climate.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape allows for 13 red varietals that are generally rich, chewy, and have fantastic aromatics. They are known to smell like the wild herbs and flowers sprinkled throughout this picturesque region. The southern region is also a producer of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, and Viognier grapes, which make up its light and energetic white wines. The wines of the southern region pair best with Mediterranean spices. Match these with dishes that contain olives, red peppers, sage, and rosemary.
What Rhône Valley Wines are Available At PARC Aspen?
As a restaurant with a primarily French-focused wine list, we have an extensive selection of wines from both the northern and southern regions.
PARC Aspen’s Northern Rhône Valley Wines
Wine From Cornas
Our Cornas selections consist of multiple vintages from the following:
Seven vintages of Auguste Clape dating back to 1990
Two vintages of Domaine Durand, and
Two vintages from Thierry Allemand.
Wines From Hermitage
Our Hermitage selections consist of multiple vintages from the following producers:
Jean-Louis Chave dating back to 1994
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, La Chapelle
These smoky yet velvety wines compliment the rich flavors and spices in several of our main dishes such as the Pork Tenderloin, Prime Beef Tenderloin, Colorado Lamb Two Ways, and Braised Short Ribs pictured to the right.
PARC Aspen’s Southern Rhône Valley Wines
PARC Aspen’s Wine From Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Our Châteauneuf-du-Pape selections consist of multiple vintages from the following producers:
Château de Beaucastel,
Domaine du Pegau, Cuvée Réservée,
Vieux Télégraphe, La Crau
We also carry noteworthy bottles from Auguste Clape from the Côtes du Rhône appellation and a Domaine le Sang des Cailloux, Cuvee Doucinello, Vacqueyras from the Gigondas and Vacqueyras appellation.
These lighter and aromatic wines make fantastic companions for our Coq Au Vin, Beets Me Salad, Colorado Striped Bass, and Olive Oil Poached Ruby Trout.
Learn More about the Rhône Valley At This Week’s Flight Night
Now that you are somewhat of an expert in the wines of the historic Rhône Valley, you are ready to land a seat at this week’s Flight Night. Your captain, Greg Van Wagner, will be skillfully guiding you through a first-class tour of four carefully selected red and white wines representing some of the most celebrated appellations in the valley.
This week’s flight will consist of 4 oz pours of Domaine Faury Saint-Joseph Blanc, Font du Loup, Le Puy Rolland, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Julien Cecillon, Crozes-Hermitage and J.L. Chave, Selection Farconnet accompanied by vivid and detailed descriptions of each courtesy of our knowledgable and charismatic sommeliers.
Book your table for our next Flight Night taking place this Wednesday, February 15th today or stop by any night to enjoy our well-rounded selections of Rhône Valley wines and fabulously curated, seasonal main dishes! And be on the lookout for our blog covering the following Flight Night featuring a beautiful selection from our wines of Italy.
