Marseille to Lyon, ever changing landscapes with small mountainous chains, plateau and valleys, pine forests, rich and harsh soils, privileged climatic conditions, with microclimatic zones. It's logical to assume, given this terroir chaos, that the pattern of varieties used here would be as varied as possible.
Reality, however, exceeds the wildest assumptions. It would be difficult to find a region in France where so many varieties… more than two dozen varieties. Some of them have been undeservedly marginalized in the industry which requires a unified global approach, standardization; therefore few of those varieties are virtually forgotten.
Adding spice to the situation is the fact that some of the Rhone varieties exist under the same name with however different color mutations. We'll start with white varieties, and in the next section we'll move on to the pink and red varieties.

This powerful and hardy white variety in the southern part of the Rhône Valley feels really light and pleasurable. It's not often seen in its purest form, but it's known to produce wines characterized with floral aromas, low in alcohol and ideal for drinking at a young age. Bourboulenc is popular in such sub-appellations such as Gigondas, Lirac, Tavel, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Luberon, Ventoux, Costières de Nîmes. It is also sought after in the white assemblages of Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages.

Vermentino, aka rolle, ripens late and requires a warm climate and plenty of sunshine. In the glass, it can be recognized by the tones of grapefruit, apple, pear, green almond, spice, hawthorn, fresh pineapple.
In a blend/ assemblage, Vermentino gives the wine a lightness and fresh acidity. Especially popular in the Côtes du Luberon, where it accounts for 8% of the area planted with white varieties. It is also used extensively in Costières de Nîmes and Ventoux.

This capricious variety likes a lot of heat and sunlight (so it tends to be planted on southern slopes and on terraces). Winemakers say it's not easy to work with but when done right, its wines are amazing in their depth, softness and intensity, richness. The most famous representative of mono-sort viognier comes from the Condrieu AOC, as they age, these wines become truly luxurious.
Viognier from Château-Grillet AOC is aged in barrels for 12 to 18 months, but is ready to drink immediately after bottling. The bouquet of a mono-sort Viognier typically opens with notes of yellow fruits (mango, pear, peach, apricot, quince), spring flowers (violet, iris, acacia), musk and spices, as well as rolled nuts, such as hazelnuts and almonds. Viognier is also included in white and red (up to 20%) of Côte-Rôtie wines.

A color mutation of the popular red variety in its purest form yields wines that are full-bodied, with low acidity, soft. Usually used in assemblage/blends. For more information see Grenache Noir.

Clairette is one of the oldest varieties in the south of France and its vines are well adapted to dry and poor limestone soils. In its pure form, it produces wines with high alcohol content, low acidity and spicy aftertaste. In the glass, it opens up with aromas of fennel, apple, lime, apricot and peach, to understand, how it works, try the mono-varietal still wines from Clairette de Bellegarde AOC or sparkling wines from Clairette de Die AOC. Also common in appellations such as Grignan-les-Adhémar, Lirac, Tavel, Vacqueyras, Ventoux.

Macabeo (aka viura) is familiar to most of us from Catalan cava and whites from Rioja. However, on the banks of the Rhone it produces also great wines with stylish straw-yellow colored wines that are also high in alcohol and low in acidity. The bouquet has notes of lemon and lime, apothecary and spicy herbs. It is popular in Costières de Nîmes and Cotes du Luberon.

In its pure form, Marsanne usually yields powerful wines of medium acidity with aging floral and nutty notes. The best sites for it are on the slopes hillsides with infertile stony soils, mainly in the northern part of the Côtes du Rhône, in such appellations as Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray. It is used mainly in assemblages with the Roussanne variety. It can be found in Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages blends, as well as in such southern appellations as Costiène, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray. appellations such as Costières de Nîmes, Grignan-les-Adhémar, Luberon and Ventoux.

The fine-grained Muscat is of Greek origin, but even in the Rhone Valley it does well on stony slopes with poor soil. It is the only authorized variety for Muscat Beaumes De Venise, also used for the sparkling Clairette de Die wines, and is also used for rosé wines as well as white dry wines. wines. The bouquet is citrus zest, raisins, honey, beeswax. There's a Rhône fine-grained Muscat also has a red version.

This essential white variety does well on well-drained soils, stony soils of the hills of the Northern Rhône. In its purest form, Roussanne produces wines elegant and complex, in a blend it can be identified by its characteristic floral notes such as honeysuckle and iris. It is also often used together with Roussanne.
It is particularly popular in northern appellations such as Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray, but is also grown in the south. Traditionally used in white assemblages of Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Rarely used, in assemblages and even rarer in its pure form. As the berries mature, it takes on a pinkish hue. In an assemblage of classic Châteauneuf, giving a slightly musky aroma.

This variety, best known as being the main grape for Armagnac in Gascony, Ugni Blanc is characterized by high yields and good tolerance to the aromas of the wine. In its purest form, Unyi Blanc (aka Trebbiano) gives light, high acid wines with not too bright fruity and floral flavors, but on its own in the Rhône Valley it is almost unheard of floral flavors; On its own, it is hardly ever used in the Rhone Valley. However, it adds an excellent freshness to Marsanne-based blends, Roussanne and Viognier. It is especially popular in the Luberon and Ventoux appellations.

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