THE Rhone Valley in France may be known for wines, including those nurtured by historic Popes who loved their spicy rich Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the valley has even more delights when you take time out on this historic route. In dramatic settings, one can sample seasonal fare prepared with care and sophistication. The smart pricing and restaurant cellar lists make one willingly appreciate going beyond city life, happily forgetting Parisian costs. For autumn travellers, like myself and my son, there were cepes, wild mushroom delights, river fish such as fera in intriguing sauces, juicy rabbit and seasonal fresh cheeses, as well as the regionally diverse wines, making Rhone a sensual journey. Add scenery and hospitable people and this is a valley journey worth getting off the expressway for and to linger.
Exploring the Rhone is easy after making one simple choice: from the north or from the south. The northern gateway is Lyon, an international travel hub and two hours by TGV bullet train from Paris. Southern Rhone centred on popular Avignon is easily reachable if you have been exploring the sunny south. We began north at Lyon, the fascinating second city of France. Surprisingly, it is often not on the "must-see list" of many, but Lyon is a varied gastronomic town with Unesco sites from Roman remains to Renaissance and 18th century areas well worth strolling through. It is the gateway to the French Alps. To explore the Rhone Valley, a car is necessary and diesel rentals have much to recommend the budget-minded. Public transport limitations may make some wonderful side options — such as the villages of Gigondas, Rasteau and Vacequyras — difficult, so car hire from the city is recommended.
Heading south from Lyon, one passes through the town of Vienne before choosing the narrow right bank road rather than the less interesting Expressway. Once over the river, the winding road reveals the steep slopes of the valued, yet compact area of Cote-Rotie. These roasted slopes, as translated from French, produce Syrah, although up to 20% Viognier can be added. Syrah from here is much sought after as the artisanal wine ages into a complex blend of black fruit and spices, quite different from most southern hemisphere styles. The craggy slopes are like those of Condrieu, famed home of the perfumed white Viognier, and are so steep they need dedicated care. We explored the fitness levels needed for these vineyards in a short steep walk beside old gnarly vines and that made me respect the work behind these northern Rhone heritage wines. They will never be everyday wines with everyday prices as bunches are carefully picked from old vines, a bunch at a time and then hand-carried down ancient pebbly slopes.
The lunchtime treat of youthful fresh Condrieu, perfumed apricots in a glass, went down well in the charming village of Sarras where we dined on the "menu de marche". It is always worth trusting the market menu when in France. The chef at the family-owned Le Vivarais delighted us with a five-course meal including local river and lake fish at only €37 (S$60). The old-school presentation of huge cheese and dessert trolleys made choosing desserts the best kind of indecisiveness.
Centred at the peak of valley varieties
In the centre of the Rhone Valley, after passing through the historic Syrah vineyards of Saint Joseph, lie the twin towns of Tournon-sur-Rhone and Tain-l'Hermitage. Here, the Rhone river narrows further with a dramatic sweep to the right while the slopes of Hermitage dominate the scene. The famous slopes on the left bank are capped with La Chapelle (the Chapel of St Christopher), rebuilt in 1864 under the custodianship of the long-standing Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine. The 137ha appellation of Hermitage can trace its history back to Roman times while DNA sourcing places Syrah (Shiraz to Australians) as even more deeply rooted in the history of Rhone than the existing 60- to 90-year-old vines. The wines produced from the south-facing slopes are almost all 100% Syrah, with concentrated balance and depth that make them beguilingly complex, especially if one is patient with cellaring. The 1961 La Chapelle from Paul Jaboulet Aine was named by Wine Spectator as one of the 12 greatest wines of the 20th century.
While one would struggle to find such vintages outside of auction houses now, there are wine shops with food to match in Tain-l'Hermitage, which make the town a great stop for a night or two. Paul Jaboulet's Vineum wine shop on the newly redeveloped town square offers a rare chance of vertical tastings of La Chapelle 2007, 2004 and 2001 vintages for €60 as well as a more economical tasting menu of wines of the Rhone with food. The friendly Taurobole wine bar opens until 1am. Yet, this is not a night-life town, but a gourmand's stop with a feel of history. Cuisine, which one does not often find in smaller French towns, can be found at Le Mangevins, where the Japanese/French couple exemplify a marriage of detail and passion in more ways than one. One can stroll across the river Rhone by footbridge to Tournon-sur-Rhone to enjoy more traditional cuisine at Le Chaudron where the delights of seasonal choice are almost outshone by the restaurant's cellar listing, which includes rare aged Hermitage, Saint Joseph and the esoteric sparkling whites of the valley.
The sunnier south
Venturing further south with a short drive to Valence, there is a more lively night scene where brasseries such as Bistrot de Clercs offer regional fare. My son indulged in the pungent fat sausage andouillette, which will test any durian lover's sense of aroma. The sausage made of pig "spare parts" is reputed to have some of the strengthening qualities of our king of fruits. It will certainly never feature as an aromatherapy blend, but I was told it provides get-up-and-go.
Orange is a southern Rhone town that shares a long history with Valence and the valley. The name is not from the fruit, but from the Dutch connection with the House of Nassau that ruled the district for part of the 18th century and used the same colour as the Dutch football team. Here in southern Rhone, the river becomes a transport link as it has been for millennium. One sees large barges moving goods through a broader landscape. The soil around the river is varied, producing a seasonal range of fruit, such as sweet apricot and figs as well as wines. The Romans knew what they were doing when they built cities and theatres in Orange on top of Neolithic settlements. From this fertile land sprang the largest existing Roman amphitheatre in Europe, which is still a performing space and the centrepiece of a long-running annual concert season. For wine lovers, one of the best-known taste symphonies is 10 minutes away in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with its prominent medieval hilltop tower reminding one of the 14th century papal power that once ruled this valley.
Unlike northern Rhone, winegrowers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CDP) can use 13 different varieties of grape, although it is predominantly Grenache Noir. T-shirts for sale in the charming village wine centre proclaim "Gang of Grenache". Better-known red grapes such as Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre are also blended into the wine, sometimes with up to 13 varieties making complexity built to age. CDP should generally be drunk after eight or more years, with some rewarding further patience. The Vinadea wine shop in the centre of the charming village offers tastings of red and the rarer white wines from 90 different producers at very good prices.
After tasting CDP, you may have an appetite. The Coteaux et Fourchette restaurant stands in the middle of vineyards half-way between the compact villages of Rasteau and Vacqueyras. The service here is impeccable and the interior modern, so it is easy to see why the Michelin Guide rates this place highly as value-for-money fine dining. The outdoor patios offer great views of the vineyards and the Rhone valley.
Ten minutes north is the village of Rasteau, which produces wines with warm fruit, pepper and spice. There are plenty of good-value wines on offer at the Cave de Rasteau, which also has classes pairing the dark berry flavours of the wines with chocolates. Rasteau hosts an annual wine and Valrhona chocolate festival every mid-October, which looks like an occasion to visit and rework the old adage that wine and chocolate do not mix.
Twenty minutes southeast is the appellation of Vacqueyras where there are many wineries producing smartly priced wines with complexity, concentration and finesse. The wines here tend to have notes of garrique, thyme and mint overlaying morello cherries, chocolate and spice. Vacqueyras red wines are made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and pair well with quail, red meats and hard cheeses. Family wineries such as Arnoux and sons have been working the land since 1717, so clearly they and others know the marriage of grapes, land and climate. Vignerons de Caractere wine shop in Vacqueyras is a high-tech scene with knowledgeable sommeliers and a great place to sample the wines of the up and coming region.
Above the rolling hills are peaks that invite hiking and more. The village of Gigondas sits just above Vacqueyras and is a striking old village with the dramatic limestone peaks of Dentelles de Montmirail rising to 734m behind. Legend has it that vines were first planted here by the Roman Second Legion. The Grenache vines that surround the village are often over 70 years old and produce wines of great power and fruit concentration. Henri-Claude Amadieu spoke of the "limestone lines of the peaks flowing into Gigondas wines. You taste the lacy landscape". Gigondas wines are gaining greater international recognition with most rewarding cellaring. The wines of family producers such as Pierre Amadieu and Domaine Brusset are but a few of the names worth seeking out, along with the more internationally known producers. If you plan to linger mixing the outdoors with vineyards at our doorstep, there is some Gigondas accommodation including a "gite", self-catering accommodation, on the vineyard site of traditional winemakers Domaine Raspail Ay. In the village square, over 80 producers' wines can be tasted and purchased at the Cave de Gigondas.
Hotel Montmirail sits in the hills between the villages of Vacqueyras and Gigondas in a small forest with olive trees and vines nearby. The hotel's patio restaurant serves game and local cuisine with fine attention to detail and service and it was hard to leave such scenery, fine food and wine. It's very peaceful here but if drinking wine by the pool isn't your thing, there's horse riding, mountain biking and hiking in the beautiful Dentelles de Montmirail mountains that overlook the Rhone valley. The wines of family producers such as Saint Cosme,Pierre Amadieu and Domaine Brusset are but a few of the names worth seeking out along with the more internationally known producers.
From Gigondas, it's only a 45-minute drive south to the city of Avignon, former home of the Papacy and an important commercial city. The often visited historic city is a fitting place to end our journey through the Rhone from north to south. There is much to enjoy along the Rhone valley with its long and rich history matched by wine and cuisine of equal richness and grandeur.
Dr Stephen J Hall is a wine-loving traveller who enjoys the tastes, aromas, sights and sounds of tradition and innovation. His qualifications include WSET Level 3 and being able to survive French conversations about rugby. This story first appeared in The Edge Singapore weekly edition of Dec 24-31, 2012.