Rhone’s Unusual Whites - TonghamTaster’s French Wine Tasting Course – week 22

The 12 month on-line course to help you learn about French wines - Top tips on how to get value when buying them - Reasonably priced up-to-date recommendations of what to buy and try in the UK - Bringing you the best of Tongham Village Hall wine tastings.


INTRODUCTION
This week we cover the more unusual Rhone whites, mainly from the Northern Rhone valley. When we had the Tongham Village Hall Rhone wine tasting, a few years ago, we actually served three of these including an relatively rare St Peray still white, a distinctive sparkling Clairette de Die and a beautiful sweet Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.

LOCALITY
The Northern Rhone stretches along the Rhone valley south from Vienne to Valence. Condrieu is at the northern end near Vienne on the steep slopes of the right bank of the Rhone.. Saint-Peray is in the southernmost part of the Northern Rhone. The Rhone wine making area of Die is east of Valence in a very high area quite separate from the rest of this wine region.
In the Southern Rhone to east of Orange is Beaumes de Venise.

VARIETALS
The wines of Condrieu contain 100% Viognier and it is this appellation that made the grape variety famous. However, the production is small and if you drink French Viognier it is more likely nowadays to come from the Languedoc. Viognier is a very full bodied fragrant grape with low acidity.
The wines of Die are made with Muscat and Clairette mainly. The fortified wines of Muscat de Baumes de Venise are also made of the Muscat grape.
The wines of St Peray, like most whites of the Rhone valley are made with Marsanne and Roussanne. Other Northern Rhone white appellations with these grapes include Saint Joseph, Crozes-Hermitages and Hermitages, but these are rare and not particularly appealing outside of the region.

THE WINES

Condrieu is a small, famous and expensive AOC making still white wines exclusively from the Viognier grape. In the same area is the even smaller AOC of Chateau Grillet which makes rare and expensive sweet wines from the same grape. These wines have had a renaissance since the 1980s and inspired similar wines around the world.
Saint Peray is a small and not so famous AOC that produces both still and sparkling white wines. The sparkling wine is made using the same method as in Champagne. I have heard it said that the first wine Napoleon drank was a St Peray.
Clairette de Die is an unusual sparkling wine that can be anything from off-dry to sweet. The newer Cremant de Die is a more usual dry sparkling wine using the Champagne method.
Muscat de Beaume de Venise is a well known fortified sweet white wine that has been made for centuries.

THE TASTE
The Viognier wines of Condrieu are dry but often taste sweet due to the fragrant flavours of peach and flowers. They are full bodied and often oaked. Texture is similar to Chardonnay but with flavours that are different. Acidity is usually low and for that reason is not a favourite of mine.
Clairette de Die will also taste peachy and can also be grapey or have honesuckle. With its sparkle I find it more acceptable and it is rather different to most other sparkling wines.
Muscat de Beaume de Venise has a sweet grapey taste and is very pleasant. I remember when it was very popular in the seventies and it deserves a revival.

TOP TIPS
• Muscat de Beaumes de Venise can be a good value sweet dessert wine.
• Look out for Clairette de Die as it is an unusual taste experience.

HOMEWORK
For your homework this week buy and try one of this week’s Rhone white wines, which may include one of the following:

Waitrose - Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise Carte Or,  (sweet) 37.5cl - about £6 or a Thierry Sansot Muscat de Baumes De Venise from Tesco 37.5cl at about £5.50
or if you want to splash out - Waitrose - Guigal 2008 Condrieu - about £30 or same from Majestic at about £28

FOOD PAIRINGS
These wines are all very different but here are some quick suggestions:
Condrieu - if you are spending this much on the wine why not try lobster.
Muscat de Baumes de Venise - most blue cheese and most desserts incluing fruit salad
Clairette de Die - depends on the sweetness but try with those cheeses with apricots in them.
St Peray - try with some olives.

COMING SOON
Next week we start on the wines of Provence, starting with their Roses. If you missed the early weeks of this course, it is not too late to catch up. Just click on the French Wine Course link at the top of this page.