- Wine purchase, drinking and advance reading are optional. The full lesson and quiz can be followed alcohol-free.
Level 5 · Lesson 6
The Rhône: North, South and the Exceptions
14:56C38
Before you press play
Choose your preparation track
You do not need to buy every comparison wine. Choose the track that matches your time, budget, and interest.
- Optional open-label flight: 5 distinct wines. Keep labels visible, use small pours, provide water, food and spit cups, and use the pauses across more than one sitting if helpful.
- A — E. Guigal Condrieu (Northern Rhône). Grape/style: Viognier white. Correct the northern-red-only shortcut. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Documented Condrieu if feasible; otherwise a qualified northern white with its own grape explanation, never relabel another wine as Condrieu.
- B — E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Rouge (Northern Rhône). Grape/style: Syrah red. First northern red anchor. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Crozes-Hermitage red with actual blend and vintage qualified.
- C — E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge (Northern Rhône). Grape/style: Syrah-led red. A second northern setting. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Saint-Joseph red; preserve actual grape evidence and comparable development.
- D — E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge (Southern Rhône). Grape/style: Documented red blend. Broad-origin southern blend anchor. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Documented southern-sourced red blend; do not assume Grenache majority from the category alone.
- E — E. Guigal Gigondas Rouge (Southern Rhône). Grape/style: Southern red blend. A more specific southern setting. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Gigondas red or another documented southern cru; revise the locator and rule claims for a substitute.
- Match actual producer, cuvée and vintage before applying a technical sheet. Check local availability before buying; use the described role when substituting.
- Use the visible labels, maps and documented production choices to follow each comparison. You do not need to invent a tasting note.
Taste responsibly: small pours, water, food, and spit cups are sensible equipment. Never build transport plans after the bottles are open.
Wine references for this class
Labels, technical sheets and source material
Use the named producer, wine and edition. A historical sheet or range page cannot establish the contents of another vintage.
- Condrieu: Viognier, northern location, continental plus Mediterranean influence, decline and rebuilding.
- Saint-Joseph geography, semi-continental/Mediterranean influences and white-wine context.
- Southern example modified by elevation and winds; no uniform southern style.
- Guigal founded 1946; later expansion across northern and southern appellations.
- Rhône 2024 education kit — original link unavailable; use the current resources below
- Public-domain country/river geometry; town locators and approximate physical-feature markers, not vineyard boundaries.
- E. Guigal Condrieu / E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge / E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rouge / E. Guigal Gigondas Rouge — producer range reference; match actual edition
- E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Rouge — Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service
- Principal grape identities, typical expression and regional roles; original tasting prompts.
- Syrah is thought to originate in the northern Rhône or nearby Dauphiné. Its parents are Mondeuse blanche and Dureza, rather than a documented Persian import.
- Grenache originated in Spain before becoming established in southern France.
- Mourvèdre also originated in Spain, where Monastrell is its familiar name.
- Cinsault is thought to come from Provence.
- Carignan originated in Spain, probably Aragon.
- Viognier is native to the northern Rhône.
- Marsanne comes from the northern Rhône.
- Roussanne also comes from the northern Rhône.
- Inter Rhône — current official education kits (French and English)