Page 38 - Sept 2023 Galveston Monthly

FOOd & driNK | WiNe

dIrecT From The rhône vAlley

fabulous, fruiTy, and fun-To-drinK Wines from france

by SAndrA crITTenden

vineyards along the Rhône River

ike so many of the great wine regions of the world, a the city. There would be seven Avignon popes, and they
river runs through france’s Rhône valley. The Rhône put their imprint on the region by building the Palais du
lRiver shapes the landscape and lends its character Papes and a summer house called Chateauneuf du Pape.
to the wines made there. Wine regulations would be introduced by 1650 to
viticulture arrived in the region with the Greeks in the guarantee the provenance and quality of the wines
4th century BC but flourished during the Roman Empire. produced and the river would remain an important
The river was used by the Romans as a trade route. They shipping route.
established extensive terraced vineyards in the area and This history of quality production led Rhône valley
developed a wine trade that thrived until the Empire producers to be at the forefront of the modern wine
collapsed. regulations created in the 20th century, pushing for the
The area is well suited for viticulture with diverse soils Appellation d’ Origine Controlee or AOC status.
and drying winds, so grapes continued to be grown in the
region and the Catholic Church reinvigorated the industry RhÔnE vallEy wInES
in the Middle Ages. The vineyard area spreads over 155 miles from vienne
The wines were so good that the pope moved the in the north to Avignon in the south. The Côtes du Rhône
papacy from Rome to Avignon in the Rhône valley in the is the largest AOC, accounting for almost half of the
14th century and planted more vineyards to surround valley’s production.

38 | GALVESTON MONTHLY | SEPTEMBER 2023