Wine lovers need look no further than France’s Rhône Valley for a cornucopia of extraordinary red, white, and rosé wines. The region, as well as the region’s wines, are named after the Rhône River which makes a hasty exit from Switzerland’s Lac Leman, better known to Americans as Lake Geneva, and cuts a swift path through southern France to the Mediterranean Sea. The Rhône is not only the source of many of France’s greatest wines, it also lays claim to being a bargain hunter’s paradise.

The wine growing region of the Rhône Valley begins just south of Lyon around the city of Vienne and terminates far south, near Aix-en-Provence. The length of the river allows for two quite distinct wine producing sub-regions in the Rhône Valley; one north and the other south. In the Northern Rhône, one finds granite and gneiss based soils, coupled with a continental climate. Here, Syrah is king of the cultivars, where it reigns as the only permitted red variety. The Northern Rhône is home to such illustrious wines as Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint Joseph among others. Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier are the permitted white grape varieties in the Northern Rhône. The red wines of the Northern Rhône tend to be highly structured and firm, and often capable of great aging, while the region’s white wines are hauntingly aromatic and most enjoyable in their youth.

The Southern Rhône sub-region announces a warmer Mediterranean climate with substantially varied terroirs. Here alluvium, sand, limestone, marl, pebbles, and large flat stones known as galets predominate. Grenache is the dominant red variety, but there is an incredible wealth of supporting cultivars used for blending, among them Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan. The wines of the Southern Rhône are often aromatic and beautifully perfumed, juicy, supple in texture and endowed with considerable weight. Red wines dominate the production in the Southern Rhône. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, Rasteau, Sablet and Côtes-du-Rhône are the names to look for, but one should not discount the wonderful rosé and white wines that increasingly flow from the Southern Rhône. Grenache remains the mainstay for rosé, while Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier yield the region’s finest white wines.

Following the first very warm days of Spring the proverbial query “What’s a great summertime wine?” is the true harbinger of summer. The answer, however, depends on many factors. In an ideal world the answer will be the wine in your glass, which both refreshes and delights. That of course depends as much on personal preference and experiences as the temperature of the wine.

White wine and rosé wines come to most people’s minds by default because they are served chilled. Until recently, Chardonnay dominated the white wine scene and reigned as “the white wine for all seasons.” Although Chardonnay remains the planet’s most ubiquitous white grape variety, and French Chablis the ultimate summertime Chardonnay, there are now many other great summertime wines from which to choose. Sauvignon Blanc with its crisp herbal edge and refreshing acidity gets two thumbs up, and there is a lot more to Sauvignon Blanc than New Zealand’s grapefruit bombs. Chile and South Africa turn out splendid Sauvignon Blancs, too, in a myriad of styles with Chilean wineries Casas del Bosque and Casa Silva as well as South Africa’s Groot Constantia fashioning exceptional Sauvignon Blancs. France, the home of Sauvignon Blanc, continues to fashion wonderful examples. Sancerre and the Loire Valley are notable for this quintessential varietal, while Bordeaux offers a dizzying array of pleasurable summertime drinking with white wines from 100% Sauvignon Blanc to blends containing Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. 

Chenin Blanc is also attracting serious consideration as a summertime favorite. Vouvray Sec, the quintessential dry Chenin Blanc, from France’s Loire Valley, makes a wonderful warm weather companion. Racauderie Gautier and Vigneau-Chevreau are two reliable high quality Vouvray producers, whose wines are widely available. Chenin Blanc is also South Africa’s leading white grape variety with many exceptional examples on the market. Mary-Lou Nash’s Black Pearl Chenin Blanc is one of the finest and easiest to appreciate with a moderate chill.

Increasingly, crisp Italian white wines such as the 3 V’s: Verdicchio, Vermentino, and Vernaccia di San Gimignano are gaining ground as summertime favorites. Colpaola’s Verdicchio di Matelica, Aia Vecchia’s Vermentino Costa Toscana, and Fontaleoni and Tenuta Le Calcinaie’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano will again be in my glass this summer because there is no oak, smoke, or mirrors in these wines, only fresh natural flavors that quench the thirst, please the palate, and refresh the soul. 

And what would summer be like without an invigorating glass of rosé? No longer is Provence the only source of delicious rosé. Throughout France, California, Chile, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and elsewhere tasty, thirst quenching rosé wines abound. However, white and rosé wines are not the only summertime wines. While I fire up the grill and enjoy a glass of a splendid white or rosé, I will open a snappy red, cooled to 55°-60° F. Beaujolais, California Zinfandel, Argentine Bonarda, and a host of Mediterranean reds also make great summertime wines with almost anything that emanates from the grill. So what’s on your summertime wine list? Enjoy!