Rhone Varieties and blending in U.S.

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Since the 1800’s French Rhone grapes have been grown in the United States. But the real fan club for the blending of these traditional grapes didn’t really come about until the 1980’s, when Syrah began gaining a huge following among winemakers. Today let’s look at what makes up an American blend influenced by the traditions of the Rhone.

In the U.S. we grow many of the most popular grape varieties of the Rhone Region of France, grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre and even Cinsault. Early on Randall Graham of Bonny Doon winery in California began blending these varieties to create his wine Le Cigar Volant. Inspired by the blending of the world famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Graham created a blend which, although it varies from vintage to vintage, is focused upon Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre.  The blending is the key, as it allows the producer to create a wine with great balance, taking advantage of each varietie’s characteristics and the current vintage strengths of the the grapes. So the wines are in every sense the greater sum of their parts. In my home state of Washington we are finding Syrah when grown in our climate, to be an intensely seductive grape. It is rich and lush and positively contributes to many different styles. It is interesting that with the success of Syrah we are experiencing an increase in the plantings of the other Rhone varieties. So stay tuned and keep your wine radar alerted to wines containing these lovely grape varieties and the diverse selection of wine which come from them. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot nt and thank you for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.