Comtés Rhodaniens is a regional PGI title that covers the red, white and rosé wines of a large area along the Rhône River in Southeastern France. The PGI catchment area includes the wine regions of Savoie and the Northern Rhône, as well as Part of Beaujolais. The PGI is most often used for wines produced in Vineyards outside the boundaries of the many AOC-level appellations: from Vin de Savoie to Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. The territory of the Rhone Counties covers parts of nine separate departments on the way to the Rhône.
Beginning on the southern shores of Lake Geneva, the boundaries of the PGI extend south beyond Lyon to the prestigious wine regions of the northern Rhône Valley. The permitted vineyard area also includes the thin strip of farmland between the Rhône and Loire rivers in the Loire department (although the famous vineyards of the Loire Valley are hundreds of kilometres to the north). As this is the Comtés Rhodaniens, it is not surprising that the Terroir here is very varied. The continental peaks of the Alps in the northern part of the region give way to the mountains of the lower Massif Central in the south, which have a warmer and drier MediterraneanClimate, due to their proximity to the coast.
Verdesse is a white grape variety, grown on an area of about 5 ha. It is found particularly in the Grésivaudan and Drac valleys. It is also called verdêche, étraire blanche de Grenoble or verdasse. The leaves are lobed and dark green in colour. Long, sturdy stalks carry the bunches. A juicy and sweet flesh is found under the white skin, turning amber red, of the mature berries. The berries are medium-sized and ellipsoid in shape. To be productive and vigorous, the variety is pruned rather long. Verdesse is not very resistant to mildew and powdery mildew, but it is very resistant to grey rot. A particularly alcoholic wine is produced from this variety. It has a pleasant flavour and a vegetal and floral scent. This wine does not keep long, and is best consumed during the first few years.
wines from the region of Comtés Rhodaniens go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or spicy food such as recipes of baked marrow bones, lamb shoulder confit or chicken colombo (west indies).
On the nose in the region of Comtés Rhodaniens often reveals types of flavors of cherry, strawberries or red fruit and sometimes also flavors of black fruit. In the mouth in the region of Comtés Rhodaniens is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
