The Winery Sandrine & Jean Francois of Côtes-du-Rhône of Rhone Valley

In preparation for this column I tasted 46 reds in total, and – taking both quality and value into account – I can recommend 33 of them. Overall, the reds were less consistent than the whites, and although the lows were lower, the highs were higher. This tasting confirmed that it’s still possible to buy genuinely excellent northern Rhône reds for under £30 in the UK. That being said, it’s virtually impossible to find any Cornas, Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage for under £30 a bottle these days, but ther ...

President of Inter Rhône Philippe Pellaton put forward the body’s ambitious commercial strategy from now until 2035 at the Maison des Vins on 8th December. The Rhône Valley continues to make considerably more red wine than white and rosé, but Pellaton explained that reweighting the split of different colours will be one of their principal policies. Their intention is to increase production of white wines with a view to doubling shipments between now and 2031. ‘Historically, Rhône Valley Vineyard ...

When I have some time to myself in the southern Rhône, my favourite place to relax is the peaceful village of Gigondas. I had even more reason to visit this June, as the growers’ syndicate was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the appellation. Over a meal at Domaine du Clos des Tourelles, we had the opportunity to taste wines spanning five decades, including a remarkable 1971 that was still very much alive and kicking. Gigondas has long been recognised as an exceptional site for winemaking, bu ...