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The Rhône valley possesses some of the most
remarkable and distinguished wines in France and is
divided into two distinct areas. The Northern
Rhône starts just south of Vienne and stretches
to Valence where it produces red wine from the
single, noble variety, Syrah from illustrious
producers such as Jean-Louis Chave for Hermitage,
Patrick Jasmin for Côte Rôtie, and
Auguste and Pierre Clape for Cornas. These
full-bodied wines have fantastic ageing potential and
are marvellous accompaniments to hearty meat dishes,
whilst lighter, more forward-style reds such as
Crozes Hermitage & Saint Joseph serve as cheaper
alternatives. Three grapes, Viognier (notably at
Condrieu & Château Grillet), Marsanne and
Roussanne, are responsible for the whites which, like
the reds, are rich, full-bodied and make superb
matches to smoked fish and poultry.
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