THE VINE
Rhone Region
A
lthough it is quite common to
see Cabernet Sauvignon and
Zinfandel produced in the
Santa Clara Valley area, the past few years
have seen a surge of producers embracing
the grape varieties of the Rhone valley.
These grapes—which are called such for
the river valley region in Franc e from
which they originate— include Syrah,
Grenache, and Mourvedre primarily for
reds, with Viognier, Grenache Blanc,
Marsanne and Roussanne for whites. The
Rhone, as it is often called, is not unlike
the Santa Clara Valley in that both areas
have a mediterranean climate, which
favors robust red wines. Some of the most
renowned wines in the world originate
from the area, including the Syrah based
wines of Hermitage and Cote Rotie in
the North, and Grenache based blends
such as Chateauneuf Du Pape hail from
the South. Though Grenache is a major
variety, there are 13 grapes that can
comprise this blend, all with their own
nuances and flavor profiles. It is common
to see a handful blended together, and
some of the more common ones from
the Southern Rhone have long lived in
the Santa Clara Valley, including local
celebrity Carignan. The wines from this
area are well known as robust red wines
with lots of character and ripeness.
Here in our valley, we see sev-
eral examples of “GSM” blends—that
is Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre—that
harken to the old world wines of
Southern Rhone. An example that
comes to mind is Aver Family vineyards
70
based in Gilroy. Their “Hope” blend is a
Rhone style blend, with aromas of dark
ripe fruit such as blackberry, plum, and
blueberry with notes of pepper, smoked
meat and menthol. Though Aver Family
adds two other grapes also found in
the Rhone (Carignan and Petite Sirah,a
highly concentrated descendent of Syrah),
the wine is still stylistically similar to
what one could expect from these types
of wines.
Another great example is the “Audition”
from La Vie Dansante wines, located in
the Blended Winemaker Studio, also
in Gilroy. Similar, yet different; La Vie
Dansante makes this wine solely with
Syrah and Carignan, which allows for
a great concentration of color, lots of
dark fruit character, and a balanced acid
structure which lends itself quite nicely to
barbeque or other grilled meat dishes. La
Vie Dansante also makes a rose of Grenache
which exhibits mouthwatering flavors of
cherry and strawberry with a great acid
balance and a touch of color from grape
skin contact during fermentation. If you
are a fan of Rhone wines I recommend you
stop by the Winemaker Studio on Dryden
ave in Gilroy and taste the La Vie Dansante
portfolio.
One of my personal favorite white
wines is a bit of a celebrity in the Rhone
valley, most notably in the region of
Condrieu. Viognier (pronounced Vee-
Own-Yay), a highly aromatic varietal that
commonly shows notes of honeysuckle,
peach, and white flowers, but is not
normally sweet (though this wine is a
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
By Alicia Cuadra
great pairing for spicy foods when it does
contain a small amount of residual sugar).
This is a type of wine I like to direct
people to who say they dislike Chardonnay
—though that is another topic entirely—
,and a great wine to give those looking for
something with a bit more complexity. One
of my favorite local examples comes from
Lion Ranch in San Martin. Their estate
Viognier is a wonderful example of all
the best elements of Viognier; citrus fruit
with a touch of green apple and mineral-
ity. Notes of lemon blossom and white
flowers, with hints of white peach, green
pineapple, and grapefruit, I could probably
drink this wine all day in the summer.
The Engelhardt family, producers of Lion
Ranch, fell in love with Viognier while in
Condrieu, and their passion for this variety
really shines through. They also produce
Grenache Blanc as well as a white blend
called “Lion’s Share,” and recently planted
red varieties at their San Martin Estate as
well. With the success they have had with
the whites, I can hardly wait to see what
they do with their reds.
Alicia Cuadra is
a Wine Educator
and Consultant in
the Monterey Bay.
She is a certified
Sommelier,
Certified Specialist
of Wine and
Italian Wine
Professional.
Follow her blog at
AliciaSeesWine.
com and on
social media @AliciaSeesWine.
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