Rhône Valley: The Tour de France – A Wine Perspective

After a beautiful detour through the heart of the Languedoc wine region, the Tour de France route takes the riders through several stages in the heart of the Rhône Valley. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a taste of the region’s vineyards!

A tour through the heart of the Rhône Valley vineyards

While the profiles of the upcoming stages vary greatly from one another, the vineyards of the Rhône Valley offer a wide variety of wines. With slopes that delight climbers and routes ideal for sprinters, the Rhône Valley is also often divided into two regions: the northern and southern parts.

A closer look at the Rhône wine region:

Northern Section: Bordered to the west by the Massif Central and to the east by the Alps, the Northern Rhône Valley lies between Valence and Vienne. This location provides a temperate and cool climate, with continental influences. The soils in this region are ancient and composed of granite and schist. The vineyards have adapted to this landscape by being laid out in narrow, steep terraces. One of the distinctive features of the vineyards in the Northern Rhône Valley is the selection of grape varieties, which is limited to four. Red wines are generally made from Syrah, while white wines are made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.

Southern Region: In the heart of Provence, the southern Rhône Valley stretches from Montélimar to Avignon. Benefiting from a Mediterranean climate, the vineyards are situated on gently sloping hills and plateaus. Red and rosé wines are primarily made from Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan, as well as other rare grape varieties such as Counoise and Vaccarèse. For white wines, the region features not only the same grape varieties used in the northern zone but also others such as Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Bourboulenc.

A Tour of the Main Wine Regions of the Rhône Valley

Over the years, certain stages of the Tour de France have become highly anticipated by viewers, such as the climb up Mont Ventoux or the roads overlooking the Ardèche Gorges, which offer exceptional views. The reputation of the Rhône Valley and Côtes-du-Rhône appellations is also well established, with many prestigious wines.

A quick look at the menu:

• The northern part of the Rhône Valley is home to renowned age-worthy wines such as Côte-Rôtie, the valley’s oldest vineyard, which produces a full-bodied red wine characterized by notes of fruit, spice, and violet. This region is also known for other wines, notably Hermitage—available in both white and red—as well as Cornas and Condrieu.
• The southern part of the Rhône Valley is also home to prestigious wines such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a wine suitable for aging that comes in both red and white varieties. There is also Vacqueyras, with its rich, powerful red, fragrant rosé, and well-balanced white, as well as Gigondas and Beaumes-de-Venise.

Gourmet Highlights of the Rhône Valley

While thousands of spectators will line the roadsides, many foodies and gourmets are also traveling to the region to sample its various local specialties.

On the itinerary for our stops in the Rhône Valley:

To start the meal off right, there’s nothing quite like enjoying Lyon specialties such as the famous rosette de Lyon, Jésus, grattons, Tablier de Sapeur, or Cervelle des Canuts.

For the main course, you can enjoy a variety of specialties such as beef stew with Cornas wine, half-mourning chicken, or Lyon-style quenelles.

Cheese or dessert? Both! We’ll indulge in a Rigotte de Condrieu, Montélimar nougat ice cream, or Lyon-style bugnes.

Highlight of the stage: A land of wines, the Rhône Valley offers a wide range of flavors that are sure to delight all wine enthusiasts and the many wine tourists.