Northern Rhone vs Southern Rhone
One red grape against a Grenache-led cast: the Rhône's smaller, granite-rooted north meets its much larger, Mediterranean south.
Decanter describes the Rhône Valley as divided stylistically and geographically into a northern part, much smaller and more focussed, and a southern part, much larger and home to a wider range of grape varieties. The Northern Rhône follows the river from Vienne to Valence, where Syrah reigns over the reds while Viognier and Marsanne dominate the whites. The Southern Rhône lies between Montélimar and Avignon, where Grenache noir is blended with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. In Inter Rhône's 2024 key figures, the eight northern crus covered 4,472 hectares, against 8,207 hectares for the southern crus (a production table that excludes Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and 28,462 hectares for the Côtes du Rhône appellation alone.
The Northern Rhône follows the river from Vienne to Valence, and Jancis Robinson's site notes that some vineyards are so steep that pulley systems have to be used for grapes and equipment. Inter Rhône labels the climate of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage as semi-continental with Mediterranean influences, and describes Côte-Rôtie's climate as largely continental, similar to that of Lyon. Vineyards sit on abrupt slopes with steep gradients, with terraced plots making use of the surface area, and Côte-Rôtie's very narrow vineyard is planted on terraces.
Inter Rhône labels the climate of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Cairanne and the Côtes du Rhône as Mediterranean, influenced by the Mistral wind. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape the Mistral, a cold, dry northerly, favours sunshine and reduces rainfall to less than 650 mm a year, with around 2,800 hours of sunshine a year. Vast, flat plains are home to vines and market gardens, protected from the Mistral by hedgerows of cypress and poplar.
Inter Rhône traces the granitic rocks of the northern Rhône to volcanic activity in the Massif Central some 300 million years ago, and says northern wines draw their expression from granite, schist and limestone. Côte-Rôtie is planted almost entirely on metamorphic rock, with mica schist to the north, gneiss to the south and migmatite in the extreme south east. Cornas soils are chiefly decomposed granite, known locally as gores, while Hermitage combines granitic sand, mica-schists and gneiss, with rounded alluvial pebbles closer to the river.
In the south, successive layers of river and marine sediments formed reliefs such as the limestone Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux. Inter Rhône lists southern soils ranging from sand, marl and white limestone to yellow, red or blue clay, rounded pebbles, gravel and calcareous clay. Châteauneuf-du-Pape has numerous rolled pebbles mixed with red clay alongside sand and sandstone soils, and on the Côtes du Rhône's pebbles and stony deposits the stones release at night the heat stored during the day.
Syrah is the only red grape across the northern crus, while Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne make the whites. Cornas reds are single-varietal Syrah, and Côte-Rôtie is the only northern red cru to plant Viognier alongside Syrah, although Jancis Robinson's site adds that in practice most Côte-Rôtie is 100 per cent Syrah. Hermitage reds may contain up to 15% Roussanne and/or Marsanne, and Condrieu and Château-Grillet whites are made from Viognier.
Grenache noir is blended with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault for reds and rosés, and whites use Grenache blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Inter Rhône's Châteauneuf-du-Pape page lists 18 associated grape varieties and names Grenache noir as the dominant variety in the vineyard. Tavel rosés are based on Grenache noir, with Cinsault, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Mourvèdre, Picpoul and Syrah also allowed in the blend.
Inter Rhône lists eight northern crus: Château-Grillet, Condrieu, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray. In its 2024 key figures, Crozes-Hermitage covered 2,073 hectares and Saint-Joseph 1,415, against 343 for Côte-Rôtie, 221 for Condrieu, 164 for Cornas, 136 for Hermitage and 4 for Château-Grillet. Jancis Robinson's site notes that Crozes-Hermitage regularly represents more than half of all the wine produced in the northern Rhône.
The southern crus on Inter Rhône's list are Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Laudun, Lirac, Rasteau, Tavel, Vacqueyras and Vinsobres. Gigondas was the first Côtes du Rhône Villages wine to be awarded cru status, in 1971, and Cairanne officially became a cru on 29 June 2016. Tavel wines are rosé only. Below the crus sit the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation, spanning 95 communes in four southern départements, 21 of which may add their village name to the label, and the broad Côtes du Rhône.
Inter Rhône describes Côte-Rôtie as having a complex, elegant nose of spice, red and black berry fruit and violets with a full body, and Cornas as dark red, almost black, with black fruit maturing to a spicy, liquorice finish. It credits granitic soils with structured wines of intense colour, finesse and balanced acidity. White Hermitage shows creamy, honeyed aromas of hazelnut, peach and apricot, and Condrieu offers floral perfumes with notes of mango, white peach and apricot.
In Côtes du Rhône reds, Grenache noir brings fruit flavours, warmth and body, while Syrah and Mourvèdre add spicy flavours, colour and firm structure. Inter Rhône describes Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds as powerful and structured with great complexity, Gigondas reds as full-bodied with pronounced tannins, and Cairanne reds as full of red fruit and spice with smooth, velvety tannins. Tavel rosés move from red berry fruit to stone fruit and almonds on a full, rounded palate.
Inter Rhône says Cornas wines age well as their tannins mellow, and that Hermitage reds become remarkably smooth and supple as they age. Condrieu is described as admirable in its youth but able to age exceptionally well.
Inter Rhône calls Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds particularly suitable for aging and credits Gigondas reds with superb ageing potential. In the Côtes du Rhône, it links pebbly and stony soils to wines with good ageing potential, and Syrah and Mourvèdre to the structure needed for ageing.
In the Rhône Valley a cru is an AOC at the top of the appellation hierarchy. Inter Rhône dates AOC recognition to 1937 for Hermitage, 1938 for Cornas and 1940 for Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu. The INAO specification for Côte-Rôtie requires Syrah to make up at least 80% of the blend, with Syrah and Viognier grapes vinified together, and Cornas authorises Syrah alone.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape was one of the first appellations recognised by decree, on 15 May 1936, and Inter Rhône credits Baron Le Roy de Boiseaumarié's specifications as the model for all subsequent AOC decrees. Côtes du Rhône reds and rosés must blend at least two of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, with Grenache always included except in the northern part of the vineyards. In Côtes du Rhône Villages reds, Grenache is mandatory and Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre together must make up at least 66% of the blend.
Inter Rhône's 2024 key figures put the northern crus at 4,472 hectares and 164,624 hectolitres, 83% red and 17% white. Its appellation pages give export shares of 24% for Côte-Rôtie, 28% for Cornas, 30% for Condrieu and 42% for Hermitage.
The southern crus covered 8,207 hectares and 229,081 hectolitres in 2024, 84% red, 9% rosé and 7% white, excluding Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Decanter's southern Rhône page says the south produces over 95% of the region's wine output, and Decanter reports that the Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages appellations accounted for 57% of the region's total production in 2025. Inter Rhône's appellation pages give export shares of 45% for Gigondas, 40% for Cairanne and 34% for the Côtes du Rhône.
Reach for the Northern Rhône for Syrah-led reds from steep granite and schist slopes and for Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne whites, drawn from a compact group of eight crus. Choose the Southern Rhône for Grenache-based blends, the rosé-only Tavel, and a far larger range running from Côtes du Rhône through Côtes du Rhône Villages to crus such as Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The two halves share one umbrella: the Côtes du Rhône appellation stretches from Vienne to Avignon.
- Northern reds are Syrah: Cornas is single-varietal Syrah; Côte-Rôtie requires at least 80% Syrah with Viognier vinified together; Hermitage reds may include up to 15% Roussanne and/or Marsanne.
- Southern reds are Grenache-based blends: Côtes du Rhône reds and rosés blend at least two of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and in Côtes du Rhône Villages reds those three must make up at least 66% of the blend.
- Climate and soils: Inter Rhône labels Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage semi-continental with Mediterranean influences and says northern wines draw their expression from granite, schist and limestone; the south is Mediterranean under the Mistral, with Châteauneuf-du-Pape on rolled pebbles and red clay, around 2,800 hours of sunshine and under 650 mm of rain a year.
- Scale (Inter Rhône, 2024): northern crus 4,472 ha; southern crus 8,207 ha excluding Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Côtes du Rhône 28,462 ha. Eight northern crus against ten southern crus, including Laudun.
- Key dates: Châteauneuf-du-Pape decree 15 May 1936; Hermitage 1937; Cornas 1938; Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu 1940; Gigondas cru 1971; Cairanne cru 29 June 2016.
Sources and last verified
Sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/rhone-valley/, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-cornas, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/wine-school/history-vineyards, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/rhone-valley-vineyards/appellations/aoc-cotes-du-rhone, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/rhone-valley-vineyards/grape-varieties, https://www.vins-rhone.com/sites/vignoble/files/documentation/2025-04/INTER-RHONE-CHIFFRES-CLES-2025-EN-BAT.pdf, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/wine-school/glossary/crus, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-cote-rotie, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-hermitage, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/territory-and-terroir, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-chateauneuf-du-pape, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-gigondas, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-cairanne, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/rhone-valley-vineyards, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-tavel, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/aoc-cotes-du-rhone-villages, https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/cotes-du-rhone-cru-aoc-condrieu, https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO2023AOPCoteRotie.pdf, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/france/northern-rhone, https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/western-europe/france/rhone/southern-rhone/. Last verified 2026-09-25.
