Rhône

Appellation in the northern section of the Rhône wine-growing region in France, classified as a Cru site. It is located in the central part of the section, on the right bank of the Rhône. Saint-Joseph stretches over a distance of 50 kilometres, from the AC Condrieu in the north to the AC Saint-Péray in the south. The vineyard area totals 900 hectares, spread over 26 communes in the départements Ardèche and Loire. The centre of activities is the town of Tournon, located across the river from the famous Hermitage site. The wine was appreciated by French kings in the 16th century. A famous fan of the wines was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who wrote the novel ”The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. The red wine is made from Syrah, with a maximum of 10% of the white varieties Marsanne and Roussanne, while the white wine is made from Roussanne and Marsanne. The wines are similar to those of the AC Hermitage. Well-known producers include Chapoutier, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Pierre Coursodon, Yves Cuilleron, Delas Frères, Philippe Faury, Pierre Gaillard, Bernard Gripa, Jean-Louis Grippat, Jaboulet-Aîné and Tardieu-Laurent.