Rhône

Appellation in the northern section of the Rhône wine-growing region in France, classified as a Cru site. It lies in the southern part of the section, on the right bank of the river. Vines were grown here by the Romans. The name Saint-Pérey is derived from Saint Peter. The vineyard area totals 60 hectares, located in the communes of Saint-Pérey and Toulaud in the département Ardèche. The white wine is a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. A sparkling wine is made from the same varieties under the AC Saint-Péray Mousseux. This has a long history, as sparkling wine was first produced here in 1829. A famous fan of this wine was the opera composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). In 1877, while he was writing the opera Parsifal, he had 100 bottles of this wine sent to his home in Bayreuth by express. Well-known producers include Chaboud, Auguste Clape, Bernard Gripa, Jaboulet-Aîné, Jean Lionnet, Thiers and Alain Voge.