Wines from Cote-Rotie, Hermitage and Chateauneuf-du-Pape have made the Rhone Valley world famous. This may be a classic wine region, but as Matt Walls reveals in Wines of the Rhone that doesn't mean it is set in its ways. Change here is not only driven by innovations in winemaking and fashions in wine, it is also an essential response to a rapidly shifting climate, which has seen temperatures rise significantly over the last 40 years and extreme weather events become more commonplace. Walls provides a rounded picture of this large and complex region, which varies greatly along the 200-kilometre stretch of river, from Vienne in the north to Provence in the south. Beginning with a vivid journey through the terrain, he explores one of the region's constants, its varied geology, before moving on to the pressing issue of climate. A short tour through the Rhone's winemaking history, from early Greek settlers to the modern industry, is followed by vignettes of all the AOC-permitted grapes and an explanation of the five levels of the region's appellation system. Walls encourages readers to venture beyond the famous crus, making it easy for those eager to explore by detailing the terroir of every appellation and describing and assessing typical wines. Profiles of 200 key producers complete the picture. Boxes throughout the text provide interesting asides on current issues as well as key appellation facts, while an appendix on ageing wines offers a guide to the last 40 vintages. This comprehensive examination of a renowned region is an ideal introduction for those new to the Rhone, while providing fresh insights for long-time admirers of the wines.

About the Author

Award-winning wine writer Matt Walls has a special interest in the Rhone. He is Panel Chair for the Rhone at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and covers the region for Decanter magazine. Matt speaks on the wines of the Rhone to wine trade professionals with the backing of regional marketing body InterRhone. He visits the region twice a year and is in regular contact with some of its most respected winemakers.

Reviews
"Highly recommended ... full of insights ... Walls is a quiet listener with a superb palate. He has committed the necessary shoe leather to find the best producers in the region." - Victoria Moore, The Telegraph
Walls writes extremely well ... Through just a few words, a sentence or two, he manages to convey a real sense of the personalities behind the estates. And his descriptions of many of the wines are so mouth-watering that it's difficult to read this book without wanting to rush off and buy the wines. It has been way too long since we last had a decent book on the Rhone, and Walls has done a great job of filling that gap. Overall, this is a comprehensive, thoughtful, provocative-at-times but very insightful book which is essential reading for Rhone lovers or anyone trying to get to grips with the region. - Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com


Awards
Short-listed for Andre Simon Book Awards 2021 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781913141479
Author Matt Walls
Format Paperback
Page Count 390
Imprint ACADEMIE DU VIN LIBRARY LIMITED
Publisher ACADEMIE DU VIN LIBRARY LIMITED
Weight(grams) 616g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 20mm