95% of the roughly 60,000 hectares of vines in the Rhône wine region lie in the southern Rhône, which begins below the town of Montélimar — known among other things for its delicious nougat.

Compared to the northern Rhône the landscape here becomes flatter, and in many places Mediterranean and Provençal in feel. If you follow the A7 south from Lyon, you understand why it earns its lovely nickname “Autoroute du Soleil”. You can also clearly feel the strong wind known as the Mistral; it brings the cooling breeze that is so important for viticulture. All the way to the former papal residence of Avignon, the AOCs line up: Coteaux du Tricastin, Côtes du Vivarais, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, Tavel, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Ventoux, Côtes du Luberon, Rasteau and Beaumes-de-Venise.

With the exception of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, bottlings by co-operatives dominate the southern Rhône. They account for a substantial 70% of total production. Traditionally, the renowned trading houses of the northern Rhône also buy grapes here for their blends.

While in the northern Rhône only Syrah is permitted, Grenache dominates in the southern Rhône. It is grown four times more often than Syrah. A great many varieties are permitted in the blends. In practice, however, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault are frequently encountered as blending partners. Mourvèdre, incidentally, was very widespread before phylloxera. The variety does not take grafting particularly well, which is why in many places it was replaced by other grapes. Among whites, Ugni Blanc dominates, and for the delicious rosés Grenache is often used as the base.