Wines from the Rhone Valley
LUXURY HOTEL LOCATED IN TOURNON-SUR-RHÔNE, IN ARDÈCHE, SOUTH OF LYON
Wines from the Rhone Valley
Hôtel de la Villeon is the perfect place to discover the various wines of the Rhône Valley, with wine tasting in vineyards and discovery of the land. Recently opened in a townhouse mansion typical to the area, this 4-star hotel is ideal for all wine lovers. Hôtel de la Villeon is an excellent base for exploring the wine region and the hillsides of Ardèche and Drôme.
( We remind you that alcool abuse is dangerous for health)
Established within the area as far back as Antiquity, the Rhone Valley vineyards experienced a commercial boost with the Romans, who started developing winegrowing. Thus as early as the 14th century, wines from the Côtes-du-Rhône (Hillsides of the Rhone – the former name of this winegrowing region), considered as the “Pope’s wines”, acquired their international renown.
It is France’s 2nd-largest winegrowing area (after the Bordeaux region), stretching across 6 departments (along the Rhône River from Vienne to Avignon) and 75,600 hectares of vineyard, and producing over 3 million hectolitres of red wines, rosés, dry white and sparkling wines, and natural sweet wines.
The area is split into 2 winegrowing regions which are generally separated: the Northern Rhône Valley from Vienne to Valence and the Southern Rhône Valley from Montélimar to Avignon. The Mediterranean climate (with the characteristic Mistral wind which blows down the Rhône Valley to the Mediterranean Sea) and its many variations as you move northwards, combined with a great soil diversity (very craggy hillsides to the north, small smooth hillocks to the south) have made the Rhône Valley into a rich, diverse terroir, producing wines of sharply-defined character. Those from the right bank are finer and fruitier than those from the left bank, which are described as more robust and heady.
A wide range of grapes goes into the wines, the best-known being Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Marsanne,
Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Clairette. The most acclaimed vintages are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage, Croze-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas, Saint Peray and Châteauneuf du Pape.
Wines from the Rhône Valley possess the assertive character and feature the colour of their terroir, which stems from ancestral know-how. There are festive events, tradeshows and fairs to celebrate the Beverage of the Gods, the best-known being the Northern Côtes du Rhône Wine Tradeshow, held at Tain l’Hermitage in the 3rd week of February and hosting more than 80 exhibiting winegrowers. Your stay in our charming hotel will give you the opportunity to discover the Wine Route of the Rhône Valley and all the richness of this wine-growing region.
