The Southern Rhône explained. Grenache, garrigue and the Pope's new castle.

An old region with a papal name

The Southern Rhône is part of the Old World, and vines here were probably first cultivated around 600 BC. The Romans left their mark everywhere, including the famous amphitheater in Orange, not far from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The appellation's name dates from 1309, when the papacy moved from Rome to Avignon. Châteauneuf-du-Pape means "the Pope's new castle".

The region makes red, white and rosé wines, and many grape varieties are permitted. Andreas remembers his first visit for the scent of the garrigue, the wild thyme, lavender and rosemary that grow on the hillsides, a note you will find in many of the wines.

The quality pyramid

Southern Rhône wines are classified in four levels. At the base is Côtes du Rhône, which can in theory come from anywhere in the Rhône Valley but mostly comes from the south. Côtes du Rhône Villages comes from a more tightly defined area and offers more complexity. Above that, certain villages may add their own name to the label, and these often give remarkable value.

At the top are the crus, villages with their own appellation. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous, with Gigondas and Vacqueyras worth remembering too. These two come from higher, rockier ground: Gigondas has generous red fruit, while Vacqueyras is lighter still. Note that a Rhône cru is a whole village with many producers, not a single vineyard as in Burgundy.

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and the whites

Almost every wine here is a blend. Grenache is king: a Mediterranean grape that copes with heat and drought, gives ripe red fruit and body, but has mild acidity and loses color easily. Syrah, from the Northern Rhône, adds color, tannin, acidity and pepper. Mourvèdre brings leather, game and tar, and adds complexity even in small amounts. Together they give the GSM blend you also see on New World labels.

In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, layers of large, rounded stones called galets store heat during the day and release it at night, helping the grapes ripen, while also keeping moisture in the soil. White wines are rare but worth seeking out. They are blended from Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette, Picpoul, Bourboulenc and Viognier, and show citrus, stone fruit, spring flowers and a herbal touch.

The experiment: what oak does to wine

Andreas toasts oak chips in the cellar to show how oak changes a wine. The episode explains the difference between American oak, which is wider grained and gives sweeter vanilla and coconut notes, and French oak, which is tighter grained, higher in wood tannin and works more on texture. Toast levels matter too: light, medium and heavy toast add increasing notes of spice, caramel and coffee.

You also learn why barrels round out a wine through slow oxygen exposure, why new oak gives more flavor than used barrels, and why some producers use chips or staves to save money. Then the hosts taste the result of their homemade test.

Food pairings and blind tastings

The pairings are classic southern French cooking. A Guigal Côtes du Rhône, roughly half Syrah and 40% Grenache, meets a rack of lamb rubbed with thyme, lavender, rosemary and garlic. Later, roasted scallops wrapped in pancetta are matched with a complex white wine. Find out why simple dishes often work best with great wines.

Both hosts also taste blind, describing color, aroma and structure before naming a style and appellation. It is a clear demonstration of how to reason through a wine, which helps you prepare for WSET Level 3.