Côtes du Rhône is a wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...

(AOC) for the Rhône wine region of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs. In a limited part of the region, the AOC Côtes du Rhône-Villages may be used, in some cases together with the name of the commune.

Côtes du Rhône are the basic AOC wines of the Rhône region, and exist as red, white and rosé wines, generally dominated by Grenache

Grenache

Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...

 (reds and rosés) or Grenache blanc

Grenache Blanc

Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...

 (whites).

History

Wines have been produced in the region since pre Roman times, and those from the right bank were the favourite wines of kings and the papal community in Avignon at the time of the schism.
In the mid 17th century the right-bank district of Côte du Rhône had issued regulations to govern the quality of its wine and in 1737 the king ordered that casks of wine shipped from the nearby river port of Roquemaure

Roquemaure, Gard

Roquemaure is a commune in the department of Gard in southern France. The small town is a centre of local wine production, especially of Lirac AOC, and is located on the right bank of the Rhone. The city Avignon is nearby.-History:...

 should be branded with the letters CDR to introduce a system of protecting its origin. The rules for its Côte du Rhône thus formed the very early basis of today's nationwide AOC system governed by the INAO. The name was changed to Côtes du Rhône when the left-bank wines were included in the appellation some hundred years later. The appellation received full recognition by a High Court decision in 1937, and the rules were revised in 1996 and 2001 to take into account new conditions of production.

Roquemaure is known as "La Capitale des Amoureux", or "The Capital of Lovers". In 1868 the relics of St. Valentine arrived after being purchased from Rome by Maximilian Richard, a local dignitary as it was believed that the relics would protect the vines from phylloxera

Phylloxera

Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...

 which ravaged the vineyards in 1866. The relics are kept in the 14th century collegiate church

Collegiate church

In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...

 and each year the St Valentine Festival of the Kiss attracts over 20,000 people.

Reporter Pierre-Marie Doutrelant revealed that "the growers of Côtes du Rhône planted mourvèdre and syrah, two low-yield grapes that give the wine finesse, strictly for the benefit of government inspectors. Then, when the inspectors left, they grafted

Grafting

Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...

 cheap high-yield vines—grenache and carignan—back onto the vines" (Prial)

Côtes du Rhône

At the generic level, the official AOC Côtes du Rhône region stretches 200 km from Vienne in the north to Avignon

Avignon

Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...

 in the south and from the foothills of the Massif Central

Massif Central

The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....

 in the west to the fore-slopes of the Vaucluse and Luberon

Luberon

The Luberon or Luberon Massif , also called Lubéron, has a maximum altitude of 1,256 m and an area of about 600 km²...

 mountains east of the town of Orange. 171 communes in the French departments of Ardèche

Ardèche

Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...

, Bouches du Rhône, Drôme

Drôme

Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...

, Gard

Gard

Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...

, Loire

Loire

Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...

, and Vaucluse

Vaucluse

The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...

 are concerned with production from the 83,839 (2008) hectares of vineyard. The average yield is 52 hectolitres per hectare. Wines of all three colours must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%.
The average annual production of CDR of around 3.3 million hectolitres - 419 million bottles - (2005/2006), is assured by 5,292 concerns including 5,202 growers, 875 private producers, 70 co-operative wineries, and 20 merchant/producers and blenders, making it one of the largest single appellation regions in the world.

Red and rosé wines are made from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignane

Carignane

Carignan is a red wine grape that may have originated in Cariñena, Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, elsewhere in Italy, France, Algeria, and much of the New World. Along with Aramon, it was once considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake. In California, the...

, Counoise

Counoise

Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. Counoise adds a peppery note and good acidity to a blended red wine, but does not have much depth of colour or tannin. There were of Counoise in France in 2000....

 and Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....

 grapes varieties. A maximum of 20% white varieties may be used in the rosés.
All reds grown south of Montélimar must contain a minimum of 40% Grenache, and may contain up to 5% white grapes. A red from anywhere in the appellation must contain a minimum of 15% syrah and/or mourvedre.
The whites must contain a minimum blend of 80% Clairette, Grenache Blanc

Grenache Blanc

Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...

, Marsanne, Roussanne

Roussanne

Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...

, Bourboulenc

Bourboulenc

Bourboulenc is a white wine grape variety primarily grown in southern France. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône, Provence and Languedoc....

, and Viognier

Viognier

Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...

. Ugni Blanc and Picpoul Blanc may be used as secondary varieties.
There are two sub regions of Rhône wines:

1. Côtes du Rhône septentrional in the northern part of the region from Vienne to Valence. The vines are cultivated on very steep slopes making the harvest extremely arduous. The grapes are manually picked and have to be hauled up the hillside on trolleys, a feature which adds to the price. Syrah is the dominant red grape in this area.

2. Côtes du Rhône méridional from Montélimar to Avignon in the southern latitudes, produced by 123 communes.
The great majority of these are cultivated on the eastern side of the Rhône between the river bank near the town of Orange, and the Vaucluse-Luberon chain of mountains. The wines here are anchored by Grenache Noir but typically include other grapes such as Syrah and Mourvedre. The reds range in colour from deep crimson and ruby to almost purple and are generally full-bodied with rich but smooth tannins, though Lirac

Lirac

Lirac is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...

 and others from the right bank tend to be somewhat lighter. They all go very well with game and other rich meat dishes.

The whites range from dry with a tang of citrus to fuller, rounder wines which can be consumed as an aperitif. Condrieu

Condrieu

Condrieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated on the right bank of the Rhône, some south of Vienne and 44 km south of Lyon, at the foot of the lower slopes of the Mont Monnet. It has an area of 921 hectares and a population of 3,424...

, a septentrional, is one of the rarest white wines in the world and is produced from 100% Viognier - a notoriously difficult grape to vinify.

Year of Production : In general, the year-to-year climate of the region remains fairly constant although there may be rare occasions of spring frost which may damage the buds, thus reducing the overall yield. Drought may also affect the quantity of production. Sunlight levels are usually the average to be expected. The year of production on a label is therefore not necessarily a sign of any particular quality due to exceptionally favourable wine growing weather; it is more indicative of how the wine can be expected to have matured over a number of years.

Côtes du Rhône-Villages

Further up the scale from the Côtes du Rhône AOC the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC is produced by 95 authorized communes in the departments of the Ardèche, the Drôme, the Gard, and the Vaucluse.
The appellation includes 95 communes, with a total of approximately 3,000 hectares under cultivation. The average yield is approximately 38 hectolitres per hectare. The Grenache grape is required to be present at not less than 50%, with 20% Syrah and/or Mourvèdre. A maximum of 20% of other authorised varieties is permitted. The minimum required alcoholic strength is 12%.

Côtes du Rhône Villages (named village)

Next in the hierarchy, 18 of the Côtes du Rhône Village appellations are authorised to include their village name on the label. With approximately 6,500 hectares under cultivation, the average yield is approximately 37 hectolitres per hectare.
Cairanne

Cairanne

Cairanne is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France whose inhabitants were locally nicknamed leis afrontaires de Cairana, the cheeky ones from Cairanne....

,
Chusclan

Chusclan

Chusclan is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...

,
Laudun,
Massif d'Uchaux,
Plan de Dieu,
Puyméras

Puyméras

Puyméras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Main sights:*Church of St. Michael, originally built in Romanesque style*Clock Tower, remade in the 18th century...

,
Roaix

Roaix

Roaix is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...

,
Rasteau

Rasteau

Rasteau is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Vaucluse department*Rasteau AOC, a wine appellation covering Rasteau and some neighbouring communes-References:*...

,
Rochegude

Rochegude, Drôme

Rochegude is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...

,
Rousset-les-Vignes

Rousset-les-Vignes

Rousset-les-Vignes is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

,
Sablet

Sablet

Sablet is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is a fortified Provençal village rich in history.-Geography:...

,
Saint Gervais

Saint-Gervais, Gard

Saint-Gervais is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

,
Saint Maurice

Saint Maurice

Saint Maurice was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century, and one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that group. He was the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms...

,
Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes

Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes

Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

,
Séguret

Séguret

Séguret is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...

,
Signargues,
Valréas

Valréas

Valréas is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-History:The area around the town of Valréas is known as L'Enclave des Papes. It is an enclave of Vaucluse, surrounded by the department of the Drôme. The foundation of the Enclave began...

,
Visan

Visan

Visan is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...

,

Crus

At the most demanding level of distinction, a total of 15 crus are allowed to be recognised by their village name without requiring the mention of Côtes du Rhône on the label. With the unique exception of Château-Grillet, a white septentrional within the AOC Condrieu, a feature of the nomenclature of CDR wines is that at the top level they are named only after their villages, and not after châteaux as is usual for Bordeaux wines.
Tavel

Tavel AOC

Tavel is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%...

 is a rosé only, very light and dry, which is usually drunk chilled, and can be enjoyed at anytime of the day.
Beaumes de Venise AOC

Beaumes de Venise AOC

Beaumes de Venise is an appellation of wines from the eastern central region of the southern half of the Rhône Valley. It produces wines of two distinctly different types:...

,
Château-Grillet AOC

Château-Grillet AOC

Château-Grillet is a wine-growing AOC in the northern Rhône wine region of France, near Vienne, which produces white wine from Viognier grapes. The whole appellation, which only is in size, is owned by a single winery, Château-Grillet...

,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC

Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...

,
Condrieu AOC

Condrieu AOC

Condrieu is a French wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée located in the northern Rhône wine, near Vienne and to the south of the Côte-Rôtie AOC...

,
Cornas AOC

Cornas AOC

Cornas is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It is one of the smallest appellations in the Rhône valley and produces only red wine, from the Syrah grape.-History:...

,
Côte-Rôtie AOC

Côte-Rôtie AOC

Côte-Rôtie is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The vineyards are located just south of Vienne in the communes of Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône, Ampuis, and Tupin-et-Semons. The vineyards are unique because of their vertical slopes and their stone...

,
Crozes-Hermitage AOC

Crozes-Hermitage AOC

Crozes-Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The appellation is the largest in the northern Rhone, and its wines are less highly regarded than those from the nearby appellations of Côte-Rôtie or its near-namesake Hermitage...

,
Gigondas AOC

Gigondas AOC

Gigondas is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France. It is solely a Red wine region with a small amount of rosé wine produced. Being a little brother of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wine is moderately prestigious and can yield beautiful results when...

,
Hermitage AOC

Hermitage AOC

Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...

,
Lirac AOC

Lirac AOC

Lirac is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the department of Gard situated in the low hills along the right bank of the Rhône river in the southern Rhône wine region of France. It is named after the town of Lirac. Bordering on the neighbouring cru of Tavel AOC, a rosé-only cru in...

,
Rasteau AOC

Rasteau AOC

Rasteau is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in the southern Rhône wine region of France, covering both fortified and unfortified wines. The sweet fortified wines can be red, rosé or white, and have long been produced under the Rasteau AOC...

,
Saint Joseph AOC,
Saint Péray AOC,
Tavel AOC

Tavel AOC

Tavel is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%...

,
Vacqueyras AOC

Vacqueyras AOC

Vacqueyras is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, along the banks of the River Ouvèze.It is primarily a red wine region with some white and rosé wines being produced...

, and
Vinsobres AOC

Vinsobres AOC

Vinsobres is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine in the southern part of the Rhône wine region of France, situated around Vinsobres....

.

Grape varieties

A large number of varieties are allowed in the Côtes du Rhône AOC. The allowed grape varieties, by colour of the wine, are indicated below. Main grape varieties for the respective colour are incated by "M", supplementary varieties (not designated for white wines) by "S", and accessory varieties by "(A)".

Variety	Red and rosé wines	White wines
Bourboulenc Bourboulenc Bourboulenc is a white wine grape variety primarily grown in southern France. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône, Provence and Languedoc....	(A)	M
Brun Argenté Brun Argenté Brun Argenté or Vaccarèse is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in the Rhone Valley in France. It is a permitted grape in the blend of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the name Vaccarèse is used...  (locally called Camarèse or Vaccarèse)	(A)
Carignan	(A)
Cinsaut Cinsaut Cinsaut or Cinsault is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco...	(A)
Clairette Blanche	(A)	M
Clairette Rose	(A)
Counoise Counoise Counoise is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. Counoise adds a peppery note and good acidity to a blended red wine, but does not have much depth of colour or tannin. There were of Counoise in France in 2000....	(A)
Grenache Blanc Grenache Blanc Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...	(A)	M
Grenache Gris	(A)
Grenache Noir	M
Marsanne	(A)	M
Marselan Marselan Marselan is a French wine grape that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. It was first bred in 1961 near the French town of Marseillan. The vine is grown mostly in the Languedoc region with some plantings on Northern Coast of California. The grape produces a medium body red wine....	(A)
Mourvèdre Mourvèdre Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....	S
Muscardin Muscardin Muscardin is a dark-skinned grape variety primarily found in the southern part of the Rhône region. It is primarily noted for being one of the thirteen grape varieties permitted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation...	(A)
Piquepoul Blanc	(A)	(A)
Piquepoul Noir	(A)
Roussanne Roussanne Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...	(A)	M
Syrah	S
Terret Noir Terret Noir Terret Noir is a dark-skinned wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. It is a permitted blending grape for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Like the related Terret Gris and Terret Blanc, the vine tends to bud late and grow vigorously. Terret Noir produces a light color wine that is...	(A)
Ugni Blanc	(A)	(A)
Viognier Viognier Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...	(A)	M

The rules for the proportion of main, supplementary and accessory grape varieties are the following:

• White wines: a minimum of 80% of the main grape varieties.
• Red and rosé wines:
  • The main grape variety (Grenache Noir) must make up at least 40% of the blend for wines from south of Montélimar
    Montélimar
    Montélimar is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in the department after Valence.-History:...
    
    .
  • The supplementary grape varieties (Mourvèdre and Syrah) must together make up at least 15% of the blend, although this rule is not applied to small producers who produce their own wine from less than 1.5 hectares (3.7 acre) of vineyard area.
  • The main and supplementary grape varieties must together make up at least 70% of the blend, and the accessory grape varieties are therefore restricted to a maximum of 30%.
  • Marselan is not allowed to make up more than 10% of the blend.
  • The total proportion of white varieties (all of then accessory) may not exceed 5% for red wines, and 20% for rosé wines.

The rules for the red wines mean that varietal (100%) Grenache Noir may only be produced by small producers under the Côtes du Rhône appellation. North of Montélimar, varietal Mourvèdre and Syrah wines may be produced.

Commercial aspects

Not all growers produce their own wine, their grapes either being delivered to the co-operative wineries where the wine can be purchased in bottles and in bulk 5 liter and 10 liter plastic containers, or to the merchants who have facilities for vinification, bottling, and distribution on a commercial scale. Independent producers generally deliver their wine in bulk to the merchants for blending, bottling, and commercial distribution.

Some producers have a small quantity of their wine bottled for sale at the property, although the production of Côtes du Rhône in the region is so vast that there is little advantage for the private producers to do their own bottling. An exception would be the producers who, known for the their higher appellations, may wish to gain extra distinction by including mis en bouteille à la propriété (bottled on the premises - often by a visiting mobile bottling and labeling plant), or mis en bouteille dans nos chais (out sourced bottling) on their labels.

Larger domaines may have their own bottling machinery particularly if, in accordance with the regulations for the AOCs, they also produce wines of the higher denominations of Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côtes du Rhône Villages (named village), crus, and speciality wines. In theory producers of any of the other higher appellations - Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côtes du Rhône Villages (named villages) and crus from the area of the AOC could label their wines Côtes du Rhône as long as it meets the AOC requirements, and occasionally, in order to avoid a glut and maintain prices, wines are declassed and sold as a lower denomination or in bulk for blending.

Cooperative wineries distribute their bottled wine to wholesale and retail outlets in the region and to a lesser extent, to a customer base of retailers in other parts of the country. Marketing and distribution on a large scale, including export, is carried out by the merchants.

Producers of Côtes du Rhône wines are members of the Syndicat des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône, and at a higher level their interests are represented by Inter Rhône, which represents all the wine-growing and wine merchants of the Côtes du Rhône and the Rhône Valley and combines all promotional, economic and technical actions concerning AOC wines of the region.

Source

• Prial, Frank. A Reporters' Reporter. In: Frank Prial. Decantations. NY: St. Martin's and Grifin, 2001, pp. 23–25.