The Rhone is one of the most interesting and diverse vineyard regions in the world and second only to Bordeaux in terms of the volume of AOC wines produced.
Traditionally, there have been just a few labels traded on the secondary market, but this number is growing and so are the returns they deliver.
Records of winemaking in the Rhone date back to the late Middle Ages with trade in the region's wines commencing in the 14th century. Like Burgundy, the Rhone benefited from papal patronage after Clement V moved his court to Avignon in 1309. The region's wines remained a favourite with the high Catholic Church after Gregory XI, the last Pope in Avignon, returned to Rome in 1377. Chateauneuf-du-Pape (the Pope's new castle) owes its name to John XXII who sited his summer palace close to Avignon.
The Burgundians, imposed strict restrictions on external wines entering their region until the 16th century, as a consequence Rhone wines did hit the northern European markets, including Paris and London, until merchants developed trade routes and shipping from the Loire.
Trade in Rhone wines has seen rapid expansion since the 1980s, when the top vineyards of the Cote Rotie and Hermitage appellations became recognised for their excellent quality.
Syrah is the only permitted red grape and most viticulture and winemaking is managed in family holdings. More than 50 percent of the wines are produced by merchants, of which the most famous are Guigal, Chapoutier, Jaboulet and Delas.
Guigal's single vineyard holdings in Cote Rotie, La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque, have been important to raising investor awareness to Rhone wines, with Robert Parker Jnr a strong supporter.
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