Awards
- Short-listed for André Simon Book Awards 2021 (UK)
Overview
Wines from Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have made the Rhône Valley world famous. This may be a classic wine region, but as Matt Walls reveals in Wines of the Rhône that doesn’t mean it is set in its ways. Change here is not only driven by innovations in winemaking and fashions in wine, it is also an essential response to a rapidly shifting climate, which has seen temperatures rise significantly over the last 40 years and extreme weather events become more commonplace. Walls provides a rounded picture of this large and complex region, which varies greatly along the 200-kilometre stretch of river, from Vienne in the north to Provence in the south. Beginning with a vivid journey through the terrain, he explores one of the region’s constants, its varied geology, before moving on to the pressing issue of climate. A short tour through the Rhône’s winemaking history, from early Greek settlers to the modern industry, is followed by vignettes of all the AOC-permitted grapes and an explanation of the five levels of the region’s appellation system. Walls encourages readers to venture beyond the famous crus, making it easy for those eager to explore by detailing the terroir of every appellation and describing and assessing typical wines. Profiles of 200 key producers complete the picture. Boxes throughout the text provide interesting asides on current issues as well as key appellation facts, while an appendix on ageing wines offers a guide to the last 40 vintages. This comprehensive examination of a renowned region is an ideal introduction for those new to the Rhône, while providing fresh insights for long-time admirers of the wines.
Full Product Details
Author: Matt Walls
Publisher: ACADEMIE DU VIN LIBRARY LIMITED
Imprint: ACADEMIE DU VIN LIBRARY LIMITED
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.616kg
ISBN: 9781913141479
ISBN 10: 1913141470
Pages: 378
Publication Date: 06 February 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
“Highly recommended … full of insights … Walls is a quiet listener with a superb palate. He has committed the necessary shoe leather to find the best producers in the region.” - Victoria Moore, The Telegraph Walls writes extremely well ... Through just a few words, a sentence or two, he manages to convey a real sense of the personalities behind the estates. And his descriptions of many of the wines are so mouth-watering that it’s difficult to read this book without wanting to rush off and buy the wines. It has been way too long since we last had a decent book on the Rhône, and Walls has done a great job of filling that gap. Overall, this is a comprehensive, thoughtful, provocative-at-times but very insightful book which is essential reading for Rhône lovers or anyone trying to get to grips with the region. - Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
Author Information
Award-winning wine writer Matt Walls has a special interest in the Rhône. He is Panel Chair for the Rhône at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and covers the region for Decanter magazine. Matt speaks on the wines of the Rhône to wine trade professionals with the backing of regional marketing body InterRhone. He visits the region twice a year and is in regular contact with some of its most respected winemakers.
