Condrieu and the fascinating Viognier wines

South of Lyon, Condrieu is a wine-producing town. The vineyard extends over 200 hectares at the crossroads of 3 departments. It is spread over 7 communes: Condrieu, St Michel sur Rhône, Vérin, Chavanay, Saint Pierre de Boeuf, Malleval and Limony, in the Rhône, Loire and Ardèche departments. The Condrieu terroir is renowned for its white wines. They are magnificent and derive their extraordinary character from the Viognier planted in the original terroir on narrow terraces. Wine lovers will know how to leave the village, overlooking the labyrinth of grapes that cover the hillsides, and draw this famous golden, delicate and aromatic white wine from the side of the vertiginous granite rocks.Today, the AOC covers an area of 200 hectares and is a world reference, especially in the United States.

A bit of history on Condrieu...

The cultivation of Viognier grape dates back to Greek times. The emperor Domitian demolished it around 92 AD. Because he said that wine weakens an army. Emperor Probus replanted the vines around 280 AD. He said it made men better. Originally a Gallo-Roman village, Condrieu became the property of the Church of Lyon. In the 12th century, the archbishop built the castle to resist multiple attacks and still reigns over the town today. Condrieu, like Saint-Michel and Véran, was the cradle of the intrepid sailors of the Rhône, who ensured for centuries the maritime traffic between Lyon and Beaucaire... The wines of Condrieu  have enjoyed an excellent reputation for centuries. Even the Pope of Avignon appreciated it and Karnonski described it as one of the greatest white wines of France. It then went through difficult times with phylloxera, the First World War, the crisis of the 1930s and industrialisation. In the 1950s, only about ten hectares were planted in the three communes of Condrieu, Veran and Saint-Michel. Nevertheless, the vineyard maintained by a few winegrowers passionate about Viognier was revived in the 1980s. In 1986, the appellation area was revised to include only the most exposed slopes where Viognier reaches full maturity.

To accompany the Condrieu we have chosen a starter, a main course and a cheese.

The starter: mini lamb brochette, yoghurt sauce, honey and spices reminiscent of India.

Main course: Sea bass carpaccio marinated in lemon, black olive caviar, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate

For cheese we recommend Rigotte de Condrieu, a goat cheese.