THE RHONE VALLEY AND PROVENCE

There is another great region in France that is usually overlooked because of Bordeaux and Burgundy. It is justifiably famous for substantial wines that suit a dinner's main course. This is the Rhone Valley, which produces over 20,000,000 gallons of wine a year, mostly ordinary, but also including some superior types that are particularly well known and liked in the U.S.: the hearty red Chateauneuf Du Pape, the refreshing rose called Tavel and the big reds and whites of Hermitage. All these wines come from the southern part of the valley, near Avignon. Its wine is unusual because, unlike fine Burgundies or Bordeaux, which are each pressed from a single grape variety, it is usually made from a blend of grapes. For the best Chateauneuf Du Pape 12-13 varieties are used. Most experts recommend that it be given no less than four or five years to mature.