We get lots of prospecting emails from around the world -- new winemakers in less traveled regions offering to send samples. We stay in our lane as much as we can, and so most offers we politely decline. But it’s not every day you hear from someone promoting Côte Rôtie “Côte Blonde,” and so when we received such an invitation…
Both the Northern and Southern Rhône Valleys borrow their name from the Rhône River, but there’s more than just 70 miles between them. Each region has its own history, rules, and feel. In the North nearly all the reds are unblended Syrah; in the South, Syrah shares the stage with Grenache, Mourvèdre, and a host of others. The styles, climates,…