Chateauneuf du Pape: Domaine Pontifical Red

The Rhône Valley is home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world, with wine production dating back to Greek occupation in the 4th century BC and thriving under the Romans; it was later revived when the papacy moved to Avignon in the fourteenth century, giving Châteauneuf-du-Pape ('the Pope's new castle') its name. The Northern Rhône is home to prestigious names such as Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, and Hermitage - small-production wines of exceptional quality - where Syrah is the sole red grape and whites come from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. The larger, warmer Southern Rhône is best known for the bold Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its rival Gigondas, alongside excellent-value names such as Vacqueyras, Rasteau, and Cairanne. Its wines are predominantly red, built chiefly on Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.

The most prestigious cru of the southern Rhône, taking its name ('the Pope's new castle') from the papacy's move to Avignon in the fourteenth century, whose successive popes prized the region's wines. Established in 1929 as effectively France's first AOC - the blueprint for the modern appellation system - it is best known for bold, full-bodied reds led by Grenache, blended with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and other permitted varieties. Its distinctive terroir of large, heat-retaining pebbles (galets roulés) over clay, sand, and limestone ripens the grapes fully under the driest, sunniest climate of the Rhône. A small amount of rich, aromatic white is also made, chiefly from Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette.