Driving south on France’s autoroute through the Rhône Valley, something special happens around the town of Montélimar. The sky opens up, sunshine pours through, and a cheery warmth fills the air. Olive trees, lavender fields, and rows of cypresses wavering in the mistral mark your official welcome to le sud, a vast area characterized as much by its Mediterranean climate as by the singing accents of its people and their down-home generosity.
      But something else changes as you arrive in the South: you enter the land of blends. Far from the Pinots and Chardonnays of Burgundy and beyond the pure Syrahs of the northern Rhône, blending is the rule rather than the exception. A host of red and white grape varieties including Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault, Clairette, Roussanne, Rolle, and Marsanne thrive in the vineyards of the southern Rhône, Provence, and the Languedoc-Roussillon. While growing a medley of cépages traditionally served as a sort of insurance policy in the event of pest, disease, or climatic mishaps, such a mélange also provides vignerons with a rich palette of possibilities for assembling their cuvées. Blending here is not just an art, but a direct reflection of a place’s history and unique terroirs.
      Each variety responds differently to nuances of soil and climate, giving distinct interpretations of place that ensure singular character in the final blend. The same handful of grape varieties is responsible for countless wine styles across a vast swath of land covering dozens of appellations. Such diversity makes it hard to generalize, but these reds, rosés, and whites tend to share a certain ripeness and richness of fruit from long hours of Mediterranean sunshine, along with fragrant herbal reminders of the shrubby garrigue herbs that have colonized the arid countryside.
      Our collection of southern French blends encompasses pedigreed appellations including Châteauneuf, Gigondas, and Bandol, where you’ll find profound, structured wines built for the long haul. You’ll also discover equally distinctive wines from lesser-known AOCs such as Pic Saint Loup, Saint-Chinian, and Collioure. And certainly don’t overlook the many delicious cuvées priced for everyday enjoyment—unassuming country wines that capture the essence of these sunbaked, windswept landscapes with simplicity and authenticity.