{"id":5518,"date":"2020-04-07T12:11:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T11:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/?p=5518"},"modified":"2020-04-07T12:21:53","modified_gmt":"2020-04-07T11:21:53","slug":"saint-joseph-wine-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/saint-joseph-wine-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The St Joseph guide: grape varieties, food and wine pairings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Comptoir des Mill\u00e9simes. Today you'll find a guide to the Rh\u00f4ne appellation: St Joseph<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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> Find our St Joseph in stock<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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SAINT-JOSEPH: A highly prized appellation!<\/h2>\n

Visit Rh\u00f4ne Valley wines<\/a> have the wind in their sails, at a time when wine lovers appreciate powerful, racy wines.
\nThe town of Saint-Joseph is one of them. Built around the town of Tournon and located in the northern part of the C\u00f4tes-du-Rh\u00f4ne, this wine originated under Greek and then Roman colonization, who appreciated the sloping terraces bordering the Rh\u00f4ne for almost 60 kilometers.
\nIn 1956, the appellation d'origine contr\u00f4l\u00e9e was created. The appellation could now be produced in 6 communes, with a total of 90 hectares of vines planted. It wasn't until 1944 that the appellation expanded to 1,330 hectares, covering 26 communes.<\/p>\n

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Saint-Joseph's climate and terroir<\/h2>\n

Benefiting from semi-continental influences, the grapes enjoy a very hot summer, favoring ripening and producing wines richer in alcohol.
\nThis climate, combined with granite soils on terraces facing south, southeast and the Rh\u00f4ne, produces powerful, complex wines.
\nGranite soils add minerality and tension to Saint Joseph wines, whose grape varieties are really well adapted.<\/p>\n

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Grape varieties of Saint-Joseph appellation<\/h2>\n

L'Saint-Joseph appellation<\/strong> is present in 26 communes over an area of 1,330 hectares along almost 60 kilometers of the Rh\u00f4ne.
\nOnly 3 grape varieties can be used to make Saint-Joseph wines.
\nFor Saint-Joseph Blanc
\nTwo grape varieties are used to produce Saint-Joseph white wines.
\nOriginally from the Dr\u00f4me region, Roussanne is the white grape variety of the Rh\u00f4ne Valley. Complex, rich and dense, it lends a backbone to wines when blended.
\nGenerally harvested a little later, it produces juicy, fine wines with notes of white fruit and sweet spices.
\nLike its Roussanne counterpart, Marsanne originates from the Dr\u00f4me region. It produces large, juicy berries with higher yields.
\nMore straightforward and fresh, with aromas of exotic fruits and dried fruits, it is interesting as a single varietal, but also in blends, where it adds bitterness and tension.
\nFor Saint-Joseph Rouge
\nThe only red grape variety that can be used to make red wine is Syrah. This variety is very common in the Rh\u00f4ne, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence regions.
\nRecent studies confirm that it has its roots in Savoie and Ard\u00e8che, where its climate is ideal.
\nA rare, low-yielding variety, it often produces highly colored wines with aromas of pepper, black fruit and fresh finishes.<\/p>\n

> Discover all our varietal guides<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Tasting Saint-Joseph wines<\/h2>\n

The appellation is authorized to produce red and white wines with a maximum yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare.
\nSaint-Joseph red wines are made exclusively from Syrah, but can also be blended with Roussanne and\/or Marsanne up to 10%.<\/p>\n