Like any wine region based around a long river, you find a variety of styles in the Rhône Valley. We love driving south along the autoroute du soleil (the A7 motorway) and watching the scenery and topography change while the thermostat climbs. The Northern Rhône valley produces only 5 per cent of the whole region's production but contains prestigious appellations like Côte-Rotie and Hermitage for Syrah and Condrieu for Viognier (the white wines from the main red regions are also worth seeking out). Then in the Southern Rhône it is all about blends, with the powerful reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape permitted to have as many as eighteen different varieties (red and white).