right|thumb|350px|Location of the Condrieu AOC among the major in wine regions of the Northern Rhône
Condrieu (; from the French coin de ruisseau, , ) is a French wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) located in the northern Rhône, near Vienne and to the south of the Côte-Rôtie AOC. The vineyards are situated in the seven communes of Limony, Chavanay, Malleval, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, Saint-Pierre-de Boeuf, Vérin, and Condrieu. These communes are in the French departments of Ardèche, Rhône and Loire on the steep slopes of the foothills of the Massif Central on the right bank of the Rhône. The four southernmost communes can also produce wine under the Saint-Joseph AOC. The wines made in this AOC are exclusively white, from the Viognier grape, which may have originated in the region. The smaller AOC of Château-Grillet is enclaved within Condrieu and produces wines that are also 100% Viognier. The Condrieu AOC was officially created in 1940. In the 18th century, Condrieu enjoyed a period of popularity as it gained access to the lucrative Parisian market. The wine was transported north by land to the city of Saint-Étienne where the Loire would carry the wine to the Canal de Briare and then to Paris. During periods of peace between France and Great Britain, Condrieu would find its way to the London market.
For most of the 20th century before the early 1970s, the only northern Rhône wine well-known far from the region was Hermitage, and there was little demand on the export market for Rhône wines. Producing wine from hillside vineyards requires more labour than on flat vineyards, and is therefore economically difficult when demand and prices are low. This was particularly felt by some Rhône appellations in the early post-World War II era, including Condrieu and its neighbour Côte-Rôtie, with the 1950s and 1960s a particularly difficult time. Rhône wines in general started to be more in demand from the early 1970s, and stronger so from the late 1970s/early 1980s. From this time, the négociant business of Marcel Guigal at Ampuis helped expand the market for Condrieu wines. Guigal primarily made his name with his Côte-Rôtie wines which then paved the way for his bottlings from other appellations, which also includes a significant portion of white wine. Guigal's Condrieu was sourced from small growers in the appellation.
The increase in demand led to new plantations inside the appellation's border, which at the time was far from fully exploited and at one stage included many abandoned vineyards. The area under vine was less than in the 1960s, in 1982, at the end of the century and in 2005.
Climate and geography
As in much of Northern Rhone, the climate of Condrieu is continental and characterized by cold wet winters and hot summers. Ideally situated vineyards are planted on granite soils and face south, which aids growth during the cool months of late spring and early autumn. The well-drained granite soil retains heat during the day and reflects it back to the vines at night. The best vineyards have some natural shelter from the fierce northern winds that blow through the region and wreak havoc during flowering. The steep incline of many vineyards exposes them to soil erosion.
The Condrieu AOC covers more than 500 acres (202 ha) of hilly terrain located along a 12 miles (19 km) stretch of the Rhône. The AOC region begins at the town of Condrieu and extends south along the west bank of the river to the town of Limony. Within the AOC is 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) of Château-Grillet, which has its own micro-appellation.
References
- Cotes du Rhone Wines Website