Gigondas () is a French wine ''

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée In France, the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (, ; abbr. AOC ) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the ''terroir'' – and using ...

'' (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It is primarily a

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...

region, with a very small amount of rosé wine produced. As of September 2022, the AOC Gigondas appellation was extended to include

white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...

s. Considered a little brother to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wine is moderately prestigious and can

age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone has been alive or something has existed ** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1 * Ageing or aging, the process of becoming older ...

well when treated with care. Gigondas AOC wine is produced exclusively in the commune of Gigondas, in

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

History

The name of the appellation is of Roman origin. ''Jocunditas'' means great pleasure and enjoyment in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

; the town was founded as a recreational site for the soldiers from the Roman Empire Second Legion. The finding of a

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

-head indicates that

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

was already grown at this time. Later the fields went to the church and later still, one finds the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

to be a large land owner in the area. As early as 1894 the wines from the region won a gold medal at the agricultural fair in Paris. But until the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the wines were used as reinforcement to thin Burgundies. In 1956, a bitter winter caused the production of wine to experience a renaissance, as the

olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s had died from the cold. In 1971 the appellation left the other Côtes du Rhône-Villages and became a proper appellation in its own right.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. , p. 151

Climate and geography

Gigondas, along with the rest of Southern Rhône has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

that differs from its northern neighbour, which has a more

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

. The main geographical feature in Gigondas is the Dentelles de Montmirail, a small range of mountains that divide the appellation into two distinct areas – one with a cooler climate and one with a hotter. But elevation is also an important factor, as wine is being harvested as high as 600 meters.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. , p. 152

Grapes and wine

In 1592, white wine from Gigondas is mentioned. However, no white wine is produced today. The appellation is growing red grapes only, and mostly making only red wine, though some rosé is also produced. According to the INAO, Gigondas Rouge is to be made from a maximum 80% Grenache, a minimum 15%

Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...

and/or Mourvedre, and a maximum 10% from the other Rhône varieties, minus Carignan.
INAO Gigondas. The greatest Gigondas’ can be kept for 10 years or more in the cellar and usually benefits from at least three years in the cellar. Being primarily Grenache does, however, mean that the lesser wines are not recommended for extended bottle aging.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' JP Bøger - JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. , p. 152-153

Winemaking

Gigondas is known for its power rather than its elegance. Some parts of the appellation are warmer than Châteauneuf-du-Pape, bringing the generous Grenache grape close to fortified strength in alcohol. While some rosé wine is produced, the appellation draws its prestige from its reds.

References

External links

Gigondas AOC Official Web Site
{{wines Rhône wine AOCs 1971 establishments in France French wine Red wine