👽 Why Did the Rhone Region Ban Flying Saucers❓
🎙️ On the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, you’ll hear the stories and tips that answer those questions in our chat with Matt Walls, author of The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide to the Rhone Valley.
🔗 Link in the bio.
www.nataliemaclean.com/blog/podcast/why-did-the-rhone-region-ban-flying-saucers-matt-walls-reveals-the-story-behind-why-that-rule-still-exists/
🛸 Which French wine region banned flying saucers from landing in its vineyards and why is the rule still there?
📜 Within Châteauneuf du Pape, Matt explains, the cahiers des charges, the rulebook for winemaking in the appellation, explicitly forbids winemakers from using their vineyards to land flying saucers.
👾 This rule was introduced in the 1960s during a period of public concern about flying saucers and little green men.
📋 It remains in the regulations today because it is simpler to leave it in place than to go through the process of removing it.
🍇 How did the devastating February 1956 frost reshape the southern Rhône into the vineyard landscape we know today?
🥶 Matt explains how the February 1956 frost transformed the southern Rhône’s vineyards.
🥕 Before then, the region grew olives, grapevines, figs, carrots, and wheat.
❄️ The frost destroyed the olives, crucial for local livelihoods.
⏳ Since replanting olives took ten years to yield fruit, growers turned to grapevines, which produced quickly and were easy to store and transport.
🏞️ This shift from polyculture to mostly vineyards marked a turning point in the Rhône’s modern history.
🌿 What sets the northern Rhone apart from the south in terms of grapes and winemaking style?
🔍 Matt also notes that the northern Rhône differs from the south in grape selection and winemaking.
🥂 The north uses only Syrah, while the south grows multiple grapes and focuses on blending.
🏔️ Northern estates are often small, single-vineyard holdings, reflecting the steep terrain.
🍷 This Burgundian-style approach contrasts with the broader southern Rhône practices.
☀️ Have you tried wines from southern Rhône❓
Let me know in the comments 👇