Saint-Joseph

St. Joseph is the second largest appellation in the Northern Rhône with 50 growers producing wine from over 600 hectares of vineyards.. It was created in 1956. Over 90% of the wine made here is red from the Syrah grape. The white wines are usually made from a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Its vineyards run due south on the west side below Condrieu and are in 6 communes: Mauves, Tournon, St-Jean de Muzols, Lemps, Vion and Glun.

The styles of wine in St Joseph tend to be much lighter than the other red ACs and the quality can vary dramatically. The soils and climate vary, as it is a long, narrow AC. There is no particular characteristic of the commune as some wines are produced near Côte-Rôtie and others near Cornas.

The best St Josephs are still produced in the orginal heartland of the appellation between St Jean de Muzols and Mauves where soils are predominately granitic with patches of limestone and schist. Typically even the finest St Josephs are slightly lighter and faster maturing than the wines of Hermitage as St Joseph's east-facing vineyards lose the sun up to 2 hours earlier in the crucial ripening season.

To meet demand some extensions of the appellation have been made on land less than ideal which produces wines of indifferent quality.

• Recommended Producers: Pierre Gaillard, Jerome Coursodon, Paul Jaboulet
• Best Vintages: 2006,2005,2004,2003,2000,1999,1996, 1990