European Wine Reference (Wine Folly)
Rhône Valley (Rhône Blends)
The southern-French valley whose red blends are, per Wine Folly, the place to start tasting French reds.
"This was the wine that made me realize I'd been missing out on the greatness that is French red wine. If this sounds like you, the Rhône Valley is the place to start tasting French reds" (source: European Wine Exploration Map _ Wine Folly.pdf).
Rhône blends are classically built on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre — the "GSM" trio (general knowledge — grapes not named in the source; needs verification). Two of those grapes have their own entries in the Wine Folly map under other names: Monastrell (Mourvèdre in Spain) and Cannonau (Grenache in Sardinia). France's other reds in the map: Bordeaux, Burgundy (Bourgogne), Beaujolais.
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