Saint-Péray AOC
Small northern Rhône AOC for white sparkling and still wines.
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Saint-Péray is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region, located in the southernmost part of the Northern Rhône. The appellation is very small and not widely known, producing mainly white sparkling wine somewhat like Champagne, though some still wine is also made. All Saint-Péray wine is white.
Quick Facts
- Area at establishment
- 55 hectares
- Primary grape
- Marsanne (90% of planted area)
- Secondary grape
- Roussanne
Facts from the source article.
Grapes and wine
In Saint-Péray, Marsanne and Roussanne are the only two officially permitted grape varieties, with Marsanne accounting for 90% of the vineyards. A third grape, Roussette, is rumored to exist, but only local growers claim to tell it apart from Roussanne.
Most Saint-Péray wine is meant to be consumed young, and about 80% of production is sparkling, made using the traditional Champagne method. Still wines from the same area are gaining ground. The sparkling wines are sold under the separate appellation Saint-Péray Mousseaux, while the still wines carry the Saint-Péray AOC label.
Did You Know?
- Pliny mentions the wine of Saint-Péray in his Natural History.
- Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have had his first experience of wine drinking Saint-Péray as a young cadet in Valence.
- In the 19th century, Saint-Péray's sparkling wine was held in higher regard than Champagne itself.
- The appellation was established in 1936, by which time it had shrunk to just 55 hectares.
More in Rhône Wine AOCs
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Saint-Péray AOC (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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