| Wine region | |
 | |
| Type | Appellation d'origine contrôlée |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Part of | Southern Rhone |
| Other regions in Southern Rhone | Beaumes de Venise, Vinsobres |
| Sub-regions | Rasteau, Orange, Courthezon, Bedarrides, Sorgues |
| Climate region | Mediterranean climate |
| Soil conditions | Pebbles, sand and marl in the north, quaternary terraces with galets roulés in the south |
| Grapes produced | Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Picpoul, Terret noir, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picardan, Cinsault, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc |
Rasteau is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in the southern Rhône wine region of France, covering both fortified[1] and unfortified wines. The sweet fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel, VDN) can be red, rosé or white,[2] and have long been produced under the Rasteau AOC. In 2010 dry red wines (unfortified) were also added to the appellation, effective from the 2009 vintage.[3]
The Rasteau appellation covers mostly the commune of Rasteau, but also includes some vineyards in Cairanne and Sablet. 47 hectares (120 acres) of vineyards are used for the fortified wines, with an annual production of around 1,400 hectoliter, or around 190,000 bottles.[1]
- ^ a b VDN AOC Rasteau, vins-rhone.com, accessed 2010-06-30
- ^ Appellation regulations for Rasteau, version 2009-10-13 on Légifrance
- ^ Rasteau promoted to AOC, Decanter 2010-06-28