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Southern Rhone White Blend is a blanket term used to describe the various combinations of white wine grapes used in the southern half of the Rhone Valley. The wines themselves are not confined to the Rhone production zone and have been interpreted and replicated with varying degrees of success in the United States, Australia, Spain, North Africa and South America.

The principal varieties involved in a white wine from the southern Rhone are any combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul, though other local grapes may be used where appropriate. In the past decade Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) is appearing in an increasing number of blended wines from the southern Rhone.

While southern Rhone red blends are far more common in this part of France, white wines are included in several notable appellations in the region. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is the most famous of these, using Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette and a small handful of obscure local varieties. White Cotes du Rhone wines use a similar blend, often along with Marsanne and Viognier.

Since there are so many possible incarnations of the blend, it is extremely difficult to narrow down any singular characteristic in these wines. The aromas, flavors, bodyweight, mouthfeel, aging potential and dryness level all depend entirely on the grape varieties used and the winemaking techniques involved.

Some Southern Rhone White Blends are rich and fruity, showing stonefruit (Viognier) and citrus (Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc) flavors, while others are more spicy, with white pepper a commonly identified descriptor when Grenache Blanc is involved. Herbal notes can be expressed in Roussanne-driven wines, while Marsanne can bring out honeysuckle flavors, especially as the wine ages.

Of course, these are just rough guidelines when it comes to describing the flavors of the blend. Each region and producer is capable of crafting its own expression of this open-ended category.

Food matches for White Southern Rhone Blend wines include:

• Porc à la moutarde (pork steaks with a creamy mustard reduction)
• Chicken and chickpea stew
• Sea bream baked in a salt crust