Saint-Péray

The appellation area is located south of the Northern Côtes du Rhône, on the right bank of the Rhône, in the commune of Saint-Péray and in a district of the commune of Toulaud, in the Ardèche department. There is evidence of vineyards in Saint-Péray dating back to the early Middle Ages. After the Dauphiné region was annexed by France, the vineyards were finally able to develop thanks to the growth of river transport on the Rhône. Saint-Péray and Saint-Péray Mousseux were designated as local AOCs in 1936.

The Saint-Péray AOC wines benefit from two types of terroir: the granite slopes of Cornas continue into the commune of Saint-Péray as far as the Biguet district of Toulaud. This hillside is separated from a limestone massif dominated by the ruins of Crussol Castle by the Mialan valley. The rugged hillsides and deep valley create a slightly cooler microclimate within a warmer continental region.

Saint-Péray wines are white, dry, and aromatic, always displaying great finesse and elegance. For both still and sparkling wines, the grape varieties used are Marsanne and Roussanne. Sparkling wines are vinified by secondary fermentation in the bottle according to the Champagne method. Still wines are vinified after a short pressing and fermentation partly in new barrels and partly in stainless steel vats. The quality of the work carried out by Domaine Alain Voge and the renowned M. Chapoutier is particularly noteworthy in this appellation.