In 2010, Henri BOUR, as president of the Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation, and his fellow winegrowers successfully led the campaign to have this new AOC officially recognised. The name change was both natural and necessary, given the negative connotations the former name had acquired due to the local industries. Today, the Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation continues to gain traction and is attracting growing interest from both the trade and consumers. Its wines have a distinctive personality, shaped by a terroir that bridges the northern and southern Rhône Valley, where the Syrahs have a northern finesse and the Grenaches show freshness. The well-considered choice of the historic village of Grignan as the symbolic heart of the appellation also added to the prestige of the AOC. Henri BOUR has therefore left a lasting mark on the history of the AOC.

Understanding our wines begins with understanding the unique geography of our AOC. As the northernmost appellation of the southern Rhône Valley, we occupy a unique position where the noble grape varieties of the northern Rhône can flourish. Here, they express themselves with elegance, losing none of their natural character due to excessive heat. Our AOC is less a single terroir than a mosaic of varied vineyard plots, producing wines with distinct characters yet a shared signature of harmony and balance, derived from the climate and grape varieties. The AOC’s landscape is one of its greatest treasures, with wooded hills, meandering rivers and a vibrant mosaic of vineyards, lavender fields and oak groves. Grignan is certainly worth a visit !

The wines of Grignan-les-Adhémar are elegant and have a delicious, easy-drinking character. The red blends (Syrah, Grenache, etc.) offer a rich array of spices and red or black fruits, evolving over time to reveal notes of undergrowth and truffles. The whites (Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, etc.) and rosés are typically fresh and refined with a fresh fruit bouquet. They all pair beautifully with locavore cuisine (seasonal, locally sourced dishes), particularly those featuring produce from the Drôme and its surrounding regions. They also make a natural match for truffle-based dishes, many of which are rooted in the rich culinary heritage of the Drôme Provençale region.