Condrieu, the cradle of Viognier, is a small town, as well as the name of an appellation devoted to Viognier. While the appellation stretches about 8 miles/12.5 kilometers south of Condrieu, I found a wine-themed hike through the villages of Verin and Saint Michel sur Rhone, circling Chateau Grillet, one of France’s smallest appellations (a bit over 8.5 acres), likewise devoted exclusively to Viognier.
Like these two appellations, the one nested completely within the other, the hike itself was small. (One map said six, another said seven kilometers.) Still, I considered myself fortunate to have found it, and to have hiked it, as Viognier is one of my favorite wines, and the opportunity to see the homeland of this varietal, to hike the hills where it is still grown after all these centuries, was fantastic.
In fact, I was in such a hurry to begin, that I parked along the Rue Nationale in Verin, and began there, as opposed to starting at the official start point in St Michel sur Rhone. I hurried north upriver to enter the old village center. Verin, like Saint Michel sur Rhone, is a small village. No industry apparently, just lots of vineyards. Still the old center is charming, a couple of narrow lanes, set along a stream that feeds into the nearby Rhone. Being able to hike again in the northern Rhone region along the river was another reason to be ecstatic about the hike.
Once leaving the village, the trail begins a steady climb up a rather steep slope. The steepness of the slopes here, combined with their southerly exposition, is part of the reason the Viognier grape does so well here. This part of the trail was thankfully through woods. Occasionally, a tantalizing hint of the Chateau Grillet vineyards appeared, making my mouth water.
Completing the last push uphill to the hamlet of l’Ollagniere, the views began to open up. It was a peaceful spot high above the river, with more open fields, and fewer vineyards.
The first descent went through a small wood, and followed along a quiet lane into the village of St Michel sur Rhone. The stone church caught my eye, as did the large parking lot and restrooms. I saw one small inn with a restaurant, but not a soul in sight anywhere in this amble through the village. Leaving the center of the village via the cemetery, I reflected that at least there had been inhabitants in the village.
The second descent was certainly more punishing than the first, but rewarding for its passage through the acres of vines all growing Viognier! The loose granitic soil, and the well-worn rock surface it lay on only added to the challenge. But once the trail reached another wood, the going was easier. Meanwhile, the south and east facing views of the Rhone were amazing.
The trail along the river’s flood plain was easy. While not necessarily scenic, it was quiet, and flat, which is rare in this area. And from that perspective, it demonstrated how, in this section of the Rhone, the cliffs literally rise up suddenly. Heading north, the trail turned west, and within a quarter of a kilometer, I was hiking along the base of steep slopes. It was my last section of the trail, that ended following along the final vineyards on this hike. While they would be the last vineyards I saw while hiking, they certainly won’t be the last vineyards I savor from this hike!
