Small yields, big promise for the Rhône in 2025
At last week’s ‘All U Need Is Rhône’ showcase in London, AOC Tavel and Côte-Rôtie producers reported a small but highly promising 2025 vintage, while outlining fresh promotional plans and the ongoing pressures reshaping global demand.
The Drinks Business caught up with Rhône producers at All U Need Is Rhône, held on 12 November 2025 at The Vinyl Factory. The afternoon event, celebrate the Crus of the Rhône Valley in a lively crossover between English music culture and Rhône terroir. Each Cru was paired with different bands, with “rockstar” winemakers on hand to pour wines, answer questions and share stories.
While the challenges of the 2025 harvest were a key talking point, producers struck an upbeat tone about the quality in both the north and the south.
Heat-hit south expects impressive concentration
In the Southern Rhône, Estelle Piquard of AOC Tavel said the season had been “a little bit complicated” due to intense heat, but the resulting wines look strong.
“We had a big heatwave in France – everywhere, really, but especially in the south of the Rhône,” she said. “We lost a lot of production because of it, but the quality is going to be really great, especially for the reds. They’re going to be very concentrated, with a lot of intensity in colour.”
For Tavel specifically, she said the conditions would lead to “some Tavel that is really intense,” even if “the weather was not exactly on our side.”
Northern Rhône: “very intense, very powerful”
In Côte-Rôtie, Michaël Gérin described 2025 as “a very intense, very powerful, great, great vintage.”
As in the south, yields are tight. “The quantity is very low because we had no volume at the beginning of spring,” he said. “There were no grapes because 2024 was difficult, so there were no grapes at the start. Small volume, but very great quality of wine.”
Export strains as consumers look for lighter styles
Piquard said estates in the south “are always trying to develop more markets, especially in Europe,” with the goal of securing better visibility across the continent.
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Gérin added that markets are “moving a lot at the moment” and that the US remains difficult. The Northern Rhône continues to find opportunities in Norway and Sweden, but “for the South, the problem is more important, and we are very worried for the market. Export is so difficult at the minute.”
Piquard pointed to global pressures: “People have less money because of inflation, and they want to drink less wine. A lot of people are asking for lower alcohol, which is really difficult for us in the South – even in the North – because wines are naturally around 14% and we can’t produce 11% wines. And with the weather, we cannot produce lower-alcohol wines.”
Tavel sharpens its message ahead of 90th anniversary
Ahead of its 90th anniversary next year, Tavel is preparing a refreshed promotional push to highlight its versatility and gastronomic suitability.
“We wanted something new to be more modern, and to show people that in Tavel we can produce great gastronomic rosé,” Piquard said. “The trend is moving towards light reds and blush wines, but Tavel has always existed in that space. When you put a light red next to a Tavel, it’s essentially the same family of wine.”
She added that the appellation offers diverse styles, from classic Tavel to natural interpretations, and that colour should not be misread:
“Even if a Tavel is dark, it’s a wine of great quality. It’s not sweet – it’s intense and fabulous.”
Younger drinkers, she said, are already converting: “When I started working in Tavel, everyone around me was drinking Provence rosé. Now they all drink Tavel. We’re almost 30 years old, and all of us drink Tavel. We just need to educate people and show that you can drink Tavel all year long.”
Tourism builds momentum
Wine tourism is proving a bright spot.
“It’s, geographically, very easy,” said Gérin. “A lot of people come to Lyon and visit the vineyards for one or two days, then continue to the south – to Vacqueyras, for example, a beautiful place. It’s a great tour: start in Lyon and finish in Marseille.”
This summer also brought growing numbers of Nordic visitors. “There were a lot of people from Finland, Sweden. We’re not used to having this kind of tourism. It was really good.”
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