Vienne-Seyssuel winegrowers want an AOC to make up for an “oversight of history”

long the left bank of the Rhone, in Seyssuel, Stéphane Ogier has found Côte Rôtie’s “soul mate”, situated just 2.5 km away as the crow flies. “The river forms a 90° angle which creates a great South-South-West aspect for the hillsides of Seyssuel”, explains Ogier, who has been a winegrower in Ampuis, along the right bank of the Rhone, since 1987. For the Vitis Vienna association he chairs, recognition of AOC Vienne-Seyssuel – which producers are expecting this year – will be reparation for an “oversight of history”. That’s because when appellations were created, this area had been abandoned and nobody claimed an appellation for it.

Over twenty-five years ago, on the intuition of three winegrowers – Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron and François Villard – the vineyards of Vienne, which were renowned in Roman times, began to re-emerge. The three pioneers replanted vineyards, and others followed suit.

“Ten years ago, the association started the process aimed at securing recognition as AOC Côtes du Rhône”, adds Ogier. The national appellation organisation INAO released zoning last summer, divided between three localities in Isère: Vienne, Seyssuel and Chasse sur Rhône. “It encompasses several hundreds of hectares with great potential but not everything will be eligible for planting because some areas have to comply with environmental regulations that are too restrictive”, explains Ogier, who thinks the appellation area will cover no more than 100 hectares. “We hope to secure the AOC for the 2025 vintage, and this is just the first stage in the process towards Cru status”.