Saint-Péray

Saint- Péray is a commune with 7311 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011 ) in the department of Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes region. It is located about five kilometers west of Valence on the eastern flank of the Massif Central. It is dominated by the ruins of the castle Crussol. Located on the orographic right side of the Rhône Saint- Péray is known for its white wines and is only about five miles from Cornas, a known red wine community the Rhône. Both Cornas as well as Saint- Péray be largely unaffected by the cold winds of the Mistral.

The name Saint- Péray derives from Saint Peter. During the wave of secularization of the French Revolution the church Péray Vin said.

Demographics

Attractions

On the territory of the municipality are the ruins of the medieval castle Crussol.

Twinning

• The cities of wholesale Umstadt (Hesse), sister city since 1966, and
• Santo Tirso (Portugal ), is the 1991 a friendship agreement, are also influenced by winegrowing.
• Added to this was in 2001 as a twin city still Asso in Italy.

Wine region of Saint -Péray

The municipality of Saint- Péray gives the wine region of the same name with the status of Appellation d' Origine ( AOC briefly ) his name. The 62 -acre area was given this status on 8 Dezember1936 and counts within the large appellation Côtes du Rhône as a privileged Cru. It will be exclusively white wines from the varieties Roussanne and Marsanne made ​​. When in 1825 a winemaker from Champagne was on a visit to Saint- Péray he explained interested winemakers the method of preparation of sparkling wines. In 1829, the first bottles of Saint- Péray mousse were uncorked.

The sparkling wine is now constitute about 60 % of the quantity of wine ( about 2100 hectoliters / year) of the area; he is one of the best in France.

The income limit is generally at 45 hectoliters / hectare. Wines which do not comply with the terms of this AOC may be marketed under the name of Côtes du Rhône.

Famous lovers of wines of Saint -Péray were Alphonse de Lamartine, Alphonse Daudet, Richard Wagner and Tsar Alexander II.