Vacqueyras, after gigondas, the second of the Côtes du Rhône villages to be awarded its own appellation, in 1990. Vacqueyras may be red, white, or rosé, although only a minuscule proportion of a dramatically expanded vineyard total that had reached 1,406 ha/3,473 acres by 2013 (more than neighbouring Gigondas, for example) is planted with white grape varieties. Most of the wine is like a super-concentrated Côtes du Rhône-Villages, made in the communes of Vacqueyras and Sarrians between Gigondas and beaumes-de-venise (see map under rhône). The appellation rules are very similar to those of Gigondas, and thus to those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, although only half the grapes in a red Vacqueyras have to be Grenache. The rest are usually Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsaut. Vacqueyras tends to be slightly more rustic than good Gigondas, but producers such as Ch des Tours, now operated in conjunction with Ch Rayas of châteauneuf-du-pape, at least back up that rusticity with power and concentration.
