Syrah wine tour from Lyon: Taste Côte Rotie & Condrieu

Taste 11 wines across two family wineries on the steep terraces where Syrah was born

A half-day wine tour from Lyon into the Northern Rhône Valley, where you visit two family wineries and taste 11 wines from Côte Rotie, Condrieu and St Joseph appellations. Your guide, trained in wine and the region, walks you through the vineyards on slopes angled 30 to 60 degrees, then leads tastings in the cellars where the grapes are made. The tour runs 4.5 hours and returns you to Lyon by 1:30 pm.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Rhone Valley Wine Tour

• Meet guide at Lyon Office de Tourisme
• Walk to minivan and start tour
• Stop in Vienne for Roman theatre view
• Learn about terroir and grape characteristics
• Drive through Ampuis and visit Cote Rotie vineyards
• Drive on terraced slopes of Cote Brune and Cote Blonde
• Visit first family winery and tour vineyards
• Taste 6 Cotes du Rhone wines
• Drive through Condrieu and learn about Viognier grape
• Visit second winery in Malleval town
• Learn about wine-making and barrel aging
• Taste 6 Rhone wines including Viognier and Syrah
• Return to Lyon Bellecour Square

The experience

You meet your English-speaking guide at 8:50 am in front of the Lyon Office de Tourisme on Bellecour Square, then board an eight-seat minibus for the drive south. The Northern Rhône Valley sits only 25 minutes away, but the landscape shifts fast: within an hour you're looking at Roman theatre ruins in Vienne and the Rhône River below, then crossing into Ampuis, the world capital of Syrah production. The guide explains the terroir and grape varieties as you travel, so you're not just seeing the region. You're learning why it matters.

At the first winery, you walk the vineyards yourself on those steep terraced slopes: the "Côte Brune" and "Côte Blonde" hillsides that face the sun at angles that would make most vineyards impossible. Your guide shows you the work that goes into maintaining these ancient terraces, built under Roman times, and what the growers do year-round to get the best fruit. Then you move to the tasting room and work through six wines: Condrieu, St Joseph, Côte Rotie, and others, each one explained. At the second winery, often in Malleval, you taste five more wines and learn about barrel aging and the winemaking process itself from a guide with formal wine training. The Viognier here is aromatic and intense. The Syrah is what the region is known for.

You drive through Condrieu itself, the birthplace of the Viognier grape, and hear how this white wine almost disappeared from production before being revived. By 1:30 pm you're back at Bellecour Square in Lyon, having tasted 11 wines and walked the vineyards where they grow.

What’s included

• Expert guide trained in wine and the Lyon region.
• wine tasting of 11 Côtes du Rhône wines.
• private vineyard tours at two family wineries.
• air-conditioned eight-seat minibus.
• guiding in English and French.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 15 Mar 2027

Book up to10h before

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by KANPAI TOURISME

Is this one for you?Small groups of up to eight keep the pace relaxed and the tastings unhurried, so you're not rushed through the cellars or the vineyard walks. This suits anyone who wants to taste serious wines in their original terroir without the formality of a large tour group.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What are Côte Rotie and Condrieu, and why are they famous?

Côte Rotie, which means "roasted hillside," is a Syrah appellation in Ampuis on slopes angled 30 to 60 degrees facing the Rhône River. Condrieu is the birthplace of Viognier, a white wine that nearly disappeared but has been revived. Both are considered among the best wines of the Côtes du Rhône.

Do I walk the vineyards, or just see them from the bus?

You walk through the vineyards at the first winery, on the steep terraced slopes of Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, so you see the angles and the work firsthand. Your guide explains what the growers do to maintain the ancient Roman-built terraces and manage the vines.

How many wines do I taste, and where?

You taste 11 wines total across two wineries: six at the first winery and five at the second. The tastings happen in the cellars or tasting rooms, and your guide walks you through each one, explaining the winemaking process and barrel aging.

What time does the tour start and end?

The tour starts at 8:50 am with a meeting at the Lyon Office de Tourisme on Bellecour Square and ends at 1:30 pm when you're dropped back at the same location.

Is the minibus comfortable for a half-day drive?

The minibus seats eight passengers and has air-conditioning, so the ride is comfortable. The drive to the Northern Rhône Valley is only 25 minutes, and most of the day is spent in the vineyards and tasting rooms rather than on the road.