I'll drink to that where we get behind the scenes of the beverage business.

I'm Levy Dalton.

I'm Erin Scala and here's our show today. Oh, Standing Sentinel along the Rhone River, the hill of Ermitage rises up in a crook of the river's path.

The winds of Ermitage have been on the radar of royal European courts for centuries, and their

popularity dates back to Roman times.

You'll even find some vestiges of ancient Roman winemaking in the Vinpai or

straw wine a sweet wine made from dried grapes.

You'll also find Marsan-Rusan blends,

and you'll find some haunting serras,

usually grown around a 13th century Knights refuge

or Ermitage from where the region takes its name.

Ermitage faces some modern challenges.

The land prices are high, and the wines don't sell for prices that correspond to land and labor costs.

So because from the business side of things, Ermitage wines don't really translate into easy money.

Here you really find people who've poured their hearts and souls into the

production of the wines. And because Ermitage is tiny, just shy of one and a

half kilometers squared, you can really get to know the handful of key players who are continuing. of kilometers

square, you can really get to know the handful of key players who are continuing the long

tradition of Ermitage winemaking.

In a way, the producers here are stewards of Surah.

This is likely the birthplace of Surah after all,

and its unique expressiveness on these hills is extraordinary.

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