North / South Rhone Grapes

Northern Rhone- Septentrionales (Ok this is cool, Septentrion is the antiquated french term for northern, coming from the ancient roman septen (meaning seven) and trion (meaning steer or pulling pack animal) which was the term they used to refer to the big dipper, as in the seven stars always revolving with the earth, but always pointing to the north)

Grapes:
Viognier - White
Marsanne - White
Roussane - White
Syrah - Red

simple point. all reds in the north are made with syrah, but they are allowed to blend in a small percent of these white varietals to soften what historically would have been huge tannic wines, mostly due to maceration with stems.

now Viognier commands such high prices, that most growers will make viognier alone.

Northern and Southern Rhone are divided by the town of Montelimar

Southern Rhone - Meridionales ( Meridian being the equator, or halfway mark, so referencing the southern half)

Grapes from the Southern Rhone get complicated, because for example, the wines in Chateauneuf-de-Pape can use ANY of 13 grapes in the wines, but if they only use one grape in a red wine it must be Grenache