The Wine Enthusiast Magazine recognized Rhône Valley, a famous wine producing region in southeastern France, with the “2010 Wine Region of the Year” award at Wine Star Awards held in New York recently.

“The Rhône Valley wine region is dedicated to producing wines that are high-quality yet accessible; wines that are food-friendly and appeal to a variety of discerning palates,” Christian Paly, president of Inter Rhône, said in a statement expressing pride over the honor.

According to the magazine editors, Rhône Valley wine region’s excellent vintages and quality work earned it the distinguished award. It is the first French region to be honored with such an award in the history of Wine Star Awards, they said.

“When we considered its recent string of top vintages and growing environmental stewardship, it emerged as a clear favorite choice as Wine Enthusiast's Region of the Year,” Joe Czerwinski, senior editor and tasting director for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, said on the occasion.

Rhône Valley located along the Rhône River, between Lyon and Avignon in France, is known for crafting one of the world’s most diverse collections of wines that are “always right”. The valley has over 6,000 vineyards and produces about 400 million bottles of wine every year, reaching out to approximately 150 countries, as per 2009 figures. Currently, the U.S. is the second largest export market for Rhône Valley Wines.