Côtes du Rhône

Côtes du Rhône is a dry, medium to full-bodied wine from France’s Rhône Valley, with the reds usually built around Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Expect ripe cherry, blackberry and plum with pepper, herbs and warming spice. Rich but easy-going, it’s brilliant with roast lamb, sausages, burgers, BBQ food, pizza and slow-cooked meat.

Taste:

Ripe fruit, herbs and spice – classic Rhône territory.

Red Côtes du Rhône is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with moderate tannins and plenty of juicy fruit. Expect red cherry, raspberry, blackberry and plum, often joined by black pepper, liquorice and warming spice.

Herbal flavours are another signature, particularly rosemary, thyme and other Mediterranean herbs. Richer or oak-aged examples can add darker fruit, earth, leather and subtle smoky notes.

Styles vary across the enormous Rhône Valley, but most reds manage to hit a very useful sweet spot: enough body and flavour to feel substantial, without needing a special occasion to open one.

Wednesday night just got an upgrade.

Food Pairings:

Côtes du Rhône is seriously easy to put on the dinner table.

Lamb is a great match, particularly roast lamb, lamb chops, lamb shank, lamb kebabs or slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, thyme or garlic.

For BBQ food, try burgers, BBQ ribs, grilled sausages, barbecued chicken, pulled pork or grilled lamb.

It also works brilliantly with roast beef, beef stew, slow-cooked beef, sausages and meatballs.

Pizza is another easy win, particularly pepperoni, sausage, spicy salami, mushroom or roasted vegetable pizza.

Mediterranean dishes such as moussaka, grilled aubergine, roasted peppers, tomato and lentil stew and herb-roasted vegetables work beautifully with the wine’s herbal, spicy character.

For cheese, try mature Cheddar, Comté, Gruyère or Gouda.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a natural next step for a richer, more complex expression of the Southern Rhône style.

Gigondas and Vacqueyras are also brilliant options if you want more power and structure.

To explore the grapes behind many red Côtes du Rhône blends, try Grenache, Syrah or Mourvèdre.

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More About Côtes du Rhône:

Côtes du Rhône is a large appellation covering vineyards throughout France’s Rhône Valley, from around Vienne in the north to areas close to Avignon in the south.

Red wine makes up the majority of production, and Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are among the key varieties, although numerous other grapes are permitted.

You may also come across Côtes du Rhône Villages, a step up in the appellation hierarchy with stricter production requirements. Some villages are permitted to put their own name on the label too.

And despite red being the style most people immediately associate with the name, Côtes du Rhône can also be white or rosé.

Apparently one colour wasn't enough.