Wine Characteristics

• The winegrowing area of Côtes du Rhône in Southeastern France is a large regional appellation stretching along the banks of the Rhône river from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. It is protected by a Denomination of Controlled Origin certification guaranteeing that winegrowers adhere to strict quality specifications. Ninety-five percent of the production is red wine made of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and other varieties blended together.

Informal Foods

• Côtes du Rhône is an easygoing wine celebrated for its versatility and value. Medium-bodied and fruity, with aromas of ripe cherry or berries coupled with pleasant acidity and minerality, it pairs well with informal foods from the grill or from the oven. It works equally well with pasta, baked vegetables, sausages, white or red meat, grilled fish or cold cuts such as mortadella. Côtes du Rhône is a particularly good choice to serve with pizza.

French Cuisine

• Steven Kolpan, professor and chair of wine studies at The Culinary Institute of America, describes Côtes du Rhône on the website “Salon” as “the anti-Cabernet, never ponderous or overly complicated.” Its ability to accompany a meal without dominating it makes it a good fit for unpretentious, brasserie-style French cuisine. Try it with onion or cream of mushroom soup, hachis parmentier made of mashed potato with minced meat or duck, ratatouille, rabbit or even a fancier duck à l’orange.

Spicy Dishes

• The peppery note of Syrah and Mourvèdre makes Côtes du Rhône a good match for spicy dishes, including well-seasoned barbecues. Brush chicken drumsticks with Asian barbecue sauce flavored with Chinese five-spice, hoisin sauce and chili sauce. The moderately hot Indian classic chicken tikka masala is also a good choice. Further up the heat scale, “Cooking Light” recommends serving a red wine low on tannins and alcohol, such as a Côtes du Rhône, slightly chilled to complement fiery lamb vindaloo.