If there's one French wine region that consistently overdelivers with affordable and drinkable wines, it's the Côtes du Rhône. While it's no longer a hidden gem and most people know about Côtes du Rhône, I still think these wines are often overlooked and underrated.
The region is situated along the Rhône River in the south-east of France. It's a long, varied region, but is generally split into two parts — Northern and Southern Rhône. The Northern part has smaller, steeper vineyards and stereotypically you could say more structured wines come out of this part. The Southern Rhône area is slightly warmer and produces wines which are rounder, softer and slightly easier to drink. Bottles labeled simply 'Côtes du Rhône' would usually (but not always) come from the Southern part.
The majority of Côtes du Rhône wines are blends, especially Southern Rhône wines. Single varietals (Viognier, Syrah, etc.) are more likely in the North, in Crus such as Condrieu and Cornas.
Reds from the South are usually a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, while the whites will be blends of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and Bourboulenc.
So to cut through all of that and actually talk about the wines! You're going to get reds that are soft, with flavours of red berries, a little spicy but very (dangerously) easy to drink and match with food. And white wines that are fresh, textural and a little aromatic.
In essence, wines from the Côtes du Rhône regions specifically are unassuming, unfussy and very approachable. In the Northern Rhone valley, the wines are well revered and a little bit more expensive especially from well-known Crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côte-Rôtie. But there are still some exceedingly good value wines that deliver a great experience and are worth a try.
As an advocate for NZ wines, I sometimes feel guilty for drinking and advertising international wine over NZ. However, since Grenache is extremely rare in NZ (it prefers very hot growing conditions), it's pretty difficult to find a similar Rhône wines here, unless of course you're heading for a single varietal Syrah. Still, it would be amiss to look over NZ entirely, so here are a few picks if you wanted to still support local.
Most of our Syrah comes out of Hawke's Bay, and it's worth saying that's not a cold place. Summer days there regularly push past 30°C but the growing season is much shorter than the Southern Rhône's. The nights have a tendency to stay cool so the grapes ripen with good flavour while hanging onto brighter acidity. The result is a Syrah that's leaner and more peppery than its warmer French counterparts. This is less about NZ being "cool climate" across the board, more about that short window and cool nights doing the shaping.
So if you are ready to jump in and try some of these great wines, here is what we are loving right now:
- Domaine Alary 'Tradition' Cairanne — named CRU but still great value.
- Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône — a reliable, well-known producer and a brilliant everyday drop
- Domaine Boutinet 'La Fleur Solitaire' Côtes du Rhône — the unfussy, easy-drinking entry point into the region
(Staff tip: these are great slightly chilled, especially the lighter reds.)
There's a Rhône here for every occasion, from an honest midweek red to a bottle worth saving for something special.
Pour one alongside dinner, or come and try a glass with us at the bar. After all, we have to have something to keep us going through Winter!