So last week I headed down to this Rhone touch exhibition. As I said yesterday it was run by the Rhone wine marketing board in partnership with Central Saint Martins Art School. As much as having a great time and seeing all the cool stuff the students had come up with, it was also about getting the punters to have a try of the range of Rhone wines. How can you get stuck in yourself?
The Rhone is sat in the middle and towards the South of France. You get a lot of heat but also a lot of wind whipping down the river valley, so it’s pretty perfect for some warm weather grapes. There are quite a few that go into blends, but the two big red varieties are Syrah and Grenache, and the more famous white one is Viognier.
The best way to start is by heading for a bottle of wine that says Cotes Du Rhone or Cotes Du Rhone Villages on the bottle, both require certain standards of wine making. The reds are usually fruity, spicy, and go great with any food containing bacon (Lancashire hotpot nails it)!! The whites have a bit of alcoholic punch, and a bit more viscous in the mouth, really lovely with milder curries. Mostly they’re under £10 and pretty low risk stuff. Start with them and trade up from there.
Next time you’re in the supermarket and see a bottle on the shelf, pick one up and have a go. Let us know how you go.
Cheers
Thanks for providing us the details about the varietals in the Rhone Region.
Pleasure, let me know your favourites when you give them a try
I will do that. So far the only Cote Du Rhone Wine I have tasted is from Paso Robles CA.
Cote Du Rhone from Paso Robles? Now I’m really confused 🙂
The winery I think of in Paso Robles who puts out Rhone-Styled Varietals is Tablas Creek http://www.tablascreek.com/
Ah right oh, cool, well give the French ones a go and let us know how they compare
I will do that!
I love love love Rhône wines… that’s the stuff!
Thanks for your blog. So much love for these wines! Great bang for your buck. Been revamping a restaurant’s wine list and I’ve had to rein myself in at tastings because the list will just be Rhone and Grenache/Syrah blends. Really enjoy your cheeky writing style.
Ah thanks so much!! Punters love Cotes Du Rhone, don’t they? Does so much across the food menu…