Côtes du Rhône wines

Based largely in the south of France’s Rhône Valley wine region, the Côtes du Rhône AOC is home to some of France’s most popular and famous wines.

The Côtes du Rhône is especially renowned for its red blends, predominantly made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These reds are known for their robust structure, intense fruit flavours and medium to full body.

The region also produces white and rosé wines from various grape varieties, including Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Clairette and Roussanne. The white blends from Côtes du Rhône are typically full-bodied and rich, with a soft, crisp finish through to surprisingly aromatic wines with floral and stone fruit finishes.

The Côtes du Rhône appellation covers the AOC vineyards in the southern Rhone that do not fall into higher categories such as Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe AOC. While Côtes-du-Rhône does also technically include the northern Rhône, northern Côtes-du-Rhône wines are rarely seen.

While winemaking in the Rhône Valley dates back to pre-Roman times, the Côtes du Rhône appellation, as known today, was established more recently – around 80 years ago.

In 1966, a new appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC was added, in recognition of the consistently high-quality wines produced by certain outlying villages. The Côtes du Rhône AOC now serves as a catch-all for good-quality wines from less famous and lesser-known areas, mainly from the southern part of the Rhône Valley.

The Rhône Valley is split into two banks by the Rhône River. Historically, wines from the northern part of the valley (located on the left bank of the river) were greatly valued by European kings and the papal community in nearby Avignon. This popularity led to the region creating regulations to ensure the high quality of the wines in the 17th century – a precursor to the AOC system.

While the Côtes du Rhône AOC does cover both the northern and southern Rhône, it is almost always used to describe the wines of the Southern Rhône. Within the Côtes-du Rhone there is also a higher classification, Côtes du Rhône Villages.

• Côtes du Rhône AOC: This appellation refers to wines from the vineyards surrounding the southern Rhône’s more famous names, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. Its wines are made from the same grape varieties as its more famous neighbours – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre – and can often be great value alternatives to the pricier AOCs. 
• Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC: This appellation was created in recognition of the higher quality of wines coming from certain Rhône villages. Around 90 villages are entitled to label their wines Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC. Of these, 18 may include their name on the label, indicating even higher quality.Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC grows the same grapes as can be found in the Côtes du Rhône AOC but with slightly stricter regulations for grape growing and winemaking. As a result, wines from the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC are more complex and have excellent ageing potential.

The Côtes du Rhône region grows a variety of grape types, and the appellation permits the use of 21 different grape varieties.

The most popular grapes grown include:

• Grenache: This is the most widely planted grape in the Southern Rhône. Wines produced from Grenache are usually powerful and full-bodied, with red fruit flavours.
• Syrah (Shiraz): Predominantly grown in Northern Rhône, Syrah adds structure, tannins and a spicy character to the Côtes du Rhône blends.
• Mourvèdre: This grape contributes colour and dark fruit flavours to the wines.

Other grape varieties grown include Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Cinsault, Carignan and Ugni Blanc. While red blends are most commonly associated with Côtes du Rhône, white and rosé wines are also popular, using white varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Viognier.

Côtes du Rhône is most famous for its blended red wines, which are based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. This combination is so successful that Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blends can be found across the winemaking world, from South Australia to Chile – where they are often referred to as GSM blends.

The main red wines from the Côtes du Rhône region are Côtes-du-Rhône AOC and Côtes-du-Rhône AOC Villages. 20 villages are allowed to append their name to the Côtes-du-Rhône AOC Villages AOC, signifying a further step up in quality. 

The better known Côtes du Rhône AOC Village include:

• Valreas
• Seguret
• Sablet
• Chusclan
•  Laudun

Within the southern Rhône region, surrounded by Côtes du Rhône AOC you’ll also find individual appellations that are AOCs in their own right, including:

• Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC: The most famous appellations in the southern Rhône, producing robust, complex red wines primarily from Grenache, along with Syrah, Mourvèdre and many other permitted varieties.
• Gigondas AOC: This appellation produces powerful, full-bodied red wines from mostly Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvèdre commonly blended.
• Vacqueyras AOC: Similar to Gigondas, this appellation produces Grenache-dominant blends that are known for their balance and finesse.

While Côtes du Rhône is primarily known for its red wines, the region also produces white wines. Côtes du Rhône Blanc, the white counterpart to the iconic Côtes du Rhône red blend can include Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette and other grape varieties. These wines are often full-bodied and rich with a crisp finish and sweet notes of candied citrus, apricot and honey.

A Côtes du Rhône red blend is a very food-friendly wine with lush bramble fruit flavours. These delicious wines pair beautifully with roast lamb, venison or pork – fattier cuts of meat that have been slow-roasted to become tender. 

If you prefer white instead of red, pair a glass of Côtes du Rhône Blanc with dishes with complementary citrus and herbal flavours. White meats, such as chicken, turkey or pan-fried pork, in acidic orange or lemon sauces, are a perfect option. Perfect with the classic French dish of duck à l’orange.

To pair with a refreshing, deep pink Côtes du Rhône rosé you could pick from a selection of dishes – white fish, roast pork or duck, tomato-based pasta, spicy Thai noodles or cheese boards featuring soft French cheeses.

Discover more food and wine pairing tips.