Look for this word on the label to find classic, affordable Côtes du Rhône

Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Villages Rhône Valley, France

$11.59

13.5% alcohol

PLCB Item #6794

Sale price through June 30; regularly $14.59

The Rhône is one of the most important wine regions in the south of France, known for making affordable and satisfying red wines like this one, a flavorful yet midweight blend of grenache and syrah. The Rhône river flows south from the city of Lyon toward the Mediterranean, running first swiftly through frigid, narrow, and steeply-terraced terrain where only syrah can survive before slowing into wide and lazy curves as it nears sea level. These southern flats centered on the medieval walled city of Avignon have much warmer weather that makes vineyards more viable and a different grape performs better here as well.

Grenache has come to dominate, typically making up at least 70% and as much as 100% of the fruit used for reds made in these southern reaches of the Rhône valley. As is common in France, the most plentiful wines are named for the larger region and their fruit can be grown anywhere within the boundaries of the Côtes du Rhône appellation. The region’s finest wines carry only the name of much smaller “communes”, or municipalities, most of which are small villages like Châteauneuf du Pape or Gigondas. However, there is a middle category worth seeking out called Côtes du Rhône Villages, of which today’s wine is a great example.

The inclusion of the word “villages” in any French wine appellation is an honorific, an indicator of superior quality to which only select municipalities with a track record of excellence are entitled. In this case, there are 172 communes that can produce Côtes du Rhône wines, but only 22 of them qualify for making Côtes du Rhône Villages. This example is produced by the family behind one of the region’s best Châteauneuf du Pape estates, the legendary Château de Beaucastel, and features the classic flavor profile associated with the region, of stewed strawberries and black cherries with a stout texture that is quite dry, but neither too tart nor too tannic. Its aromas have a distinctive meatiness that adds an appetizing but savory complexity, evoking the scents of Mediterranean charcuterie specialties like peppery Italian soppressata or smoky Spanish chorizo.

Also available at:

WineWorks in Marlton, $10.98

www.wineworksonline.com/

Roger Wilco in Pennsauken, $10.98

rwilco.com/

Wine Legend in Cherry Hill, $13.11

winelegendcherryhill.com/