Best Free Wine Tasting - Asheville, North Carolina

Cotes du Rhone - The Perfect Winter Warmer Wine

Cotes du Rhone is a wine as well as a vast series of vineyeards that sit on either side of the Rhone River in the southeastern part of France. For centuries, wines have been made here, but it really wasn’t until the latter part of the 20th century that these wines became popular in the United States. Red wines are the most familiar to most wine consumers, but the region does produce its fair share of whites and dry rosés as well. In our opinion, this is one of the world’s top zones for tremendous wine values and winter is the perfect season to drink them. The reds are typically medium to full bodied with generous fruit, spice, and mineral and herbal notes.

Join us this Friday any time between 4 and 7 p.m. to sample three of our favorite Cotes du Rhones. From easy-drinking and affordable to big, rich, and cellar worthy, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of the wines and the region. Even better, if you like to save money, our week-end tastings are the perfect opportunity to do so. We offer discounts of 10% off by the bottle, 15% off if you mix any 6 to 11 tasting wines, and 20% off if you mix any 12 or more tasting wines. Taste, learn, and save every week-end at Table Wine!

The Wines
Prices range from $13 to $23

1. 2013 La Grange de Piaugier Cotes du Rhone – This proved itself to be a customer favorite over the holidays, and we’re glad to have it back in stock. Domaine de Piaugier is situated in and around the village of Sablet, which stands proudly at the feet of the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail in the Vaucluse department of the Southern Rhône. Their La Grange de Piaugier is Rhône field-blend, with primarily Grenache, then Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan from 20+-year-old vines. It is fermented in cement tank, with a seven-day fermentation period, and the resulting wine is a tremendous introduction to red Cotes du Rhone. Medium weight and pure, with zesty fruit along with pepper and Provencal herbs on the nose and the palate, it’s an uncomplicated wine for drinking with or without food.

2. 2013 Domaine Amido Cotes du Rhone Villages Signargue – This is the best selling wine in the history of the store! The Amido Family are based in Lirac, just west of Chateauneuf du Pape, and their Cotes du Rhone Signargues comes from a number of villages throughout the Southern Rhone. Produced from a blend of roughly 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre. It is fermented in cement to preserve the natural purity of the grapes, and the resulting wine shows more fruit intensity than its predecessor. Full bodied, and packed with ripe raspberry, kirsch, and blueberry fruit, it finishes with just a whiff of earth and pepper.

3. 2012 Chateau de St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone les Deux Albion – Luis Barruol of Chateau de St. Cosme is one of the Rhone’s master winemakers and he’s been on a hot streak with all of his wines, from his basic Cotes du Rhones to his incredible Gigondas. “A wine that comes all from estate vineyards (mostly Plan de Dieu and Cairanne) since 2008, the 2012 Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albions is mostly Grenache and Syrah, yet also includes a tiny amount of Clairette and other permitted varieties. It exhibits knockout notes of dark fruits, chocolate, smoked meats and pepper. This is followed by a ripe, textured and beautifully pure effort that has both richness and freshness. Drink it anytime over the coming 7-8 years.” Jeb Dunnuck (The Wine Advocate) – 91 points