Know your étiquette: Côtes-du-Rhône Villages

The Rhône Valley is home to some of France’s most important appellation contrôlée wines, both in terms of prestige (think northern Syrah crus such as Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, and southern Grenache-based crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and production.
Côtes-du-Rhône can be a little uneven in quality, but find a good one and you’re onto a winner in terms of value and drinkability. Australian drinkers are au fait with the concept thanks to the rich heritage here of Shiraz and so-called GSM blends, as well as the current strides we’re enjoying with stupendous varietal Grenache.
We take a Rhône overview with the help of a tasty Côte-du-Rhône Villages wine from one of the region’s icons, Paul Jaboulet Aîné.