Côtes du Rhône Red Wines for Summer

These bottle details are from 2024. Vintages, pricing and availability change over time.

Summer wine advice tends to begin and end with white and rosé, which is convenient but leaves an entire color sitting sadly by the grill. Côtes du Rhône reds can work surprisingly well in warm weather, particularly bottles with bright fruit and enough acidity to keep dinner from feeling heavier than the patio furniture.

Why Côtes du Rhône reds work in summer

Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are central grapes in many Rhône blends, producing combinations of berry and dark-fruit flavors, herbs and spice. For warm-weather drinking, look for reds that are fruit-forward and balanced rather than aggressively tannic. A slight chill can also make a red more refreshing without turning it into something it was never meant to be.

They are especially useful around grilled food, burgers and vegetables. If you want to explore beyond France, our guide to wines for family dinners offers more bottles and pairing ideas.

LePlan-Vermeersch Suze la Rousse 2021

The LePlan-Vermeersch AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze la Rousse 2021 combined Mourvèdre and Syrah. In our original notes, ripe blueberry and plum flavors led into star anise, with Syrah supplying a smooth fruit character and Mourvèdre adding structure and a grittier tannic edge.

Domaine de l’Odylée La Talentueuse 2020

Domaine de l’Odylée’s AOC Côtes du Rhône Rouge La Talentueuse 2020 paired Grenache and Syrah. The profile leaned toward lush fruit, herbs and spice, making it the sort of red that could move from grilled vegetables to steak without requiring everyone at the table to agree on dinner first.

Domaine Saint Damien La Bouveau 2022

Domaine Saint Damien’s AOC Côtes du Rhône Rouge La Bouveau 2022 brought vibrant fruit and acidity that made it particularly suited to the summer theme. We liked the idea of serving it with barbecue or giving it a modest chill before pouring.

Serving red wine in warm weather

“Room temperature” becomes a questionable instruction when the room is 82 degrees and somebody has opened the patio door for the sixth time. A short stay in the refrigerator can make a lighter red more refreshing. The goal is cool, not refrigerator-cold.

Red wine does not need to disappear when summer arrives. Pick the right bottle, cool it a little and put it next to the grill. Rosé will recover from the competition.