Chicken A La Provençale

Provence's most serious red — Mourvèdre-dominated, structured, savory, with notes of black olive, leather, and Mediterranean herb. The age-worthy alternative to a southern Rhône.

Bordeaux's affordable shadow just to the east — same grape blends, simpler structure, much lower prices. The everyday red of southwest France.

The Rhône's most famous appellation — up to 13 grape varieties blended into something dense, warm, peppery, and unmistakable. Black cherry, garrigue, leather; built for braised lamb and aged cheese.

Syrah from the Rhône's steepest slopes, traditionally co-fermented with a touch of Viognier — bacon fat, violet, black pepper, brooding power. The reference for elegant Northern Rhône.

Provence rosé at its most classic — pale, dry, Mediterranean, with strawberry, citrus, and a saline finish. The wine of Provençal lunches.

Red · Medium · Dry

The blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that fills every wine list in France for a reason — friendly, peppery, slightly rustic, made to wash down anything from grilled vegetables to lamb stew.

Southern Rhône's other great red — Grenache-led, more structured than Côtes du Rhône, less expensive than Châteauneuf. Dark fruit, herbs, garrigue; built for slow-cooked lamb.

The Northern Rhône's grandest red — pure Syrah from a single granite hillside, age-worthy for decades. Black olive, smoked meat, violet, and a tannic spine that demands time.

Red · Medium · Dry

Cabernet's softer sibling — plum, black cherry, and a whisper of chocolate, framed by rounder tannins and earlier drinkability. The wine that built Pomerol and the one to reach for when Cabernet feels like overkill.