Wine with Leslie: Think white, think Côtes-du-Rhône!

White Rhône wines are great with food and well worth exploring; you’ll find three below.

Simon Tyrrell of Les Deux Cols winery tells me that he sold out of white wine last autumn, something unheard of in the past. Pic: iStock

For as long as I can remember Côtes-du-Rhône marketed itself with ‘Think Red, Think Côtes-du-Rhône’. Not anymore, the emphasis now is on sustainable production, more sparkling and light reds and a ‘Rhône in White’ focus.

The plan is to double white production (currently around 7%). In 2024 Gigondas Blanc began arriving on shelves following a lobbying campaign from producers in that village. Previously, producers were forced to sell their whites as plain old Côtes-du-Rhône. The crus of Rasteau and Vinsobres are hoping to follow suit and it makes sense, white Châteauneuf-du-Pape (based largely on grenache blanc) has always been available if rather underappreciated.