Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone

Photo credit: me

Another Cotes du Rhone? I know, I know, but this one has a cute label and is on the shelf next to the Louis Bernard at the BC Liquor Store. They are at the same price point, $13.99 at the BCL, but I forced myself to try the less flashy of the two first because cute labels are a red flag when in comes to wine.

This Cotes du Rhone is a light-bodied blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 5% Mouvedre — a blend breakdown that's comparable to most wines produced in the region. In fact, while I didn't taste them side-by-side, my tasting notes indicate I may have enjoyed this one more than the first.

The makers of this fine wine tell us it pairs well with salads, plates of assorted cooked meats (a direct translation from French, if ever there was one), roast dishes and cheese. To me, this sounds like a pretty flexible list, so I decided to pair if with a pizza I'm absolutely in love with: The Stranger Wings from Virtuous Pie in Vancouver. It's got a white sauce as its base, and is topped with Buffalo cauliflower wings, crispy fried shallots, blue cheese drizzle, and scallions. That's basically a salad, right?

I don't have a lot more to tell you about this wine, other than after a six-hour shift doing volunteer recruitment for a charity, it was the perfect reward — especially when paired with a perfect, plant-based pizza.