A Houston Pizza Restaurant Wine Find: This Côtes du Rhône Lives Up to the French Region’s Magic

GSM. Those three letters together mean one great thing: wine made from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. One region I go to again and again for some GSM is the Rhône, that magical land in France. So many wineries, and terroir in abundance. Historians speculate that the first cultivated vines in the region were planted around 600 BC, and the rest has been delicious history.

I recently ordered a Côtes du Rhône that I can recommend, and it’s a great value. (Pizzeria Solario, where I was dining, sells it for $30, but if you happen to dine there on a Monday the price is reduced by half … it’s half-off-bottles day.) The Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Reserve is 70 percent Grenache, 25 percent Syrah, and 5 percent Mourvèdre, a ratio that has resulted in a fresh, lively wine that is drinking well now. It’s a straightforward and uncomplicated pour, so don’t worry too much about what to order food-wise; we shared a carne pizza — pancetta, sweet sausage, prosciutto, soppressata — and the notes of ripe red fruit and touch of spice paired wonderfully with the pie. Burgers, pasta, and tacos would be wise with this as well.

Les Dauphins was named Rhône winery of the year at the 2015 New York International Wine Competition, and if you are looking for something new to add to your everyday wine list, give this GSM a try. Look for it to cost you $7-$9 in retail establishments.