The Cote du Ventoux is in Southern France, in Provence. Being adjacent to the Rhone region**, its wines are similar, both in the grapes used and the styles produced. In France, the region is defined by the government, and the grapes that are allowed in wines using the name of the region are controlled by law. For example, a "burgundy" wine means it comes from within the recognized boundaries of the Burgundy (or Bourgogne) region and contains pinot noir. (It's a lot more complicated than that, actually, but close enough.) The usual grapes in Ventoux are Syrah (also know as Shiraz), Grenache, Mourvedre, and several other less important ones (though real wine snobs will get on me for omitting Cinsault from the list, so I won't).
A typical Ventoux red is a fairly sharp wine, with strong acidity and a style that ranges from rough to punch you in the mouth. It's usually hot, befitting the hot summer climate of the region, and even when it's not high in alcohol, can leave a raw alcohol taste at the end.
Okay, I said no wine snobbery, so why the lesson? Well, simply put, because this wine is not at all typical of the Ventoux wines I have tasted in the past, and this is a very good thing. Don't get me wrong: under the right circumstances, I like typical ones just fine. But this wine is a good deal lighter than many others. If you hold the glass over a white piece of paper or table cloth, it's much lighter in color than other Rhone reds, and it lacks that hot, sharp, raw taste that often presents itself. A usual Ventoux I would have with a big slab of beef or game. This one, I'd rather sip. It would also be a fun wine to take to other value-conscious friends, especially if they fancy they know something about wine. It is atypical enough you might just surprise them.
Rating: 4 points. $9.99. Excellent value, good points for doing something original without being goofy.
Drink it, or eat it with lighter meats. Burgers are probably good, and it's a rare red wine that I might try with a chicken dish, esp. something with leg and thigh meat in it.
(**I've never been to France. If it turns out Ventoux is technically within the Rhone region, don't sue me. But the wine people I ask these things of generally call it Provence, not Rhone.)
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