A good summer is all about conviviality and friendship. Friends, BBQs, the pool or the sea, walks, and good food and drinks! It's all about taking time out, relaxing, and having fun...

At Xavier Vignon, we've got everything you need to enjoy yourself while staying cool: a bucket, a few ice cubes, and there you have it. Yes, you can - and should - chill your wines, even your reds! And off you go for two months of wine tasting.

Let's begin with the 2020 red Côtes du Rhône Villages "Terroirs d'exception,"; a red wine predominantly made from Syrah grapes, grown on high-altitude plots to preserve all their freshness. With its well-expressed ripe flavors of fruit, supple tannins, and full-bodied texture, this confident wine will pair well with filets of duckling or grilled sausages, as well as with a flaky vegetable tart with black olives or zucchini stuffed with quinoa and fromage frais.

Next up is the 2022 Côtes du Rhône Rosé, made from the same terroirs selected by Xavier Vignon, an intense, fruity organic wine that unfurls a whole, fresh palate structured around notes of spice, red fruit, and thyme. Enjoy it with anchovy pizza, pasta salad with tuna and olives, or, more traditionally, Thai-style sautéed shrimp. Try a strawberry soup with basil and a scoop of red fruit ice cream to extend your meal.

Try the 2022 white Côtes du Rhône, a subtle blend of grape varieties dominated by Viognier's warm, charming aromas for even more freshness. Yellow fruit, citrus, and fresh flowers are the main ingredients of this elegant, mellow wine, which finishes on a fresh, saline note. Why not pair it with baked sea bream, a tasting of goat's cheese or Mexican-style eggs, pan-fried with bell pepper, avocado, tomato, onion, garlic clove, and a hint of chili pepper?

Last but not least, the king of wines, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape! The white wine is a rarity, representing less than 6% of the appellation's volume... A confidential wine to be reserved for more sophisticated dishes, such as a brouillade with truffle oil, an oriental tabbouleh with mint and dried fruit, or baked sea bream.