2004 Domaine Alary Cotes du Rhone ‘La Gerbaude’

A beautiful, velvety Cotes du Rhone with lots of plummy fruit and round ripe tannins from Domaine Alary in Cairanne. Perfect for everyday drinking, this sturdy, delicious Rhone red will strut its stuff with roasted birds, pasta dishes, grilled chops and steaks, and of course anything from the barbecue. We’re talking Santa Maria style, not ribs slathered in sweet barbecue sauce.

Region: Southern Rhone

Price: About $12

Style: Ripe and juicy

Food it goes with: Roast chicken and duck, grilled meats

Where you find it: Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463; Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463; Third Corner Wine Shop & Bistro in Ocean Beach, (619) 223-2700; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454 and (800) 76WINEX; the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731; and Woodland Hills Wine Co. in Woodland Hills, (818) 222-1111.