Breaking the general rule that going south means more body, the Northern Rhône produces red wines that have more body, structure, meatiness and ageing potential than the southerly Côtes du Rhône. Here the Syrah grape makes the fine wines of Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph. While they are big wines, they have an elegance to them remin... See more

Alternatively, Côtes du Rhône and all its village AOPs such as Rasteau, Cairanne and Plan de Dieu, are medium-bodied wines that mature more quickly and have a softer kind of fruit than Bordeaux. The more expensive wines of the Southern Rhone, such as Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape are heavier bodied and more suited to grilled meat and... See more

The other type of Beaujolais is the traditionally-fermented one, which has deeper colour, more body and more tannin. Most of the Beaujolais Cru AOPs such as Brouilly, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent fall into this category. These are best served only slightly chilled. Both styles of Beaujolais are made from the Gamay grape.

Most poultry and game dishes generally call for a slightly heavier red wine. Burgundian Pinot noir is an obvious choice but Burgundy can be both eye-wateringly expensive and pretty full-bodied if it has been aged in barrels. An interesting source of lighter-bodied, fruit-driven Pinot noir are the AOPs Menetou-Salon and (for more money) Sancerre in ... See more