E. Guigal was founded in Ampuis, France in 1946 as the country began to recover from the devastation of World War Two. Etienne Guigal established the firm and his son Marcel has led the estate since 1961. Today, Marcel's son Philippe serves as Director and Oenologist, continuing the family tradition of leadership in the Rhone Valley.

Rhone wines have gained popularirty in the United States over the last half decade. My visit to the region in September of this year was a real eye opener in terms of the diversity and quality throughout the valley. The Rhone wines offer lots of options for food pairings with whatever your holiday table will addorned with this season.

Here's a look at three current offerings from E. Guigal

2011 E. guigal Cotes Du Rhone Rouge (AOC Cotes Du Rhone) $17

Grapes for the cuvee are selected from over 40 top growers from throughout the appelation. The Guigal team travels extensively to tour vineyards and taste rigorously each year in search of the best. Only 1% of what they taste is selected for this wine, which has been primarily Syrah based since 1998. The 2011 is 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 5% Mouvedre. Definitely drinks well above it's price point and is certainly worthy of 4-5 aging, but drinkable now.

2011 E. Guigal Crozes Hemritage (AOC Crozes Hermitage) $27

Crozes-Hermtiage is the largest of the Northern Rhone appelations with just over 2500 acres of Syrah for red wine and Marsanne and Rousaane for white. Guigal produced a red Crozes-Hermitage for the first time in 1999. They use mostly their own Syrah grapes supplemented by additonal wines from more than a dozen cellars , focusing exclusively on cuvees from low-yielding, hillside vineyards. Aromas of blackberry, dried violets, anise and smoked meat with flavors of currant, baked cherry, mint, and fresh ground black pepper.

201 E. Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape (AOC Chateauneuf-du-Pape) $53

Few producers take the time to age Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the traditonal manner and produce wines that are integrated, and complex, yet ready to drink on release. E. Guigal has become known for raising the bar in the region in terms of commitment to quality and this wine offers an excellent example of this. Full bodied and rich while young, it will also continue to develop for 5-10 years in the bottle. Composed of 70% old vine Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mouvedre. Rich in texture with lush black cherry, firm tannins, smoke, and subtle flavor of bacon. Complex, lively and fascinating!

The E. Guigal wines are distributed locally by Cutting Edge Wines. While you likely won't find them in major chain grocery stores, you should be able to purchase them in better wine shops and restaurants. If your favorite wine shop doesn't carry E. Guigal, they can easily acquire them for you through Cutting Edge Wines. If you haven't begun your own adventure into tasting Rhone Valley wines, E. Guigal is a great place to start. Get some on your holiday dinner table  or party planning list this year!