What's Going On in the World of French Wines

Recently, Bill, Peter and I had the pleasure of meeting Rosie and Donald Cox, the winners of the Ultimate French Wine Lover’s Sweepstakes. We met them for dinner in Greensboro, NC at one of my favorite restaurants in North Carolina, Bistro Sofia. I’ll admit that I’m a bit partial to this particular restaurant for very sentimental reasons – it was where we had our rehearsal dinner before our wedding in Lexington, North Carolina.

Bistro Sofia is a wonderful place – cozy and full of charm. It is located in an old house near Guilford College. A strong supporter of local and organic produce and using seasonal ingredients, it even has its own large garden to help supply the restaurant. We were amused to discover that due to some pumpkin seeds in the compost they had been using, Bistro Sofia is now growing pumpkins! I’m planning to check their menu come fall to see just what they do with them…

It was so nice to be able to meet Rosie and Donald before their big trip to Burgundy and Bordeaux. They are, as you can imagine, unbelievably excited. During dinner they explained to me how much they love to travel and that they are especially excited for this trip as it will be their first time in France. Rosie and Donald had lots of questions about what they should expect to experience in Bordeaux and Burgundy, and so as we ate I explained some of the different things they might see and do on their trip. I was also able to give them some advice on things to bring and clothes to wear (although the advice was not all one-sided – Rosie and Donald had some great tips for us on visiting the NC Museum of Transportation – you can bet Peter’s excited!). It was also fun for me to hear some feedback from Donald about his experiences reading my blog – I really do love having the opportunity to hear from my readers!

While part of the reason for our dinner was so that we could all have a chance to meet and chat, another reason for our get-together was so that I could present them with some fun gifts! In addition to some wine openers, a wine and food pairing wheel and a guide to French wines, I wanted to give Rosie and Donald some suitable attire for their trip. I think that they will find the black t-shirts (with the Wines of France logo, of course!) perfect for working in a winery! In preparation for their harvest work, Rosie and Donald have been doing some research on French wines and also on what happens during the winemaking process. Although it’s a great deal of information to absorb, I know that there will be lots of things they will read about now that will come in handy in just a few short weeks!

Our dinner was really quite a treat and I have to say a big thank you to Bistro Sofia for making us feel so at home. For our first course, we all started with something a bit different. Donald opted for a cheese course and Rosie ordered the Bistro salad (organic greens, poached egg, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, sherry vinaigrette). I chose the Warm Pistachio Crusted Chèvre (with poached pear compote and roasted pear vinaigrette) and Bill selected the soup du jour – a Tarragon and Fennel soup. With such a wide variety of dishes, I decided that this would be a great course for some Champagne. I was thrilled to see that the half bottle of Taittinger Brut was on the list (it is one of my Wines of France picks). It was a great match for all of us and it definitely helped give the evening a celebratory feel!

For the main course, Rosie and I both ordered the Steak Frites (grilled top sirloin, pommes frites and a red wine sauce) and interestingly, Bill and Donald both chose the Pomegranate Glazed Grilled Chicken Breast with vegetable tagine and saffron rice. Peter decided that macaroni and cheese (along with some of my pommes frites and carrots and Daddy’s chicken) would be a good choice. Given the different dishes and also because their two main destinations are going to be Bordeaux and Burgundy, I selected a red Bordeaux and a white Burgundy from sommelier Nathan Prater’s list to accompany our main course. The Bordeaux, which was the 2002 Château Cantemerle, was a nice match with the steak, while the 2004 Domaine des Chazelles Viré-Clessé, a Chardonnay from Burgundy that was very tropical and toasty, was excellent with the pomegranate chicken.

Since no celebratory meal is complete without something a bit sweet, we all decided to splurge and order dessert. Peter chose the chocolate ice cream, while Rosie and I both selected the crepes with apple compote and crème Chantilly (great minds think alike!). Donald had the Crème Brulée and Bill, the ice cream and sorbet trio. I love sweet wines, so I had brought along a bit of a treat, a 2001 Sauternes from Chateau Rieussec. It was a lovely match with the crepes and with the crème brulée.

As we said our goodbyes later that night, we were amazed to realize that our dinner had lasted for almost three hours – and it was all the more surprising given that my two and a half year old was still behaving himself! Although part of that might also have to do with the cool green flashlight that Rosie happened to have with her that she gave to Peter to play with – even with all of the toys I had brought along to entertain him during dinner, that was the biggest hit of all!

It was such a pleasure to have a chance to meet Rosie and Donald; I can’t wait to hear about all their adventures in France. They leave in a few short weeks, so keep checking back here for more updates on their trip; once they’re over there, we will all get a chance to see – thanks to their daily postings on my blog - how the 2008 harvest in France is going.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Nancy Rugus, who is the Director of the Americas for Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus, a Bordeaux negociant. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about a subject near and dear to her heart – French Wine!

1. How did you get started in the wine business?

I fell in love with food and wine. I was teaching in the NYC public schools and took a leave of absence to start selling wine in NYC for a wine division at one of the larger distributors. I had no experience in the wine trade but have always enjoyed my work and never went back to teaching.

2. Tell us a little bit about the Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus.

Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus is a Bordeaux negociant that has experienced steady growth over the past 5 to 10 years. We think of ourselves as a distribution company and not just as a trader of wines. We take a long-term perspective, building strong partnerships throughout the USA.

3. What is your favorite French region and why?

Well of course, it’s Bordeaux. Bordeaux consistently produces quality wines that often can have long aging ability. It is also a region of great diversity with something for everyone - not only in terms of price but also in terms of style. I have had some of the most wonderful experiences there. The French have always shown me nothing but the warmest reception and hospitality – not necessarily what many Americans realize about them.

4. What is the most memorable French wine that you have ever tasted?

I’ve had many great wines so it is very difficult to answer this question. The most memorable would be a few from the St Julien appellation that I had at a Marvin Overton tasting some years ago, coming from the late 1800’s. The wines were still fresh although short lived and this experience gives me certain bragging rights. But I would have to say that almost any really good wine that is perfectly ready to drink can only give great pleasure.

5. What is your favorite food and French wine pairing that might surprise people?

Simple Roast Chicken with a well-balanced Bordeaux wine. I often get pleasure from the simplest combinations and some of the best memories I have of wine and food are not just about the wine & food, but the total experience – sharing it with other friends and family.

6. What three wines would you have to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

A great Sauternes - very complex, yet fruity and elegant wine; a great Bordeaux - young or with a little age, different sensations but all giving instant pleasure (not bad on a desert island); and certainly Champagne - the bubbles always make me feel wonderful!

7. What French wine do you drink most frequently?

I love Bordeaux and drink it very often - but also drink Burgundy, especially the whites which can be exceptional. I also enjoy a glass of Champagne as an aperitif as often as I can.

8. What do you see as the biggest change in Bordeaux in the last 10 years?

The fact that there are almost no bad vintages any more. Some vintages may not produce wines you would want to put down and age for a long time, but overall, there really haven’t been any bad vintages in recent years.

9. What is the biggest misconception Americans have about French wine?

I think many people are intimidated, thinking that it is complicated to understand the wines. That is mostly because the varietal name is rarely used in France and American consumers are used to seeing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.

Sometimes even wine experts (and devoted wine lovers) get wine block. I call it wine block because it reminds me of writer’s block. I define it as the inability to be able to decide what bottle to open with dinner leading to one skipping wine altogether in favor of an alternative beverage.

And so, I will admit to the fact that my last two dinners have been wine-free. I know – I was a bit shocked with myself…On Wednesday nights I have my half-marathon training group class. We got to run hills in a downpour – ironically, the 3rd straight week that we have had rain on Wednesday evenings. Bill and I had decided ahead of time that I would pick up some sort of take-out on the way home and he was in charge of coming up with the place. When I got back to my car, he had texted me some selections from PF Changs, an Asian/Thai chain. We have never ordered takeout from there before, but decided to try it just to do something different. I spent the whole way home with the food in the car trying to decide what wine I would open to go with our meal.

Except, once I got home and showered and we finally sat down to dinner, I discovered I wasn’t really in the mood for wine. I was a bit surprised with myself – I had come up with several candidates to choose from, including one wine (given recently by a friend) that I was eager to try. But I just couldn’t do it. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my legs felt a bit like jelly at the time – due less to running the hills than to my all-out sprint to the car to get out of the rain – but somehow, I ended up going for a glass of milk. While I am a devoted milk drinker, somehow it just didn’t seem to spice up my meal the same way a glass of wine does.

Last night, for a variety of reasons, we ended up going out for some pizza. It is one of our son’s favorite things to eat and somehow he seems to have figured out how to spell it. When we were discussing different options and I spelled out P-I-Z-Z-A, Peter immediately perked up and said “let’s go get pizza.” Not wanting to argue with a two and a half year old, we headed for a local brick oven pizza joint a few miles from home. Now, while this place has a decent wine list, they also happen to have an awesome beer list. So, you can guess what I ordered….yep, that’s right, beer. And it was very good too. It was from a local brewery and while I tend to prefer lagers over ales, this was a German style ale that was excellent and it was great with my pizza.

So, as I sat down today to work on a post for the blog, I found myself a little stymied and a bit at a loss for a topic for my post. And that’s when I realized that I have a case of wine block. Clearly, two days without any tasting, let alone drinking, of wine isn’t a good thing. And so, dear readers (note – I’ve been dying to work that phrase in lately – it seems like everybody else uses it on a blog and I have been wanting to try it out), tonight I will attempt to break my wine block. And I know just what I want to open. But, if you have any suggestions for me on new wines to try, I’d love to hear them – I might need to break through a wine block again soon!

I was working on a post for the blog this weekend about Champagne, and in discussing the legend of Dom Perignon “discovering” sparkling wine, I was reminded of some of the myths, stories and legends that are out there about wine. So many of them are fun and they help to make wine really come alive. As a history-lover, I find these different stories fascinating, so besides the story of Dom Perignon and drinking stars, I thought I would share a few of my other favorite wine-time stories.

Better than medication

Legend has it that wine was discovered by accident by a concubine in Iran. Unhappy with her situation (some stories have her rejected by the king, others have her miserable due to her status in the harem), she decides to drink the supposedly poisonous remains of spoiled grapes. Instead of dying, she wakes up feeling very refreshed (or with a big hangover, again depending on the version). She shares her discovery with the rest of the court and thus, viola, wine is born. By the way, there is another version of this story where the concubine has a huge headache and out of desperation, she drinks from the spoiled grapes. Instead of dying, she discovers she has found a cure for her migraine. Imagine using that as your marketing slogan…

If only they had bleach back in those days

Supposedly, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru site for white wines in Burgundy, was owned long ago by the Emperor Charlemagne himself. But in those days, the vineyard was used for growing red grapes, not white. However, Mrs. Charlemagne (I’m not sure which of Charlemagne’s 10 known wives or concubines this story refers to), wasn’t so crazy about how her husband’s snowy white beard looked after several glasses of his favorite wine. In order to preserve his white beard and his marriage, Charlemagne agreed to swap the red grapevines out for white. And thus, within an area known for growing Pinot Noir, you have a small spot for Chardonnay vines in Corton-Charlemagne, thanks to the vanity of an emperor.

Do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

One story I have heard tries to explain the meaning behind the names for the slopes of Côte Rôtie (in the Rhône Valley) – Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. One explanation, which is a bit less boring, is that Côte Blonde wines use more Viognier (blending a white grape – Viognier – with the red grape Syrah) while Côte Brune uses predominantly Syrah. The other version to the story, though, is that the King of the area had two daughters and, yep, you guessed it, one was fair-headed while the other was a brunette.

Cup Size

And finally, what list of legends would be complete without addressing the story of how the shape of the wineglass came to be? Supposedly, the coupe, the wide, cup-like glass that was once favored for Champagne and other sparkling wines, was created based on the shape of Marie Antoinette’s bosom. Marie was inspired, the story goes, because she was jealous of the previous cup model who was none other than Helen of Troy. It appears that Marie wanted to share with the world the fact that she was better endowed than ole Helen. Unfortunately for both Helen and Marie, over time the coupe – regardless of size – has been displaced by the taller, narrower, more elegant flute, which is not only easier to hold without sloshing wine everywhere, but also does a better job at preserving the mousse, or bubbles.

There are tons more stories out there – I’d love to hear about some of your favorites. And if you haven’t heard any, then make sure to keep your ears open the next time you are touring a winery. Almost every place has some sort of fascinating story to share. Cheers!

The summer in between my junior and senior years of college, I spent several weeks in Belgium on an art history study abroad program. It just so happened, that while I was there, my aunt and uncle and their two little boys were visiting France on vacation. Since train travel is so easy in Europe, one weekend I headed down to Rheims (Reims in French), a major city in the Champagne region.

Cindy and Jon, my aunt and uncle, are passionate travelers and so we spent the day exploring the beautiful city of Rheims. We toured the fantastic Notre-Dame de Reims (the Cathedral of Rheims), which was built in the 13th century and was the site of many coronations, including that of Charles VII (which was attended by Joan of Arc herself). And, of course, since Rheims is considered the “capital” of Champagne, we decided our visit to the city would not be complete without a stop at a Champagne producer.

Unfortunately for us, it turned out that only a few houses were open for visitors that day. Not knowing much about Champagne at the time, we randomly selected Pommery from Jon’s guidebook. When we got there, though, we learned that all of the English tours for the day had finished, so we decided to join the last tour, which was in French. While this did lead to some amusing moments as we creatively tried to interpret what the guide was saying, the tour was still an amazing experience. One of the most notable features of the Pommery winery is that they age their Champagne in massive underground cellars that are only accessible via a large 116 step staircase. So most of our tour actually took place underground. While I didn’t understand most of what was said about the process of making Champagne that day, I definitely left Pommery that day with a desire to learn more about what makes Champagne so special.

So, in the years since, what have I discovered about Champagne? Well, there are several factors that help to make this region so unique.

The first is that only wines that come from this strictly-defined region and are made using the traditional method or “méthode champenoise” can be called Champagne. In other words, all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne! (Although it is worth noting that there are some still wines produced in the region.) Sparkling wines (wines with carbonation or CO2 in them) are produced around the world – but only those from the Champagne region of France can be labeled as Champagne. You can’t even sell a perfume called Champagne (someone tried years ago to do just that), as it doesn’t meet the legal definition of what is Champagne!

The Champagne region is one of the coolest grape-growing areas in France and this plays an important role in influencing the style and taste of the wine. The cold weather is one of the reasons that there can be so much vintage variation in Champagne – in cooler years the grapes might have some trouble achieving full ripeness. So, in order to create a consistent house style, most Champagnes are made by blending wines of different vintages together.

Another unique quality of Champagne is that it is a blend in more ways than just of vintages. There are three major grape varieties grown in Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The blend of these three grapes (one white – Chardonnay, and two red – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) helps to create the elegant, rich, sometimes austere, aromatic wine that is Champagne. The chalky soil, which drains well and is known to be a great soil for growing high-quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is yet another important factor in Champagne.

You might be asking how it is possible for Champagne to be a blend of two red and 1 white grapes given that most Champagne that we see on the market would be categorized as a white wine. The process by which Champagne is made, which is central to understanding the style and quality of the region, is the key to how this can be achieved.

Wow – so much for the dog days of August. It is raining and (unbelievably) under 70 degrees here in Durham as I write this. And from the headlines that keep popping into my inbox this week, it doesn’t seem like anyone (I guess even me!) is taking much of an August vacation. Between catching up with what’s going on in the world of wine and keeping track of how many gold medals Michael Phelps has racked up, there are a few things that caught my attention this week that I wanted to make sure I shared with you all (or y’all, I should say, given that I live in NC).

It seems hard to believe, but summer is almost over and harvest-time has already started here in the Northern Hemisphere. They began picking grapes in California recently and this week it was reported on Decanter.com that harvesting had begun in France, too. Domaine Cazes, a grower in the Roussillon region, kicked off harvest with the picking of grapes for their white wines. According to the CIVR (the Conseil Interprofessionel des Vins du Roussillon, the local wine governing body for the region) the harvest had started about a week earlier than it did last year. Domaine Cazes, it is worth noting, is the largest biodynamic vineyard in France.

While it is still a bit on the early side for most grape-growers, the last few vintages have seen earlier start dates as weather patterns have tended to higher temps. This year, harvest will probably run from the end of August and into early November and is expected to be on the smaller side volume-wise.

Speaking of early-harvested wines, concerns about global warming and the environment, the other announcement that really caught my attention this week was the press release sent out by Boisset Family Estates. In the release, Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates, states that “This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles…” Boisset has been pushing the envelope for packaging for several years now and I, for one, applaud their willingness to do so. I remember a few years back discussing screw caps for wines with Jean-Charles and being really impressed at his willingness to experiment with new technology and innovative packaging.

I think that, given the easy-drinking nature and fairly short shelf-life of Beaujolais Nouveau, putting this wine in PET bottles is a terrific and very appropriate idea. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine of the harvest and it is meant to be enjoyed while young and fresh. It is best to drink it within three to six months of release, which means that by the time Memorial Day rolls around, Beaujolais Nouveau should be a pleasant memory.

People don’t often think about how wine reaches the shelf, but a wine bottle can rack up a lot of miles (whether by plane, train or boat). Glass is very heavy and heavier items use more fuel. So reducing the weight of the overall package, which is something that a move to the lightweight PET bottles will do for Boisset, is a practical and environmentally-sound idea.

This year on my list I feature the Mommessin Beaujolais Grande Reserve which is packaged in an aluminum bottle, a greener example of wine packaging. Mommessin, which is owned by Boisset Family Estates, will be one of the Beaujolais Nouveau to be packaged in the PET bottles.

I have to say, even though I do find it a bit gimmicky, I always enjoy the third Thursday of November when Beaujolais Nouveau hits the shelves. It’s kind of fun to have an excuse to celebrate the new vintage. And now I have another reason to look forward to Fall coming my way: I can’t wait to get my hands on a Beaujolais Nouveau in a PET bottle and check it out for myself.

What about you all? Would you be interested in buying a Beaujolais Nouveau in a PET bottle or would this be a turn-off for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I knew it was coming. I could see the gleam in her eye when she found out what I do for a living. I was at a party the other night and in the course of chatting with another guest, we got to discussing our respective careers. Laura (I’ve changed her name to protect the unsuspecting) was immediately intrigued. She mentioned that she was trying to buy some wine for her husband’s birthday and so I had a feeling that the next question would be about a recommendation. And sure enough, there it was. The dreaded “can you recommend a wine” question. Now, I’m sure that my reaction to her question surprises you. You might think, what wine expert wouldn’t be thrilled to offer a suggestion or two? Well, while you might think that this would be a hole-in-one, slam dunk question to answer, the fact of the matter is that, well, it isn’t always that easy. Even with having a whole list of great French wines here on the blog, I still run into some problems.

Problems, you might ask? I suppose it isn’t so much a problem as it is something that I get angst-y over. Have you ever asked a computer expert to tell you which laptop to buy? Or a stock broker to recommend a good stock to invest in? Sometimes there isn’t a simple answer to a question. Rather, there needs to be some discussion involved. What type of laptop? Is the stock for long or short term? Here’s a common situation that I find myself in: I get an email from a friend saying that he wants to buy a nice bottle of wine as a gift to give to a business associate – what do I recommend? Can you see the potential problems here? First off, what exactly is a “nice” bottle of wine? To me, a “nice” bottle of wine is something that I find drinkable. Seriously. It doesn’t matter to me whether it costs 5, 10, 20 or 100 dollars – the ultimate test is whether or not it tastes good to me. But some people care deeply about price – especially if the wine is a gift.

Which brings me to my next problem. One of my favorite things to do is to buy presents. But not just any present – it has to be the right present for the person. So when it comes to buying wine, I want it to be the right wine for the palate. Would someone rather get a bottle of red or white? Still or sparkling? Sweet or dry? While certainly there is something to be said about giving someone a new wine that he has never tried before, sometimes it is also nice to give someone something that you absolutely know he will enjoy. And we haven’t even gotten into addressing what occasion the wine is for. Is the recommendation for a specific meal? If so, then I like to make sure that the wine will be a great, not just a good, pairing. So just recommending anything won’t do.

The next complication for a wine recommendation has to do with where the wine is going to be bought. Will it be bought in a store I am familiar with or one that I have never been into? Will it need to be shipped to another state? Can it be purchased online? There are so many different scenarios here that it can make your head spin. Last year a friend asked me to recommend a wine she wanted to send to a client in another state. Well, it turned out that this state wasn’t one where you could ship wine. So I had to locate a wine store near the recipient’s house and then go through the store’s inventory online until I found the right bottle at the right price point. Talk about complicated. I did find the right wine for her to buy, but it did take me a bit of time – I couldn’t just give her a quick on-the-spot recommendation. Unless I can find a store (if it isn’t local) online, I can have a hard time guessing at what they might have in stock.

I wish sometimes that recommending wine was as easy as choosing between a chocolate or vanilla cake mix at your local grocery story (usually an easy decision for me – I’m a big fan of chocolate). I’d be 99% confident that when you walked into the store with my recommendation that you could go to the cake mix aisle and find the mix I had suggested. When it comes to wine though, I can make the recommendation, but a lot of times you might have trouble finding that wine in your local store. When I am in an actual store and can see what I have to choose from, then the decision about what to suggest is a lot easier. But so many of the occasions on which I am asked to make a recommendation do not take place in front of a wine section that I’ve learned to always give at least three suggestions to my friends.

All that being said, and even with the angst I might sometimes feel about trying to come up with the right wine to match the request, I do actually enjoy helping people find their wines. There is something to knowing that somewhere, there is a satisfied palate enjoying a “nice” bottle of wine. You just have to be patient with me when you ask me to suggest something…I want to make sure that my recommendation is right for you.

I’m curious though – how many of you out there have tried to find wines from my list? Anyone had any trouble or have you been successful? Have you tasted anything that you really enjoyed? I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a line or post a comment and let me about it. Til then, Cheers!

Very few grapes have dominated the wine industry like the white grape known as Chardonnay. Almost no other grape seems to have the same name recognition or awareness. Many consider Chardonnay to be the “King” of the grape world, although in recent years there has been a movement afoot to challenge its global domination – you will find some wine lovers who live by the “ABC” code: anything but Chardonnay. Despite issues of over-planting and the fact that there is a lot of inferior Chardonnay out there on the market, Chardonnay remains a grape that we shouldn’t hesitate to put on a pedestal.

Chardonnay’s most famous home is in Burgundy, where it is the grape that gives us both the steely, mineral, green apply wines made in Chablis, as well as the buttery, rich, full-bodied wines of Meursault. While Chardonnay has proved itself to be a fairly easy grape to grow, it thrives in cooler climates. This is one reason why it does well not only in Burgundy, but in Champagne as well. Chardonnay is one of the most popular white grapes in France and it can be found in the Savoie, the Jura, the Loire and the Languedoc, to name just a few. Chardonnay can also be found all over the world – most notably in California, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Italy (but the list is much longer).

Characteristics of Chardonnay can run the gamut – few other grapes are as versatile and also as responsive to a winemaker’s skills. The color of Chardonnay wines can range from a pale, greenish yellow to deep gold. The color will vary depending on the region and climate, with cooler areas producing wines with less pigmentation and warmer spots producing wines with deeper colors. Another influencing factor is whether or not the wine has been aged in oak barrels. Aging Chardonnay in small oak barrels will produce a wine that is a bit darker when compared to a Chardonnay that has been kept in a stainless steel tank.

Many people think that Chardonnay can only smell like butter or toast, but in reality, the aromatic profile of Chardonnay is very diverse and interesting. Notes of cucumbers, wet stones, green apples, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, pears, quince, figs, and golden apples can be found in addition to the common descriptors of vanilla, toast, butterscotch, honey and nuts. Like the color, the nose of a Chardonnay will depend on where the grapes were grown and how the wine was made. Unoaked Chardonnay from a cool climate will tend to have more citrus and green apple notes, while an oaked Chardonnay from a warmer climate will show off a more vanilla, toasty, golden apple profile.

While many consumers think of Chardonnay as having the strange ability to taste like buttered popcorn, this is not the only palate profile for this grape. Chardonnay can range from medium to full-bodied with an alcohol level that runs from medium/balanced to high. The acidity level for a good quality Chardonnay is typically on the crisper side, but if grown in too warm of a climate, it can seem quite flabby. There are a number of winemaking techniques that can affect the character of a chardonnay. If it is kept on its lees (a nice word to describe the sediment created during the fermentation process), a Chardonnay can taste creamy or rich on the palate. Chardonnays are also frequently put through something called a malolactic fermentation (usually abbreviated as MLF). This is a process where lactic acid bacteria convert malic acid (like the acid found in a green apple) to lactic acid (think of the acid in milk). The conversion of the malic acid to lactic acid can further emphasize the creaminess of a Chardonnay and it is also one factor behind that buttery aroma so common to Chardonnay.

While Chardonnay has developed a bit of a bad rap these last few years, it still remains an incredibly food-friendly and versatile wine (when not too heavily oaked and too high in alcohol). If you are a Chardonnay lover or would like to rediscover food-friendly Chardonnays, take a look through my list. You will find a number of different Chardonnays to suit any palate and pocketbook. There are several wines from Burgundy, but also a few from the South of France, which are typically a bit riper and less-acidic. And don’t forget to drop me a line and let me know if you have a favorite French Chardonnay that you would like me to try! I’m always on the lookout for new wines.

I subscribe to a lot of news services for the wine industry. Every day I get tons of headlines that pertain to wine delivered to my inbox. Usually these emails contain the headlines of various articles written about different wine regions or wines, but occasionally something a bit different will pop up. The other day two headlines definitely caught my eye. One was from Decanter (a British wine magazine) and read: “Electronic tongue set to beat human wine tasters”. And the other was from ScienceDaily.com and said: “Electronic Tongue Tastes Wine Variety, Vintage.”

Essentially, the tongue was invented by Cecilia Jiménez-Jorquera and her colleagues at the Barcelona Institute of Microelectronics in Spain. According to Decanter, “Using tiny synthetic membranes, each sensitive to different chemical components in a wine, the e-tongue can already distinguish the differences between the Chardonnay, Malvasia, Macabeu and Airen grape varieties. It can also tell whether the same wine is from the 2005 or 2004 vintage.”

I thought this was pretty fantastic, but also a tiny bit scary. The possibilities for this are quite interesting. I could definitely see a use for the e-tongue in detecting fraud. That is something that has always been a problem (and was one reason the Master of Wine credential was started); this could play an important role in reliably detecting fraudulent wines. But there are some aspects to creating something that could be used as a standardizing tool that worry me a bit. After all, if the e-tongue can tell the difference between the 2004 and 2005 vintages, couldn’t it be used to create a wine where vintage variation might be almost undetectable to the human tongue?

There are a few things that keep me up late at night (besides my non-sleeping 2 yr old). One of them is how worrisome it is to me that we try to measure and quantify wine to the point of taking the pleasure out of it. Part of what I find really interesting about some wines is that there IS variation. While some wines do taste similarly from vintage to vintage, wine isn’t ever a straight line. Sometimes it zigs a little to the left and in the next year it might zag a little to the right. And wines can vary not only by vintage, but by place, grape variety and what techniques the winemaker might use in the vinification process.

While sometimes all of these differences might seem to create overwhelming choices, really, it isn’t much different than many food products. I think of it sort of like tomatoes…the tomatoes I used to buy up in NY at the Union Square Greenmarket were out of this world. They had a certain taste that I loved. I buy tomatoes down here at the local greenmarket, but most of the time I don’t find them quite as good as the ones grown in the soils found up East. Soil variation, weather differences, the types of tomatoes – all of these things create differences. I still like the tomatoes I buy down South and I think the little sungold cherry tomatoes are outstanding here in NC, but overall, I do find differences.

Sometimes we seek to equalize all of the differences by rating wines, and I have to say that I’m not such a big fan of ratings. I suppose they can make it easy for some people, but really, I can’t tell you how many people have said to me that they don’t buy wines rated 90 to 100 points because they enjoy drinking them, but because they think they are supposed to buy them. In our world of gotta have the best, is just being good ever enough? If someone rates a wine a 75 or 80 but you love it, whose palate should win out – yours or that of a stranger?

I’m training right now for a half-marathon and sometimes I will get asked as to why I (who was never very athletic) put myself through the race. Besides the fact that I run so I can eat M&Ms guilt free, I do it because I actually do enjoy it – even when I am running hills and sprints. I know I will never win a race – but I don’t run to win – I run for the fun of it (and again for the M&Ms). I don’t drink highly rated wines every night because frankly, I’m just not that interested in keeping up with those things. I’d rather use my own palate to decide whether or not I like a wine – or better yet – whether or not I ENJOY a wine. And, not to mention, no wine critic or expert can POSSIBLY taste every wine that is out there (maybe the e-tongue could though – just a thought). So not every wine can have a rating. This means that sometimes you are going to have to go at it on your own – and TRUST your palate.

When I write my reviews, I try to always keep in mind that while I have a certain reaction to a wine, your’s might be different. You might agree with me and there also might be an occasion you might disagree with what I have said. And either reaction is fine – I just want you to have a reaction to the wine. Because, unlike the e-tongue, that’s what we have the ability to do. While we might not be able to measure the chemical components like the e-tongue, we do have the ability to measure the personal pleasure that we derive from a wine – and that is something that no machine or wine rating will ever be able to do !

My copy of People Magazine arrived today (yes, I fully admit it – I subscribe to and read People Mag) and I have to say it, I am definitely jealous of Angelina Jolie. Not only does the woman look gorgeous three weeks after giving birth to two beautiful babies and not only does she have Brad Pitt as a partner, but she is definitely living in my dream home.

For anyone who doesn’t read People, Brad and Angie have taken up residence in France and are currently residing in Chateau Miraval in Provence. The thirty-five room chateau is surrounded by gardens, a moat, an olive grove and an organic vineyard. Pictures of the property are nothing short of breath-taking. And supposedly the wines (they produce a red, white and a rosé) are very good.

I’m often asked if my dream job is to make wine and own a winery. The standard joke in the wine industry is that to make a small fortune in wine you have to start with a large one. Owning a winery is definitely a capital-intensive business and so, I’ll be honest – it isn’t something I’ve ever seriously considered. However, there is something about the wine lifestyle that we love to romanticize. Movies (anyone ever see “A Walk in the Clouds” – a painful Keanu Reeves performance – or even Disney’s remake of “The Parent Trap”?) show living on a vineyard as a magical experience. Scenes of sun-dappled green vines dripping with grapes make for a beautiful backdrop for any scene. So, if I had the opportunity to live on the property of an organic vineyard and call it my own for a few years, well, let’s just say that you wouldn’t even have to throw in Brad Pitt to make it a deal!

But still, the idea of the romantic culture of wine can get a bit too much play in Hollywood. So I am a bit undecided about whether or not I want to go see the new movie “Bottle Shock” that is being released soon. This movie recounts what is known in the wine industry as “the Judgment of Paris” – a wine competition that took place in Paris in 1976 where wines from France and California were tasted blind. The California wines were rated higher than the French wines, which caused quite a sensation in the wine world; to a large degree it was a moment that really did change the way wines are produced around the world.

But apparently some “liberties” that have been taken with the story to make it a bit more appealing for the big screen, and there is some controversy, too, as there is a second film about the same event that is still in production. My other issue is that the way movies tend to romanticize wine doesn’t really help the industry in the long run as it doesn’t really recognize the reality of the industry. Making wine is a wonderful, but very challenging job. It takes a tremendous amount of work, time and energy and it is the rare wine that truly succeeds in this highly competitive marketplace. I also worry when movies make one wine (or one wine region) so trendy – a phenomenon that happened with Pinot Noir and the movie “Sideways”.

My hope, though, is that people can see beyond the cinematic beauty and realize that while making wine can be magical, unless you are Brad and Angelina, there are few who get to experience vineyard ownership as being a worry-free existence. But if you do want to at least try to enjoy some part of the romance of wine Brangelina-style, then I suggest you consider opening a bottle of Provence Rosé. There are three terrific (and affordable) wines to choose from on my list to get you started: the Commanderie de Peyrassol Côtes de Provence Rosé, the Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé or the L’Estandon Côtes de Provence Rosé. And who knows, apparently Brad and Angelina have only leased Château Miraval for a few years, so maybe if you save your pennies, one day it could even be yours!

PS – If any of you out there do check out “Bottle Shock”, be sure to drop me a line – I would love to hear what you think of it.