Wines from Southwest France

The consumption of wine in France is highly regional; the French tend to drink locally -- the two exceptions they will generally make are wines from the world renowned regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. I, too, know wines from those two regions and a few others in France, but it was a voyage of discovery for me to visit the South West France (Sud-Ouest) wine region in September, an area that includes appellations inland and south of Bordeaux such as Gascony, Galliac and Cahors. I found some hidden gems in the areas I visited and at a subsequent wine tasting in San Francisco that involved tasty, refreshing white wines at  super values.  Although the wines are not household names (yet) in the U.S., they are available in both retail stores and at restaurants. These are a couple of the most impressive values:                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                         
2012 Plaimont Colombelle L'Original Blanc. This wine is made from Colombard and Ugni Blanc grapes, usually used in Cognac, in the Gascony region. It is a refreshing white wine with the tart, grapefruity essence of many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, but subtler and more delicate. Suggested retail price is $8.99.


In a similiar vein, the 2012  Domaine Duffour, also from Gascony, tickled my palate with its fresh, citrus-like brightness. It is made of Colombard with Ugni Blanc, and an additional local grape called Gros Manseng, which has great potential for winemaking in the area. Moderate alcohol level of 12% and suggested retail price of $9.99

Napa Valley Wine Train

I used to live in the Napa Valley and the Napa Valley Wine Train was a familiar sight chugging through the vineyards along the valley's main artery, Highway 29.

I had not been on the train for about a dozen years, so I was pleased to revisit late last month for the 3-hour lunch excursion that begins in the city of Napa and travels north to St. Helena before reversing course and returning to Napa.

I rode in the elevated Vista Dome, a 1952 Pullman dining car with gleaming Mahogany paneling and brass accents. A glass of Domaine Chandon sparkling wine was poured as we sat  and menus for a four-course lunch were presented with at least two choices in each category and five choices of entrees (beef, salmon cooked two ways, duck and a vegetable plate). Chef Kelly Macdonald prepared the food for the Vista Dome car in a kitchen located in the car itself. Price per person for lunch or dinner in this car is $144 -- not inexpensive, but there are other cars with their own menus at lower prices.

Someone asked me to report back on whether the wine train was too "touristy." It certainly attracts plenty of tourists who were enjoying themselves -- this is not a commuter train used by anyone for reasons other than viewing the valley's vineyards while eating, drinking and soaking in the Napa experience. But is it artificial, gaudy, inauthentic, rowdy or otherwise obnoxious? Hardly. Service is friendly and helpful (kudos to Gerald, our server), the food and wine high quality, the views serene and colorful, and it's a fun ride.

Train, culinary, or wine purists may find fault that it's not a real train, or that the food or wine menus are more limited than you would get in a local restaurant or wine bar, but the whole package adds up to a special experience you can't get anywhere else in California wine country.

St. Emilion's Jurade

A Jurat's uniform is a red robe with a white, pleated jabot, white cuffs
and a red toque.  

On Sept. 15, I stepped into the magical world of the Jurade in the medieval village of St. Emilion in Bordeaux. It was approaching harvest time, so it was the perfect time to visit the world’s most renowned wine region.

St. Emilion’s Jurade is today an official brotherhood of wine lovers, investors and producers, all admitted to promote the Merlot-based wines of the right bank’s picturesque village. It used to be the local government and stretches back to 1199. Twice a year, at harvest time and in the spring, its members hold a formal ceremony -- complete with flowing red robes, banners and a procession through town -- to induct new members. In the fall ceremony, the Bans des Vendanges, or harvest proclamation, the new harvest is officially declared by releasing clusters of black balloons, resembling grape bunches, into the air.

This year, a record group of 21 Asian wine lovers and investors were inducted into St. Emilion's Jurade to take on the role of ambassadors to the rest of the world for the village's wines. Five of them, from Singapore, China and Hong Kong, were inducted Sept. 15 paralleling recent increased investment in St. Emilion in the past few years.

  Amid pomp and pageantry, and against the backdrop of the fairytale village and a gorgeous blue sky, the new members were welcomed into the exclusive group during a day-long event that included a 90-minute mass, an induction ceremony in the Monolithic church and a formal luncheon lasting several hours. For someone from the California suburbs, it was like falling asleep and waking up in another, more charming, era.

The actual 2013 harvest was about two weeks late this year, due to cool weather in the growing season and hail in August, but has just gotten underway.

Summer Wine ... and the Sipping is Easy

Am enjoying some wonderful wines this summer that remind me of how simple and enjoyable wine drinking can be when you strip away all the trappings of so-called "serious" wines (translated: pricey Cabernet Sauvignon and other robust, multi-layered reds).

Among them:

2012 Dry Creek Vineyards Dry Chenin Blanc: from the not-exactly-celebrated appellation of Clarksburg in northern California, this is a favorite wine of mine and of many oyster lovers -- it frequently wins the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition. With its crisp acidity, low alcohol of 12.5% and $12 price tag -- what's not to love?

2012 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Rosé: A subtle stunner from the LaRochelle Winery in the Livermore Valley near San Francisco. The Pinot Noir grapes for this pale salmon-colored rosé wine come from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey, a wonderful environment for Pinot Noir. Bone-dry with a nice high acidity and a moderate 13.4 % alcohol. Winemaker Tom Stutz  has been making this style since the 2007 vintage and models it after a Coteaux Champenoise, a still wine that comes from the Champagne AOC. Production in Champagne of this style of rosé is very small and so it is with the LaRochelle's rosé. It is available through the winery online or at its tasting room in Livermore Valley.  $24.

2012 Maison Joseph Drouhin Laforet Chardonnay. As I am not usually a chardonnay fan, this wine was a pleasant surprise. A delightfully, non-weighty wine made from Chardonnay grapes coming from all over Burgundy, it is a wonderful introduction to the whites of this hallowed region (which can get very weighty) with a crisp acidity, fruitiness and nice body.  $18.


2012 Marchesi Antinori Castello della Sala Bramito del Cervo Chardonnay from Umbria, Italy. Another nice surprise: 100% Chardonnay from Umbria, the neighboring region to Tuscany, this well-balanced wine is fermented for a short time in oak barrels, but the result is ethereal and the wine is a perfect partner for light foods, from salads to raw seafood. $18.

Another delectable wine from Antinori is the 2010 Peppoli Chianti Classico.  A modern take on traditional Chianti Classico, this wine is young, fruity and approachable, with a silky smooth feel in the mouth. It is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot and Syrah. $28.

Holiday Gifts to Sip and Use

Emeril Lagasse is the latest celebrity chef happy to winnow down the ever-expanding world of wine choices for you before you decide what you really like or what pairs well with your food. The Food Network star chef has "curated" a wine sampler collection that is being sold on tastingroom.com, coming after similar sampler collections by other celebrity chefs (Curtis Stone) and celebrity sommeliers (Rajat Parr). Emeril's Holiday Party Sampler and his Everyday Sampler each contain small sample bottles (1.7 ounces or less than half a glass of wine in a typical restaurant) of two white wines and four reds -- all high-quality such as Napa's Patz & Hall and Dry Creek Vineyards in Sonoma -- and have suggestions for what foods to pair with the wines. Example: a duck confit panino from Emeril's recently released cookbook is suggested with Fess Parker's Syrah. The tasting samplers may be a great holiday gift for those who aren't able to visit wineries for tasting, who want the convenience of wine arriving at their front doorstep, or who just enjoy exploring different wines without having to pay for and drink a whole bottle. Emeril's Holiday Party Sampler $39.95 and Emeril's Everyday Sampler $32.95. Tastingroom.com also has wine-by-the-glass samplers, a great idea for controlling wine appetites!

I thought I was drinking red hots when I tasted SinFire, a cinnamon whiskey from Hood River Distillers in Oregon ($17). If you or someone you're shopping for loves spicy/sweet flavors or Red Hots in particular, this is a unique gift -- great for cocktails. For tamer appetites, Hood River Distillers Pendleton 1910 Canadian whiskey is also a good choice ($40).  


One of my favorite wines to serve during the holidays is a French-style (meaning dry) rosé wine -- it's so pretty on the table and the combination of fresh, bright fruit flavors and crisp acidity goes well with a variety of appetizers and holiday dishes. The St. Francis Winery 2011 Sonoma County Rosé blended from  Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is a winner for the holiday table. ($20). Another wonderful choice is the 2011 Scalabrone Rosato from Tenuta Guado Al  Tasso in western Tuscany. Red berry flavors and a palate-cleansing liveliness. $19.

Newly available in the United States from Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits is Enza Prosecco, a lovely Italian bubbly with pronounced flavors of pears and apples. This was tasty on it's own but would meld well in a variety of champagne cocktails for the holidays. At $14.99, it's a bargain.

 Nice stocking stuffer for a beer drinker/dog lover -- or yourself: The Pop Tag is a stainless steel keychain/beer bottle opener that you can personalize with a hand stamp so you and/or your friends will never be caught unequipped. The  Pop Tag also comes in a version for your pooch - ID tag & bottle opener in one. ($14.99).

Telluwhat:

Photo credit: Telluride Tourism Board/Ryan Bonneau 

If you haven't been to Telluride, Colorado, you may not know that it is a town of almost year-round festivals; the Telluride Film Festival, Brews and Blues Festival, and Bluegrass Festival are but a few of the better-known ones. There are so many busy weeks filled with exuberant fun fests to attract visitors to this remote Southwestern Colorado ski town, that a local threw up his hands and petitioned for a "Nothing Fesitval," which ends in a naked bike ride through the charming town's main street. I don't know about you, but I don't call that "nothing."

I went to Telluride at the end of last month for the Telluride Wine Festival hoping to discover some good Colorado wines. Alas, I arrived a day after the only event that focused on local wines, so was able to taste wine from just one in-state winery, Guy Drew Vineyards, located in southern Colorado near the New Mexico border. I quite liked the Unoaked Chardonnay ($16) and Pinot Gris ($18), and enjoyed talking to Mr. Drew, an impassioned vintner. More than a few of the Colorado residents I chatted with at the festival said they preferred California wines to their own state's. But the Colorado wine industry, like those in most other U.S. states, doesn't have the distribution, name recognition or track record of the mighty California wine industry. Someday, it may.

Eastern Townships, Quebec

 I had never heard of the quiet, rural area east of Montreal known as the Eastern Townships before I visited in late June, but I went there in search of the local wine. 

 What I found was much more.

 The farm-to-table and locavore ethos is very strong in the Eastern Townships, or Cantons-de-l'Est, an area sprinkled with lakes, mountains and hamlets that serves as a convenient getaway for harried Montrealers.

  Everywhere I visited, from a chocolate shop and museum, the Musée du Chocolat de Bromont, to Bleu Lavande,  a picturesque lavendar farm, a commitment to local products was evident. Even cheese made by resident Benedictine monks from the Abbaye de St-Benoît-du-Lac, was incorporated in dishes at local restaurants, such as Le Hatley, the fine dining room at the Estrimont Suites & Spa.

 One of the greatest commitments of all is being made by the vintners establishing wineries and growing estate wine grapes in the Eastern Townships. I had the pleasure of visiting Domaine Les Brome, situated on a hillside of Mount Brome with views of Lake Brome and the Eastern Townships. European-styled wines are made from a variety of grapes the vintners here are still experimenting with to see what grows best in the local climate and soils. Domaine Les Brome's dry Vidal, Seyval Blanc/Chardonnay blend and Baco Noir were especially good.

 With more vineyards than any other area in Québec Province,  the Eastern Townships area even has an official wine route that links 16 vineyards in Brome-Missisquoi with five in Dunham, where Québec's first vineyards were established in the early 1980s. The small towns brim with antique shops, artists' studios, French-style cafes and Victorian architecture, so there is plenty to do and see.
 A recently established network of cafes, The Cafés de Village des Cantons-de-l’Est, akin to the cafés de pays in France, requires members to emphasize local products, such as produce, coffee, beers and wine.