Posts Tagged ‘wine route’

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Alsace region of northeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that youll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Pinot Noir wine.

Among Frances eleven wine-growing regions Alsace ranks number ten in total acreage devoted to vineyards, perhaps because it is the smallest region of metropolitan France. In any case Alsace is one of Frances best-known wine regions. The wine growing area is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) long, but at most 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide. Their wine bottles are distinctively tall and thin. Chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting grape mixture) is allowed for many wine categories. And unlike the standard practice elsewhere in France, the labels feature the grape variety.

Only about 5% of Alsace wine is red, mostly based on the Pinot Noir grape, so popular elsewhere in France and across the world, especially since the hit movie Sideways. We review an Alsatian Pinot Noir wine below. The major white grape varieties are Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. A companion article in this series reviews an Alsatian white wine.

Strasbourg is the major Alsatian city, with a population somewhat greater than a quarter million. The city dates back to Roman times, has bounced back and forth between France and Germany over the centuries, and is now the home of the European Parliament and is a symbol of French-German reconciliation and a united Europe.

The Alsace Route du Vin (Wine Route) stretches for about 100 miles (170 kilometers). You may want to start your exploration at Obernai, a city of about 10, 000 approximately 20 miles southwest of Strasbourg. Among the sights to see are the 13th Century Kapelturm Beffroi (Chapel Tower Belfry), a well dating back to the Renaissance, the City Hall, and the Market Square.

Obernai is a metropolis compared to the village of Riquewihr whose population is approximately 1200. Riquewihr is known for its ramparts, historic architecture, and souvenir shops. It also has great wines and the Tower of Thieves with its torture chamber.

Before reviewing the Alsatian wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Flammekueche (Tart stuffed with Bacon, Onions, Cream Cheese, and heavy Cream).
For your second course savor Coq-au-Riesling (Cock cooked in Riesling wine).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Quetschelkueche (Plum Tart).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Domaine Weinbach Pinot Noir Rserve 2004 13% alcohol about $34

Lets start by quoting the marketing materials. Full of Grace. Domaine Weinbach is among the most respected producers of Alsace. This delicate Pinot Noir is sourced from the ancient Clos des Capucins vineyard. Its deliciously fruity, soft and supple and pairs well with grilled tuna. And now for the review.

The first pairing was with beef stew. The wine was very round and full. It was long, multilayered and complex. A little bit went a long way. There were some spices. I usually taste tobacco in Pinot Noir, but not here. I didnt miss it.

I next paired this wine with cold salmon filet accompanied by a ketchup and mayonnaise sauce and pearl onions, and a tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad. The wine was very full and moderately long. This time I tasted tobacco. The combination was excellent. I tried the Pinot Noir with a slice of mint chocolate cake. I cannot recommend this combination; the cake denatured the wine. So I finished the cake before finishing the wine, and it bounced back.

My last meal associated with this wine consisted of filet of sole wrapped around salmon accompanied by two types of fried potatoes. The commercial fish preparation sounded much better than it actually was. The concoction took forever to cook and the final product was overcooked, undercooked, and waterlogged. Furthermore, there was so little salmon that it was hard to get an idea of its taste, or how it paired with this wine. However, we are reviewing the wine, not the meal itself. The fish did not adversely affect the wine. But I would rather savor this Pinot Noir in the presence of a nicely grilled salmon steak drizzled with lemon. I dont think I would be disappointed.

I tasted this wine with French Camembert cheese and German Limberger cheese. I dont recommend either combination. When paired with a fairly ripe Camembert the wine was no longer excellent. Interestingly enough, the wine did hold up better with the now pungent Limberger cheese, but why waste such a fine wine?

Final verdict. This is an excellent wine, but I feel that it costs more than it should. I doubt that I will buy it again; there are so many other Pinot Noirs on the market, if not all that many from Alsace.

Author: Levi Reiss
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Beaujolais region of southeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that youll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Beaujolais Cru (high quality) wine.

Among Frances eleven wine-growing regions Beaujolais surprisingly ranks number eight in total acreage devoted to vineyards. However, it is one of the best-known wine regions in large part because of the enormously successful Beaujolais Nouveau marketing campaign. I review Beaujolais Nouveau wine in a companion article in this series.

Beaujolais wine is usually, but not always, red. Almost all red Beaujolais wine comes from the Gamay grape which, while grown in many parts of the world, does its best in Beaujolais, in particular in the northern part of the region with its granite soil.

There are no cities in the entire region so tourists will have to be satisfied with the 14 mile (23 kilometer) Beaujolais wine route and its villages. Most of them are. This wine route is home to nine of the Beaujolais grands crus including Chiroubles, reviewed below. Not far from the wine route is the city of of Bourg-en-Bresse, whose suburb Brou includes a magnificent Gothic church and museum with numerous paintings from the 16th to 19th Centuries.

Bresse chickens are said to be among the worlds most delicious and most expensive. It is said that when Henry IV stopped in Bresse following a traffic accident and had his first taste of Bresse chickens, he insisted on adding them to the royal menu. Growers must raise these blue-footed birds under strictly defined conditions. A large part of their short life is spent outside, scratching for food. These magnificent birds were the first animals to receive the coveted AOC classification that crowns many great and not-so-great French wines.

Before reviewing the Beaujolais wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Andouillette (Pork Tripe Sausage).
For your second course savor Poulet de Bresse (Bresse Chicken).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Ile Flottante (Floating Island Meringue).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Domaine du Clos Verdy Chiroubles 2004 12.9% alcohol about $14.50

Lets start by quoting the marketing materials. George Boulon is the mayor of the town of Chirboubles. He produces this single vineyard Gamay in a fruity and ripe style. Enjoy it as sipping wine or with grilled fish or roasted chicken breast. And now for the review.

My first meal consisted of a barbecued rib eye steak in a homemade sauce of ketchup, horseradish mustard, garlic, pepper, and fresh lemon juice, accompanied by fried potatoes. The wine was nice and fruity with a pleasant acidity that cut the grease. After finishing the meal, the wine was enjoyable on its own. As you know, Beaujolais wines have little tannins, which is one reason that many people who dont like red wine like Beaujolais. The relative lack of tannins was no problem with this steak.

My next pairing was with a slow-cooked beef stew and potatoes. The wine was very fruity and quite pleasant but not complex or powerful. My final meal involved poulet chasseur (chicken cacciatore) that I made with a lot of care. The wine was round and fruity but short. I wonder if it would have been better with a Bresse chicken.

I tried the Chiroubles with a French Saint-Aubin, a soft cows milk cheese traditionally packed in a wooden box. This cheese has a creamy brie-like texture and a stronger taste. Unfortunately the cheese gave this wine a bit of a dull aftertaste.

I next tried the wine with an Italian Bel Paese, a mild buttery cheese suggested to accompany fruity wines or to be eaten alone as a snack or a dessert. The wine and the cheese simply didnt gel; they remained two separate entities.

Final verdict. I first started drinking Beaujolais decades ago, in part because I was no fan of tannins. Then I sort of dropped Beaujolais with the exception of the yearly tryst with Beaujolais Nouveau. This bottle was my first Beaujolais Cru wine, and I cannot say that I was particularly impressed. There are ten Beaujoalais Crus. I will taste at least one more somewhere along the line, but not before tasting many, many other French wines.

Author: Levi Reiss
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace