WineWhine # 16
March, 2010
Welcome Joseph Khoury of Antigonish and Mike Melchin of Antigonish to the WineWhine.
Illiteracy on the CBC: The other night I was watching an episode of “The Republic of Doyle”, a private eye series set in St. John’s, Newfoundland. If you haven’t watched this program it is worth checking it out just to see Doyle’s muscle car go up and down those St. John’s hills.
In the episode in question the rum-running villain was played by Order of Canada Newfie actor Gordon Pinsant. At one point he is followed to the island of Saint Pierre (part of France, just off the coast of Nfld) where he sits at a table in a bar, boasting that he is drinking Bordeaux. Unfortunately, the bottle shown in this scene is not a Bordeaux bottle but a Burgundy bottle. Shame, shame, shame on the CBC.
Perhaps I shouldn’t pick only on the CBC. While I snooze on the couch, Betty faithfully watches a current crime series on Bravo called “White Collar” She reports that in this series there is featured a Burgundy bottle labeled “Vin de Bordeaux”.
The bottles used in Bordeaux are high shouldered and cannot be confused with the sloped-shouldered bottles used in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. See the pictures for examples of bottles and the
appropriate matching wine glasses. I have included two pictures for your perusal. One shows two bottles. On the left is a Bordeaux bottle and on the right is a Burgundy bottle. See how different they are. The other 
photo is of two wine glasses. On the left is a glass appropriate for sipping Bordeaux. On the right a very different shaped glass that sends the less tannic Burgundy not as far back on the tongue.
The slope-shouldered bottles of Burgundy: A wonderful way to spend a week or 10 days is to take the two-day car drive from Paris to Aix-en-Provence. On route you pass through three different wine areas. Traveling southwest from Paris you first go through the magnificent wine country of Burgundy, where some of the world’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are to be found. At Lyon you encounter the Rhone River. Now traveling due south along the river you pass the wonderful Syrahs (Shiraz) of the Northern Rhone, eventually finding your way to Avignon on the southern Rhone where Grenache is the featured varietal in the famous blended wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And you will not find a high-shouldered wine bottle during the entire trip.
The Wines of Burgundy (Bourgogne): Understanding the wines of Burgundy is at least as difficult as understanding the wines of Bordeaux. Generally speaking, however, the same principle applies; that is, the more specific the region that is named between the words Appellation and Controlee, the better the wine.
Before I elaborate, however, I need to point out that most vineyards in Burgundy are very, very small. This means that one could never ever get to know them all. The blame for this state of affairs is the French Revolution and its anti-clerical bias. Prior to the Revolution most of the wineries in Burgundy were owned by the Church, whereas the wineries in Bordeaux belonged to the Aristocracy and in some cases the Bourgeoisie. Above all else the Revolution was anti-church and the wineries were broken up into small holdings, which later became even smaller due to the odd nature of French succession laws (analogous to the creation of the very narrow farms along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec).
Now, back to present-day Burgundy. From north to south Burgundy is made up of several districts, the more important ones being Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaunne, Maconnais and Beaujolais. In Chablis, the wines are exclusively white and are made from the Chardonnay grape. Traditional Chablis are not oaked and are quite acidic. They are clean and crisp and quite wonderful. Many of us are more familiar with the heavily oaked Chardonnay of California. These “buttery” wines are what many people find lacking in refreshment. Before you join the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay), try a French Chablis. You won’t be disappointed.
At the very south of Burgundy is the huge area of Beaujolais where the wines are made almost exclusively from the Gamay grape. I have written several times about Beaujolais so I’ll refrain this time.
Between Chablis and Beaujolais the Pinot Noir Grape is king. These wines are soft with lots of finesse. Many would argue that the very best wines come from Cote D’Or (Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune). Within these districts there are many, many smaller Appellations, but I have a hint as to how you can tell if you are getting the very best. Just as academics know that they are more likely to get their research papers published if they have a COLON in the title, lovers of Burgundy wines know that the best communes have a HYPHEN in the name. Some examples are Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, and Chevalier-Montrachet.
Finally, I should point out that the great Pinot Noirs of Burgundy need some time in the cellar. I just wish I had a few more quietly waiting that special occasion.
Wine Fraud in France: As many of you know France is struggling with maintaining its position as the largest wine exporter in the world. Their problems were not helped by a court in Carcassone that recently convicted a dozen merchants and growers for “organized and structured” fraud. Apparently they blended Merlot and Syrah and exported it as Pinot Noir. What is absolutely amazing is that some of this wine was purchased by E & J. Gallo and sold under the brand name “Red Bicyclette”. I am surprised that the buyers at Gallo could even believe that a cold weather wine like Pinot could come from hot climate area such as Languedoc. In any event if any of you have any “Red Bicyclette” please save me a bottle. I’d love to have a bottle of fake wine in my cellar to go with some of the bottles that only taste like they are fake.
I don’t know what sentence the fraudsters received. However, Carcassone has a history of strong punishment. During the Albigensian Crusades in 1209 Simon de Montfort captured the fortress from the Occitan Cathars and burned hundreds of the defenders in one large pyre after they refused to acknowledge their heresy against the Catholic church. Perhaps a punishment only slightly less dramatic is in order.
WineWhine Tasting: Twenty-four wine lovers joined Betty and me on Feb. 13 for a tasting. Although we have hosted a number of wine tastings in the past this was the first tasting specifically designed for readers of my blog.
We started the evening with a glass of Vinho Verde and then moved on to the food and wine “matches and mismatches.” For each food offering I tried to find both a wine that would complement the food and one that would not. The first pair of wines was an acidic Chianti and a non-acidic Merlot. As expected guests found that the Chianti got better once they munched on some tomatoey pizza bites. Again as expected the Argentinean Malbec went well with the spicy and flavorful empanadas, while the much lighter Beaujolais was not up to the heavy food.
The surprise of the evening, however, was a Portuguese blend of Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca (2006 Cume Do Pereiro from Doura). I had not particularly liked this powerful wine, but like others found that it matched beautifully with the very hot and spicy Portuguese Chorizo. Everyone preferred this wine to the lighter Rioja and this wine got more compliments than any other that was served.
The final pair of wines that was served with food was offered blind. Both wines were Barrel Reserva Cabernets from Cornellana in Chile and I asked my guests to tell me if they were drinking the same wine or two different wines. By the way the wine was served with lamb chops and sirloin bites. Everyone agreed that although the wines were similar they were not identical. In fact they were two different vintages (2005 and 2006).
We ended the evening with a couple of blind tastings. There were prizes for those who were able to identify the Zinfandel and the Tempranillo and the most noticed prize was one given as challenge to find the appropriate wine match. The prize was a can of pickled porcupine peckers.
Opimian Offering # 194: This catalogue features wine from Austria, Germany and Italy. The Austrian wines are from one winery (Hopler). I have not tried any of them but have twice ordered Pinot Noirs from Hopler. They were excellent so I expect any of these wines will be good.
As you know I am not a fan of German wines so will leave you Riesling fans to your own choices.
In this offering there are many wines from Italy. I tend to find cheaper Italian wines overly acidic. However, the farther the south in Italy you go the less acidic the wines are. My recommendations in red wines are # 5510 which is a Negroamaro. This is a very big, bold wine that should suit the North American taste. # 5522 is a merlot from Elena Walch, who I have found makes fabulous wines. My favorite varietal to serve with pizza is Nero D’Avola, the main grape grown in Sicily. I think # 5549 will be a great wine for those of you who don’t cellar your purchases. Finally, I have two recommendations for the white wine drinkers. For those who can’t afford Champagne, but still want great wine for special occasions try # 5502. Finally, although not a wine with great snob appeal there is # 5530. Soave has long been one of my favorite white wines.
Next issue of the WineWhine: In a few days Betty and I hope to be off for a holiday in South America. We are scheduled to fly into the earthquake damaged airport in Santiago de Chile this weekend. If we make it we will be cruising but will have stops in Chile, Peru, Equador, Panama, Columbia, Aruba, Grenada, Guyana and Brazil. After that we plan on a week in Toronto so won’t be back in Nova Scotia for about six weeks. In the meantime if you miss reading the WineWhine you can check my new blog at http://www.travelwhinewithron.blogspot.com/. I shall not be sending out notices when a blog is posted but you might check once in a while on our adventures and misadventures.
March, 2010
Welcome Joseph Khoury of Antigonish and Mike Melchin of Antigonish to the WineWhine.
Illiteracy on the CBC: The other night I was watching an episode of “The Republic of Doyle”, a private eye series set in St. John’s, Newfoundland. If you haven’t watched this program it is worth checking it out just to see Doyle’s muscle car go up and down those St. John’s hills.
In the episode in question the rum-running villain was played by Order of Canada Newfie actor Gordon Pinsant. At one point he is followed to the island of Saint Pierre (part of France, just off the coast of Nfld) where he sits at a table in a bar, boasting that he is drinking Bordeaux. Unfortunately, the bottle shown in this scene is not a Bordeaux bottle but a Burgundy bottle. Shame, shame, shame on the CBC.
Perhaps I shouldn’t pick only on the CBC. While I snooze on the couch, Betty faithfully watches a current crime series on Bravo called “White Collar” She reports that in this series there is featured a Burgundy bottle labeled “Vin de Bordeaux”.
The bottles used in Bordeaux are high shouldered and cannot be confused with the sloped-shouldered bottles used in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. See the pictures for examples of bottles and the
appropriate matching wine glasses. I have included two pictures for your perusal. One shows two bottles. On the left is a Bordeaux bottle and on the right is a Burgundy bottle. See how different they are. The other 
photo is of two wine glasses. On the left is a glass appropriate for sipping Bordeaux. On the right a very different shaped glass that sends the less tannic Burgundy not as far back on the tongue.The slope-shouldered bottles of Burgundy: A wonderful way to spend a week or 10 days is to take the two-day car drive from Paris to Aix-en-Provence. On route you pass through three different wine areas. Traveling southwest from Paris you first go through the magnificent wine country of Burgundy, where some of the world’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are to be found. At Lyon you encounter the Rhone River. Now traveling due south along the river you pass the wonderful Syrahs (Shiraz) of the Northern Rhone, eventually finding your way to Avignon on the southern Rhone where Grenache is the featured varietal in the famous blended wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And you will not find a high-shouldered wine bottle during the entire trip.
The Wines of Burgundy (Bourgogne): Understanding the wines of Burgundy is at least as difficult as understanding the wines of Bordeaux. Generally speaking, however, the same principle applies; that is, the more specific the region that is named between the words Appellation and Controlee, the better the wine.
Before I elaborate, however, I need to point out that most vineyards in Burgundy are very, very small. This means that one could never ever get to know them all. The blame for this state of affairs is the French Revolution and its anti-clerical bias. Prior to the Revolution most of the wineries in Burgundy were owned by the Church, whereas the wineries in Bordeaux belonged to the Aristocracy and in some cases the Bourgeoisie. Above all else the Revolution was anti-church and the wineries were broken up into small holdings, which later became even smaller due to the odd nature of French succession laws (analogous to the creation of the very narrow farms along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec).
Now, back to present-day Burgundy. From north to south Burgundy is made up of several districts, the more important ones being Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaunne, Maconnais and Beaujolais. In Chablis, the wines are exclusively white and are made from the Chardonnay grape. Traditional Chablis are not oaked and are quite acidic. They are clean and crisp and quite wonderful. Many of us are more familiar with the heavily oaked Chardonnay of California. These “buttery” wines are what many people find lacking in refreshment. Before you join the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay), try a French Chablis. You won’t be disappointed.
At the very south of Burgundy is the huge area of Beaujolais where the wines are made almost exclusively from the Gamay grape. I have written several times about Beaujolais so I’ll refrain this time.
Between Chablis and Beaujolais the Pinot Noir Grape is king. These wines are soft with lots of finesse. Many would argue that the very best wines come from Cote D’Or (Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune). Within these districts there are many, many smaller Appellations, but I have a hint as to how you can tell if you are getting the very best. Just as academics know that they are more likely to get their research papers published if they have a COLON in the title, lovers of Burgundy wines know that the best communes have a HYPHEN in the name. Some examples are Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, and Chevalier-Montrachet.
Finally, I should point out that the great Pinot Noirs of Burgundy need some time in the cellar. I just wish I had a few more quietly waiting that special occasion.
Wine Fraud in France: As many of you know France is struggling with maintaining its position as the largest wine exporter in the world. Their problems were not helped by a court in Carcassone that recently convicted a dozen merchants and growers for “organized and structured” fraud. Apparently they blended Merlot and Syrah and exported it as Pinot Noir. What is absolutely amazing is that some of this wine was purchased by E & J. Gallo and sold under the brand name “Red Bicyclette”. I am surprised that the buyers at Gallo could even believe that a cold weather wine like Pinot could come from hot climate area such as Languedoc. In any event if any of you have any “Red Bicyclette” please save me a bottle. I’d love to have a bottle of fake wine in my cellar to go with some of the bottles that only taste like they are fake.
I don’t know what sentence the fraudsters received. However, Carcassone has a history of strong punishment. During the Albigensian Crusades in 1209 Simon de Montfort captured the fortress from the Occitan Cathars and burned hundreds of the defenders in one large pyre after they refused to acknowledge their heresy against the Catholic church. Perhaps a punishment only slightly less dramatic is in order.
WineWhine Tasting: Twenty-four wine lovers joined Betty and me on Feb. 13 for a tasting. Although we have hosted a number of wine tastings in the past this was the first tasting specifically designed for readers of my blog.
We started the evening with a glass of Vinho Verde and then moved on to the food and wine “matches and mismatches.” For each food offering I tried to find both a wine that would complement the food and one that would not. The first pair of wines was an acidic Chianti and a non-acidic Merlot. As expected guests found that the Chianti got better once they munched on some tomatoey pizza bites. Again as expected the Argentinean Malbec went well with the spicy and flavorful empanadas, while the much lighter Beaujolais was not up to the heavy food.
The surprise of the evening, however, was a Portuguese blend of Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca (2006 Cume Do Pereiro from Doura). I had not particularly liked this powerful wine, but like others found that it matched beautifully with the very hot and spicy Portuguese Chorizo. Everyone preferred this wine to the lighter Rioja and this wine got more compliments than any other that was served.
The final pair of wines that was served with food was offered blind. Both wines were Barrel Reserva Cabernets from Cornellana in Chile and I asked my guests to tell me if they were drinking the same wine or two different wines. By the way the wine was served with lamb chops and sirloin bites. Everyone agreed that although the wines were similar they were not identical. In fact they were two different vintages (2005 and 2006).
We ended the evening with a couple of blind tastings. There were prizes for those who were able to identify the Zinfandel and the Tempranillo and the most noticed prize was one given as challenge to find the appropriate wine match. The prize was a can of pickled porcupine peckers.
Opimian Offering # 194: This catalogue features wine from Austria, Germany and Italy. The Austrian wines are from one winery (Hopler). I have not tried any of them but have twice ordered Pinot Noirs from Hopler. They were excellent so I expect any of these wines will be good.
As you know I am not a fan of German wines so will leave you Riesling fans to your own choices.
In this offering there are many wines from Italy. I tend to find cheaper Italian wines overly acidic. However, the farther the south in Italy you go the less acidic the wines are. My recommendations in red wines are # 5510 which is a Negroamaro. This is a very big, bold wine that should suit the North American taste. # 5522 is a merlot from Elena Walch, who I have found makes fabulous wines. My favorite varietal to serve with pizza is Nero D’Avola, the main grape grown in Sicily. I think # 5549 will be a great wine for those of you who don’t cellar your purchases. Finally, I have two recommendations for the white wine drinkers. For those who can’t afford Champagne, but still want great wine for special occasions try # 5502. Finally, although not a wine with great snob appeal there is # 5530. Soave has long been one of my favorite white wines.
Next issue of the WineWhine: In a few days Betty and I hope to be off for a holiday in South America. We are scheduled to fly into the earthquake damaged airport in Santiago de Chile this weekend. If we make it we will be cruising but will have stops in Chile, Peru, Equador, Panama, Columbia, Aruba, Grenada, Guyana and Brazil. After that we plan on a week in Toronto so won’t be back in Nova Scotia for about six weeks. In the meantime if you miss reading the WineWhine you can check my new blog at http://www.travelwhinewithron.blogspot.com/. I shall not be sending out notices when a blog is posted but you might check once in a while on our adventures and misadventures.
