|
"Did St Patrick enjoy a glass or three of wine?" With the Irish saint's day coming up Friday and much of the world putting on something green regardless of our actual ethnic heritage, this provocative opener to a story in Sunday's Belfast Telegraph caught my eye. It's not a question I had thought of before, but if I ever imagined Saint Paddy drinking at all, I would have envisioned him quaffing something black and malt-based, an early precursor of Guinness Stout. Not so, argues writer John Hunter in a feature story headlined Wine & Vine: Here's to St Pat. Since the historical Patrick's family was Romano-British nobility, he said, wine imported to the northern Isles from Rome might have been a normal thing. What's more, Hunter wrote, "Patrick's later Irish crusade led missionaries to Europe, where early records of their presence in Bordeaux and the Loire valley exist."
So if you're not in the mood for a black draught of Guinness or green-tinted mass-market American suds on Saint Patrick's Day, feel free to substitute a glass of fine Irish Bordeaux. And, although a good claret should go well enough with corned beef and cabbage, bear in mind that this purportedly Irish dish is really an Irish-American immigrant invention. Back on the Auld Sod they'll be dining on spring lamb, and there's really nothing better with that than a good Bordeaux.
If you'd like to read John Hunter's full story in The Belfast Telegraph online, here's a link:
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE: If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
I'm enjoying the return of a good, typical vintage in much of Europe after the wacky, fruit-forward and oversize wines that were all too common in the record-heat year of 2003. This modest table wine offers a lovely example: There's plenty of fruit, but it's well-structured with acidity and tannin in a balanced, food-friendly wine that takes me back in memory to years long past, discovering cheap but hearty Rhone reds served by the pitcher in Paris sidewalk cafés. Dark ruby in color with glints of reddish-orange, it offers classic Côtes du Rhône aromas of peppery cherry-berry fruit. Mouth-filling flavors follow the nose, juicy fruit shaped by tart acidity and substantial tannins. U.S. importer: Wines of France Inc., Mountainside, N.J. (March 11, 2006) FOOD MATCH: Red meat is a natural companion, and it went very well with pan-seared flatiron steaks scented with garlic and lots of black pepper. Yes, it will be just fine with St. Patrick's Day corned beef, too. VALUE: After so many years in which basic Côtes du Rhône was a stalwart of the under-$10 bins, it's sad to see it selling the middle teens. In fairness, though, this one is more than competitive with other table reds at this price poin. WHEN TO DRINK: Côtes du Rhône is billed as a drink-now wine, but this item's balance and tannic structure suggests that it will hold up well for several years on the wine rack or in a cellar.
PRONUNCIATION:
WEB LINK:
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:  The California Wine Club: Bloomin' Big Wine Sale Going On Now! The California Wine Club is offering savings of up to 70% off normal retail during this month’s wine sale. A great selection of award-winning wines can be found at http://www.cawineclub.com or give them a call at 1-800-777-4443. Sale ends March 31, 2006, and inventory goes fast, so order early for the best selection. Need a unique gift? Why not take advantage of this month’s sale and mix a half or full case of wines from California’s best artisan winemakers. Make your selections at http://www.cawineclub.com, choose the gift option, include a gift message and The California Wine Club will handle everything else! This week on WineLoversPage.com Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope you'll enjoy:
• For the Love of Port: The Demarcation of the Douro
• Burghound.com: Selection of the Week
• Hot topics in our WineLovers' Community Today's Poll: Eat and Sip Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• The return of Nero d'Avola (March 10, 2006)
• Eat and sip? (March 8, 2006)
• Hugh Johnson: A Life Uncorked (March 6, 2006)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Burger buns (March 9, 2006)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, March 13, 2006
|
Domaine Lafond 2004 "Roc-Epine" Côtes du Rhône ($14)
