Wine maps, Metro style

De Long does it again with Dr. David Gissen's new Metro WIne Map of California, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed Metro Wine Map of France. It's a fun and informative way to look at the wine regions, laid out pictorially in the format of a Paris Metro or New York subway map. These quality 18 x 24 inch maps are $24.95, £20 or 20€. Click the links above or visit De Long Company online

Well, Riesling can make a white wine of great character, a wine that to an unusual degree can reflect its terroir, with a natural transparency that lets shine through the influence of the soil in which the grapes are grown.

Riesling makes outstanding wines at a variety of ripeness levels; but from dry to toothache sweet, its sugars are always nicely balanced by crisp to searing acidity that provides memorable structure.

Riesling can be uncommonly ageworthy, especially for a white wine, not merely keeping well but evolving and becoming even more remarkably complex and delicious after years in a temperature-controlled cellar.

And Riesling's roots lie deep in the history of the region where it was first cultivated, its tradition extending back to Charlemagne and beyond in the steep valleys of the Rhine and Mosel rivers in Western Germany.

Guess what! Chenin Blanc is a lot like that, too. Its history goes back just about as far in the more gently sloping, chateau-studded rolling hills of France's Loire Valley, and just about every bullet point listed above for Riesling applies just as well to Chenin.

Curiously, neither wine ranks among the world's most planted or most popular, although both have their fans, and those fans tend to be passionate and even single-minded in their love for the grape.

Both grapes have sent out missionaries around the world, and while they may not be the leading variety anywhere, Riesling has established strong outposts in New York's Finger Lakes, Ontario and Michigan, not to mention the U.S. West Coast, Australia and New Zealand. Chenin's international plantings are a bit more spotty, although it does very well in California's Clarksburg region and has been very widely planted in South Africa; less respectably, it's grown in industrial-agriculture style as an anonymous source of "jug" wines from California's Central Valley.

I may get some pushback for saying this, but I think I may like Chenin even more than I do Riesling. Riesling's characteristic style can be so aromatic that it's almost over-the-top for me; Chenin brings the delicate, subtle nature that's my particular cup of tea. Er, wine.

So make mine Loire, please! The subtle, mineral-driven character of good Loire Chenin Blanc, entwined with fresh fruit flavors that often evoke melon and sweet Meyer lemon, make a combination that's good for summer patio sipping and for more serious enjoyment at the dinner table.

I report today on Laurent Kraft 2009 Vouvray, a good, typical example of the genre and a good value in the lower teens. You'll find my tasting report below.

Vouvray, its neighbor Montlouis, and similarly styled Chenin Blancs from around the world are getting our attention this month in Vouvray Plus, Wine Focus topic for May in our online WineLovers Discussion Group. You're invited to become a part ofour friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk about the joys of Chenin. To participate in the conversation, simply click to the forum topic "Wine Focus for April: Vouvray Plus!"

All forum discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post your comments and participate actively in the conversation. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system. For your user name, enter your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D", with the capital letters and the space.

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Today's Tasting Report

Laurent Kraft 2009 Vouvray ($13.99)

Clear straw color, with a few little bubbles around the rim. An appetizing scent of Meyer lemons leads into a crisp, fresh flavor, Meyer lemon and subtle mineral notes of chalk and "rainwater over rocks." It's not a sweet wine, but neither is it as dry as "Sec" on the label might suggest to those unfamiliar with Vouvray, Rather, a hint of refreshing fresh-fruit sweetness is well balanced by crisp acidity and gentle 12% alcohol. U.S. importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C. (May 5, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It would be fine with delicate "white" meats like poulet l'estragon of simply prepared freshwater fish; the producer's info page in French suggests blanquette de veau, andouille, charcuterie and Tarte Tatin (apple pie!). I crafted a seasonal vegetarian Asian-style main dish with subtle aromatics to match, and fared very well stir-fried pea shoots and baked five-spice tofu.

VALUE: This lower teens price seems more than fair for this quality Vouvray, which shows up in the $16 range from most U.S. vendors on Wine-Searcher.com.

PRONUNCIATION:
Vouvray = "Voo-vray"

WEB LINK:
Here is importer Robert Kacher's fact sheet (PDF format) on the 2009 vintage of Laurent Kraft Vouvray.

Laurent Kraft's fact sheet about his Vouvrays is in French only; clicking the British flag for an English page, oddly, takes me back to the home page in French.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com lists several U.S. Vendors, but I was frankly surprised not to find more for a wine from an importer as widely distributed as Kacher. Ask at your favorite wine shop or use this link to locate Kacher's regional managers for information about sources near you.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Wine maps, Metro style

De Long does it again with Dr. David Gissen's new Metro WIne Map of California, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed Metro Wine Map of France. It's a fun and informative way to look at the wine regions, laid out pictorially in the format of a Paris Metro or New York subway map. These quality 18 x 24 inch maps are $24.95, £20 or 20€. Click the links above or visit De Long Company online

A lot of the responses have been both funny and true. "You always keep a wine glass stored in your trunk 'just in case'," for instance. Or "You grab the Wine List and you start referencing online sites to find the best value."

I like my contribution, "You spend dinner Googling for some obscure bit you spotted on the wine label," because I think it says something significant about those of us who don't just like to drink wine but to think about wine.

Take last night, please. What should have been the simple act of uncorking and enjoying a bottle of Gerard Bertrand 2008 Minervois turned into an excursion into geekery for a couple of reasons.

* Plug ugly, revisited: First, when I uncorked the bottle I realized that I wasn't un-"corking" it, I was pulling out one of those flesh-colored plastic plugs. Thinking, "Uh oh, I hope this 2008 has held up under this inferior stopper," I suddenly realized how much my thinking has changed over a decade.

Back when the cosmic clock was about to tick over into the 2000s, there was so much outrage over the unacceptable incidence of moldy, musty, mushroomy "cork taint" in quality wines that most of us were ready to embrace any alternative to tree-bark cork. Screw caps? Bring 'em on! Plastic plugs? Glass apothecary stoppers? Let's have 'em!

What ever happened to that controversy, anyway? Cork taint certainly still exists, but over a decade or more, the combination of alternative closures, new-technology cork-based closures like Diam, and ramped-up cork quality control by better producers has damped down the debate. I have rarely encountered corked wines in recent years, and - perhaps happily - it's no longer easier to ignite a noisy discussion among wine geeks by throwing a cork on the table.

I'm still delighted to see a wine under a sturdy Stelvin screw cap. But it occurred to me as I yanked this zombie-shaded plug that plastic stoppers don't impress me any more. They may be taint-free, but experience has demonstrated that they simply aren't effective at keeping wine free from oxidation, a fault that's just about as serious. I'd just as soon not see these stoppers any more.

* What's an AOP? My next geeky revelation had me scurrying for my iPad. Checking all the fine print on the label (doesn't everybody do that?), I suddenly noticed something strange. In place of the usual French "Appellation Minervois Controllee," signalling that the wine's origin within the legal bounds of Minervois was "controlled," it read "Appellation Minervois Protegee ("protected").

That may seem like a small change, but the French wine appellation laws have been enshrined in legal codes for almost a century, so even a trivial alteration asks questions, such as, "Why?" and "What's that about?"

It turns out that AOP is a new designation set up by the European Union, similar to the AOC but crossing national borders - we may start seeing "DOP/DOPG" supplanting "DOC" and "DOCG" in Italy, as well, and so on around the continent. Ditto for the lower-rank geographical designation, heretofore "Vin de Pays" ("Wine of the Country"), changing to "IGP" ("protected geographical indication").

The new designations cover not only wine but cheese, olives and other agricultural products considered as reflecting the "terroir" or sense of the specific location where they are grown. Although the new rules were passed in 2009, they allow ample time for implementation, and may not ever entirely replace the old rule, as producers approved for AOP may choose to continue using the AOC label instead.

European regulators reportedly hope to use the approval process to reduce Europe's wine "glut" by nudging producers considered substandard out of the market, offering their wines for commercial distillation into industrial alcohol.

And in a related move that may provide additional clarity for consumers of wines from Europe, all wine labels may now specify both the grape variety and vintage. In the past, a confusing patchwork of regulations has forbidden this practice in many cases.

It was a good wine-geek time spent exploring; a good dinner, and a very good wine, a fine Old World Syrah-Carignan blend at a reasonable toll. You'll find my tasting report below.

Today's Tasting Report

Gerard Bertrand 2008 Minervois ($13.99)

Blackish purple, dark and just faintly hazy, showing ruby glints against the light. Good ripe black-plum aromas with a gentle whiff of freshly ground black pepper. Simple but fresh and clean black fruit flavors on the palate, well structured by food-friendly acidity, rational 13.5% alcohol, and firm but palatable tannic astringency. A blend of Syrah and Carignan in equal proportions, it's a fine Old World Syrah blend at a reasonable toll; worth a try if only as a re-calibration against the in-your-face high alcohol and huge fruit and oak approach of so many modern New World Syrahs. U.S. importer: USA Wine West LLC, Sausalito, Calif. (May 3, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Soufflé-style spinach cakes make a surprisingly good, if offbeat pairing; the wine label suggests more traditional matches with "beef, sausages or pasta with red sauce."

VALUE: The lower middle teens is a fair place for this good, balanced Old World red, and consistent with the $13 average price it shows on Wine-Searcher.com.

PRONUNCIATION:
Minervois = "Mi-nehr-vwah"

WEB LINK:
This link will download the winery's tech sheet on Gerard Bertrand Minervois.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
This wine should be fairly widely distributed, but unfortunately the free version of Wine-Searcher.com lists only a few vendors. Check with your local wine shops or try contacting USA Wine West, the importer, for information about sources near you.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Give a Delicious Wine Education and Save $49.95!

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Each gift month from The California Wine Club includes two bottles of award-winning, limited-production California wine and a fun way to learn about wine with Uncorked magazine. Special offer: Give 4 months for the price of 3! Just $145 (includes shipping and handling, tax extra where applicable). You'll save $49.95!

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And it's called "Cupcake"?

If you've discerned my usual preferential option for dry, tart, artisanal European-style wines in the old style, well removed from the tutti-frutti blockbuster model, you may be surprised to see me pulling the cork from a bottle like this, much less devoting a column to it.

But sometimes it's not just about us. Or our tastes.

A few months ago, I had occasion to preside over a fund-raising tasting, well stocked with reds and whites in, well, "dry, tart, artisanal European-style wines in the old style." Quite a few of the revelers seemed quite happy with my picks, but a surprising portion surveyed the selections, asked a question or two, then asked, "These are all so harsh. Don't you have a sweet red wine?"

It really made me feel bad to tell them that they were out of luck.

I have addressed this topic before, in "Sweeter than wine," Sept. 25, 2006 Wine Advisor, and "Readers talk back - Sweet red wine," Sept. 27, 2006. Those discussions, though, yielded suggestions that worked as compromises at best.

Could the folks at Cupcake, a California outfit that has also taken over the old Big House line of decent, modest table wines from Bonny Doon, have come up with an answer to the question that frustrated so many people at my tasting? It was worth taking one for the team just to find out.

Cupcake makes about 10 varieties, but the Chardonnay named "Angelfood" and the Zin-heavy red blend called "Red Velvet" spoke most clearly to a cake-based ethos. I hit our neighborhood Walgreen's for a bottle of Cupcake Vineyards 2010 California Red Velvet, priced to sell with a real wine cork for $10.99.

Red Velvet adds a little Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah to the blend with Zin, and the wine maker's notes say they're blended after fermentation and then exposed to oak ("a unique oak regime," which for all I know signals the use of oak chips or sawdust in lieu of pricey barrels) to impart "a certain creaminess."

After all this reading, it was all I could do to approach it impartially; and my friends on the WineLovers Discussion Group didn't help a lot with a snarky discussion of Red Velvet that one taster dismissed with a one-word evaluation: "Barf!"

I can't honestly be that rough on it. I took a bottle to a Sunday buffet dinner and shared it with the group, most of whom were quite willing to finish their glasses. Somewhat to my surprise, I didn't get any chocolate cake vibes out of it at all, and indeed judged it only marginally sweet, with a good but not crazy cherry-berry character and decent acidity to offset its fresh-fruit sweetness: It's no adult soda pop.

Although the name and marketing spin lead the consumer to expect something as sweet and luscious as chocolate cake, that's not happening here. It's actually a passable red wine in the least-common-denominator style that you'll find for a fraction of the price in Trader Joe's Charles Shaw ("Two Buck Chuck") line. But to be honest, it doesn't rise to the level of interest that most wine enthusiasts will demand for the price, and I'm afraid it will disappoint those who come to it expecting a chocolate cupcake in a wine glass.

This wine seems to be looking for an unserved market niche, but I'm not sure it's finding it. It wouldn't surprise me, frankly, to see this brand disappear after it exhausts the population of people who really want a sweet, drinkable, affordable red and fail to find it here.

You'll find my detailed tasting notes below.

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Today's Tasting Report

Cupcake Vineyards 2010 California Red Velvet ($10.99)

Ruby with clear bright glints of red. There's a good cherry-berry aroma and flavor here, but I can't find the chocolate. It's off-dry, but by no means cupcake-sweet, with sufficient acidic structure to hold the sweetness in balance; at 13.5% alcohol it's about standard strength for the red, but no adult soda pop. Although the name and marketing spin lead the consumer to expect something as sweet and luscious as chocolate cake, that's not happening here. This wine seems to be looking for an unserved market niche, but I'm not sure it's finding it. (Jan. 7, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Its failure to achieve cupcake-emulation status actually serves it well enough for the purpose to which I put it, a party beverage on a Sunday buffet at the home of friends. No complaints about its service with finger fare as varied as deviled eggs, sweet pickles and cheese. It would probably go okay with a burger or pizza, as well as serving what may well be its intended purpose, sipping alone as a cocktail drink.

VALUE: As noted in today's article, it's problematic in that its apparent intended audience of people who don't care for dry wines can find alternatives ("Two Buck Chuck") for less, while enthusiasts willing to spend over $10 for a bottle may not find it interesting enough to justify the toll. Wine-Searcher.com turns up many vendors offering it for well under $10.

WEB LINK:
Here's the winery's ad sheet and wine maker's tasting notes on Red Velvet.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
I wasn't kidding about finding this wine at Walgreen's, which may be your easiest route to buy it if you want it. You'll find dozens of vendors, too, most at prices well below my local pharmacy, on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Get $1 Shipping on Award-Winning California Wines!

The California Wine Club is celebrating its 22nd Anniversary with $1 shipping on every case (and half case) of award-winning, limited-production wine from California's best "mom and pop" wineries. No limits! Plus, you'll save even more with discounts of up to 50 percent off winery prices on every bottle!

Click here or call 1-800-777-4443.

And the application of this to wine appreciation is ... ?

Simple enough! For those of us who enjoy the successful pursuit of exceptional wine bargains almost as much as Mr. Sutton enjoyed a bank heist, it makes sense to concentrate this quest on the venues that consistently offer a target-rich environment.

Simply told, we might say, "I look for wine bargains in wine shops because that's where the wine is."

But it's not as simple as that, as savvy bargain-hunters know, for not all wine shops are created equal. Some neighborhood bottle shops are simply too tiny to offer the selection that wine "geeks" covet, and many shop owners quite frankly don't know or care about sourcing the offbeat, artisanal and limited-production wines that wine enthusiasts crave. At the other end of the spectrum, some carriage-trade shops and spiffy stores in wealthy suburbs tweak prices upward to meet an affluent clientele that apparently doesn't feel happy unless it's paying top dollar.

In building my list of wine shops where I'm a regular customer, I look for the sweet spot where interesting selection and attractive pricing meet and mingle. And I make the effort to look around, don't limit myself to just one or two favorites, travel out of my usual rounds to seek new discoveries, and occasionally check back with vendors that didn't impress me, just to check whether things have changed.

I like to buy from locally owned, independent shops, and having knowledgable, wine-savvy and trustworthy management and staff is a huge plus, although this may not entirely offset non-competitive pricing on my score sheet.

So, even though it's not local but a rapidly expanding California-based, German-owned chain of some 300 stores in 30-plus states, I was ready to shop when a Trader Joe's grocery-and-wine store came to our town a few months ago. I had heard tales of insane wine bargains from friends in California, where Trader Joe's originated and seems to have a shop in every city, village and town.

As it turned out, while I haven't been overwhelmed by "TJ's" speciality and prepared foods - I'd rather support old friends at local competitors - its wine shop has enough of what I'm looking for to earn a place along with my local favorites on my wine-shopping rounds.

TJ's may be best known among wine enthusiasts for its hugely publicized Charles Shaw label ("Two Buck Chuck"), a mass-produced wine that sells in California for $1.99, in other states adding transportation costs and the distributors' vig to bring it up to $3 or $4. Because it's essentially relabeled bulk wine, "Shaw" varies from batch to batch, but I've found it generally acceptable if unexciting table wine.

I don't go to TJ's for Two Buck Chuck, but I can never drop in without carrying away a mind-boggling value or two. On one recent visit I walked out with a Barbaresco for $13 - yes, you read that right. I've got it lying horizontally for a taste test after a couple of months' rest. I also brought away a Sagrantino di Montefalco from Umbria for a penny under $11, another bargain that made me suck in my breath - it's a wine more usually seen in the $20 to $30 range.

Sagrantino is an offbeat grape, rarely planted outside Umbria, although in Italian hands it makes a wine that to my taste buds sings from the same hymn book, if not the same page, as Tuscany's Sangiovese. The label on TJ's 2005 offering hints that it may come from a producer called Tinarelli, although the legal fine print identifies the bottler only as the anonymous "PG3021" in Perugia, the capital of Umbria.

It may be difficult to find this specific bottling - Trader Joe's specials seem to come and go quickly, and may also vary among regional stores. But it's worth a look if you have a TJ's nearby. More important, this illustrates the benefits of the Willie Sutton principle. If you want wine bargains, check in often with the shops you've found can be relied on to offer them up. Look for the most unbelievable prices you can find on the shelves, and take care to bring both a nose for a bargain and appropriate skepticism. Good hunting!

An unauthorized peek inside Trader Joe's

If you hold the iconic image of Trader Joe's as a funky, hippie-dippy crunchy granola kind of place run by a jolly pirate wearing a Hawaiian shirt as a sort of community non-profit collective, you might be interested in this unauthorized peek inside the company in Fortune magazine last August: Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe's.

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Today's Tasting Report

Tinarelli 2005 Sagrantino di Montefalco ($10.99)

Dark garnet with bright reddish-violet glints and a clear edge. Red plums and fresh herbs, akin to the rosemary-thyme-fennel "garrigues" scent of some good Provençe reds, but from another Mediterranean region. Juicy, tart and dry, fresh plums and black cherries, mouth-watering acidity and smooth but perceptible tannic astringency. Very good wine, and a really remarkable value.
U.S. importer: Santini Fine Wines Inc., San Lorenzo, Calif. (April 15, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It's made for red meat or even game, but would work well with roast or grilled poultry, pasta with tomato-based sauces, or even our offbeat choice for a light spring dinner, a simple omelet made with fresh free-range eggs and a fresh arugula salad with Capriole Indiana goat cheese.

VALUE: As discussed, this is a remarkable price for Sagrantino. The top 50 current "hits" for Sagrantino in general on Wine-Searcher.com range from $15 to $30, and this is a characterful, representative example, ready to drink. If you can find it, buy it.

PRONUNCIATION:
Sagrantino di Montefalco = "Sahg-rahn-TEE-no dee Mawn-tee-FAHL-co"

WEB LINK:
The Italian Trade Commission's informative Website, ItalianMade.com, offers this fact sheet and map about Umbria and Sagrantino de Montefalco.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
I got it in the wine shop at the Louisville Trader Joe's. It may be hard to find this specific bottling - Trader Joe's specials seem to come and go quickly and perhaps vary among regional stores - but the joy of the chase involves checking in to your local wine shops now and then, watching for those quick-moving bargains.

Find vendors and compare prices for many Sagrantino di Montefalco labels on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Wine maps, Metro style

De Long does it again with Dr. David Gissen's new Metro WIne Map of California, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed Metro Wine Map of France. It's a fun and informative way to look at the wine regions, laid out pictorially in the format of a Paris Metro or New York subway map. These quality 18 x 24 inch maps are $24.95, £20 or 20€. Click the links above or visit De Long Company online

The return of spring flowers and green leaves came to much of the U.S. unusually early this year, and its balmy glories open a delicious possibility for wine lovers: Come back to Beaujolais! Taste through the Crus, see how the recent Beaujolais-Villages vintages are doing.

Sure, check out the ubiquitous wares of the so-called "King of Beaujolais," Georges Duboeuf, whose flower-label bottles are hard to avoid at even the most basic bottle shops; but draw on The King's lesser-known competitors, too, to discover what's going on in the region outside his wine factories.

It might even be fun to unholster a dusty bottle of last year's leftover Nouveau to test the old wisdom that it won't last past Christmas. Personally I have little doubt that the old advise no longer applies in the age of sanitary wine making. I expect the 2011s are still just fine and even the '10s are surviving, but who cares about old Nouveau when we can enjoy the Beaujolais Crus, the wines from the 10 specific Beaujolais villages so well-regarded that their wines are labeled with the village names rather than the generic "Beaujolais."?

Listed alphabetically for your quick reference, the Beaujolais Crus are: Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and Saint Amour.

For a recent discussion about the Crus, with recommendations for specific producers who excel in some of those villages, click to a recent discussion in our WineLovers Discussion Group, Questions for Beaujolais fans.

I also talked about the Crus, and a very good Côte de Brouilly, the 2010 Cuvée Ambassades from Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes, in Exceptional Beaujolais, The 30 Second Wine Advisor on Feb. 17, 2012.

We're featuring Beaujolais in all its forms as monthly Wine Focus for April in our online WineLovers Discussion Group. Come join our friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk about Beaujolais from last winter's Nouveau to a well-aged Cru. To participate in the conversation, simply click to the forum topic "Wine Focus for April: Beaujolais!"

If you happen to live in a Beaujolais-deprived part of the world, you're also more than welcome to contribute to the conversation with wines based on Gamay, the traditional varietal grape of Beaujolais, or even the rare Valdiguié, the Southwestern French grape once labeled in the U.S. as "Napa Gamay."

All forum discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post your comments and participate actively in the conversation. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system. For your user name, enter your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D", with the capital letters and the space.

Having a real name on your name tag is so important to us that all non-conforming registrations will be quietly discarded. Redemption is possible, though. If you overlook this rule and get no response to your registration, feel free to contact me personally by Email at wine@wineloverspage.com, and we'll sort it out.

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Today's Tasting Reports

Jean-Paul Brun 2010 "Terres Dorées" Côte de Brouilly ($20.99)

Clear dark cherry color. Consistent with past vintages it is subtle but by no means wimpy. Wild strawberry aromas add hints of tart cherry and red clay. Dry and crisp, distinct cherry-berry flavors and subtle minerality come together in a tart, mouth-watering flavor with soft tannins providing structure. If you're used to a more tutti-fritti style of Beaujolais with flowers on the label, this more "serious" - yet entirely enjoyable - model may open new vistas for you. U.S. importer: LDM Wines Inc., NYC; Louis/Dressner Selections. (March 31, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: I paired it with great success with a Spanish egg tortilla stuffed with potatoes, onions and garlic. It also serves well with poultry, pork or even beef.

VALUE: The price of this wine has jumped $4 since the 2008 vintage, a 24% increase that appears significantly greater than the inflation rate. I'm not excited about this, but in fairness, the wine is good enough to justify its $21 toll.

PRONUNCIATION:
Brouilly = "Brewl-yee"

WEB LINK: The home page of importer Louis/Dressner Selections offers this article about of Jean-Paul Brun and his wines.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Unfortunately, my source, Chambers Street Wines, appears to be out of Brun's Beaujolais at this time. However, this link to the wine shop returns a list of many other Beaujolais from fine artisanal producers.

Find other vendors and compare prices for J.P. Brun Côte de Brouilly on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
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Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Brothers Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat ("Pu-zeh-lah") have worked together since 1994 on their family's wine estate, Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf, in the Touraine region of the Loire, making tiny quantities of traditional Loire wines using organic and biodynamic techniques. Joined in 2004 by Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, they have added purchased negoçiant wines to their estate bottlings.

Still in limited quantities, these unusual wines tend to be mineral-driven, subtle and complex, offbeat to be sure, but in a good way. As Thierry Puzelat says on the winery website (translated by Google Translate from the French), "During winemaking, the objective is to support grapes, let them show in the wine that they carry within them. ... we can not claim that they appeal to everyone but fans are everywhere."

Mark me down as a fan. The wines aren't easy to find. In the U.S., retailers are largely limited to the Northeast, but I make it my business to seek out their new releases every year. Over the past month I've tasted three Puzelat-Bonhommes from the 2010 vintage: The Touraine Pinot Noir, the Pineau D'Aunis La Tesnière, and the Touraine La Tesnière Blanc.

You'll find my tasting notes below.

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Today's Tasting Reports

Puzelat 2010 "La Tesnière" Touraine Blanc ($21.99)

A blend of the rare white grape Menu Pineau with the Loire's Chenin Blanc, this remarkable white is a clear bright bronze color. Rich and complex aromas and flavors, intentionally oxidative, butterscotch and beeswax aromas, dance with subtle hazelnuts and toasted almonds that carry over on the palate in a rich, complex flavor that brings in pears and green figs and adds stony minerality and a distinct whiff of white pepper. Rich texture is contained by zippy acidity that finishes clean and dry. Remarkable white. U.S. importer: LDM Wines Inc., NYC; Louis/Dressner Selections. (March 16, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: An offbeat wine shows well with a pair of unexpected food matches: fresh spinach and swiss chard cakes made with free-range eggs, ricotta and Parmigiano; and sweet medjool dates stuffed with Capriole Indiana goat cheese. For a simpler match, try it with crab or other sweet shellfish.

WHEN TO DRINK: With the oxidative character going on, it's very difficult to gauge whether this strange but delicious white would benefit from cellaring: I'd just drink up, it's too good to waste.

Puzelat 2010 Touraine Pinot Noir ($19.99)

Ruby, not too dark, with a clear edge. Intriguing scents of raspberries and fresh herbs lead into a fresh, brightly acidic flavor red fruit and oregano and a distinct touch of peach-pit bitterness in the finish. U.S. importer: LDM Wines Inc., NYC; Louis/Dressner Selections. (March 23, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Surprisingly good with spinach and walnut pesto over spaghetti; rare steaks or grilled chicken would also serve it well.

WHEN TO DRINK: Again unpredictable, but given Pinot's longevity, I wouldn't hesitate to experiment with a few years in the cellar if I had several bottles.

Puzelat 2010 Touraine "La Tesnière" Pinot d'Aunis ($27.99)

Red plum color, rather light and a bit hazy. Remarkable aromas, consistent with past vintages: rainwater running over limestone, fresh violets and a whiff of white pepper. Fresh and bright, red fruit and snappy acidity, with complex nuances that follow the nose. A rare wine, made in tiny quantities and hard to find, but worth the search if you enjoy these complex, minerally and not at all fruit-forward Loire Valley reds. U.S. importer: LDM Wines Inc., NYC; Louis/Dressner Selections. (March 27, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Old-fashioned spaghetti with meat sauce; also, experimentally, with dabs of mild goat cheese from Indiana's Capriole Farm. A fine match, although its unusual flavor profile also suggests such widespread options as Chinese roast duck with five spice or wild mushroom ragout in a truffle cream.

WHEN TO DRINK: We drank through a case of Puzelat's 2004 Pineau d'Aunis for several years, finishing the last earlier this year. I can't say it evolved significantly over that time, but it maintained consistent character over the years and was still drinking well.

More information about these wines

VALUE: Driven perhaps by the inexorable tension between increasing interest and limited production, prices for these wines - particularly the Pineau d'Aunis - have doubled or more in recent years. Still, their rare and well-done quality and, to my tastes, intriguing mineral-driven complexity, make them well worth the toll.

WEB LINKS: The Puzelat-Bonhomme website is published only in French, but Google Translate does a credible job of converting it into English (or other languages of your choice).

Here's an article and interview about Puzelat-Bonhomme on the Web pages of U.S. Importer Louis/Dressner.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
To order Puzelat wines from Chambers Street Wines in the U.S., use this link to the wine shop and search for the specific term "Puzelat-Bonhomme."

To find European vendors and international distributors, check this page on the Puzelat-Bonhomme website.

Check prices and locate vendors for Puzelat on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Wine maps, Metro style

De Long does it again with Dr. David Gissen's new Metro WIne Map of California, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed Metro Wine Map of France. It's a fun and informative way to look at the wine regions, laid out pictorially in the format of a Paris Metro or New York subway map. These quality 18 x 24 inch maps are $24.95, £20 or 20€. Click the links above or visit De Long Company online

Inspired by the arrival of another good, reasonably priced Chinon in the still-fresh 2010 vintage from a quality importer, let's return to the Loire today.

Saint-Laurent 2010 Chinon La Vigne en Véron, a "second label" from French négociant Foucher-Lebrun, is typical of quality second labels in offering good value at an affordable price. Characteristic of the Chinon regional style, it wasn't breathtakingly out of line at $15 locally, but I couldn't help noticing that Wine-Searcher.com shows several vendors offering it around $10. Caveat emptor.

Just for fun, in lieu of going to the published critics to research the wine, I clicked through some of those Wine-Searcher.com links to see what retailers and distributors had to say. While seeking opinions from the people who sell a product may invite reasonable skepticism, the results in this case seemed useful and interesting.

Shoppers Vineyard in New Jersey, for example, drew a thorough description of the wine's origin, vinification and a wine maker's tasting report from the importer's files:

"This Chinon comes from the villages of Riviere, Beaumont en Veron and Savigny en Veron. The soils here are a mix of Argilo Calcaire and gravel which tend to produce wines that are a bit more approachable with soft tannins and lovely fruit. The core of the blend is a cuvee of old vines (45-50 years) raised mostly in used barriques, 1-3 years old. The balance is aged in tank, creating a wine that is bright, fresh and aromatic, with lovely cut. A perfect wine for picnics or by the glass in bistro like settings."

PJ Wine in NYC, in turn, offered its own tasting report on the 2009 vintage:

"It telegraphs the terroir of the region in all its bell-peppered, graphite goodness and refreshes the palate with each sip. But this is no sipping wine-this is drinking wine; bistro wine; a red wine for the summertime. We like to put a slight chill on this and just suck it down by the gallon."

Not bad! You'll find my tasting notes below.

Today's Tasting Report

Saint-Laurent 2010 Chinon La Vigne en Véron ($14.99)

Dark garnet with reddish-violet glints. Good, subtle fruit, currants and cranberries on the nose. Bright, mouthwatering red-fruit flavors, framed by cleansing acidity and soft but perceptible tannic astringency, with rational 13% alcohol. In this youthful stage it might be a bit austere for sipping as a cocktail glass of red wine, but its acidity and tannins make it a fine food companion with mushrooms or meat. U.S. importers: Vanguard Wines LLC, Columbus, Ohio; Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y., and other regional importers. (March 11, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Fine with tannin-forgiving red meats, roast poultry or cheese, or earthy meatless fare such as our dinner crafted to match, pan-seared and oven-finished eggplant "steaks" with mushrooms and browned onions.

VALUE: As noted in the article above, it justifies a mid-teens price based on quality and typical Chinon character, but Wine-Searcher.com finds several U.S. vendors in the $10 range.

WHEN TO DRINK: Good now, and as noted, capable of possible evolution toward a bit more complexity with two to five years under good cellar conditions.

WEB LINK: Click to read a report from importer Polaner Selections about St. Laurent and its négociant, Foucher-Lebrun.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Saint-Laurent Chinon La Vigne en Véron on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Save up to 71% on Award-Winning Wines!

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But that being said, Ruffino's 132-year history spans the entire modern era of this classic Tuscan wine. And it certainly seems old to me, as I've been enjoying Ruffino Chianti since before I was old enough to drink it legally, back when it came in a wicker-wrapped bottle and seemed the perfect answer to the question, "What shall we have with this spaghetti or pizza?"

I had been thinking about Chianti ever since last week's column, "Red wine? Pass the cheese," spoke of alternatives to Chianti with traditional hearty Southern Italian dishes and their robust Italian-American offspring. The other day I spotted a newly arrived bottle of Ruffino's "Aziano" Chianti Classico bottling and realized, "D'oh! I could have had a Chianti."

Chianti's "recipe" has changed a bit in modern times, and currently allows makers to choose a full-varietal Sangiovese or to blend in up to 20 percent of other regional and international varieties including the native Canaiolo, Colorino, Ciliegolo and Malvasia Nero or the international Cabernet or Merlot.

This allows some individual variation, and permits makers to choose either very traditional or very "modern" approaches. Yet I find that Chianti - and particularly Chianti Classico, which is a bit more regulated and limited to grapes from the historic central part of its ancient Tuscan region - boasts a consistent style that goes back at least as far as I can remember and likely a whole lot longer.

Tart, fresh and crisp, aromas often evoking black cherries, natural but never over-the-top fruit and perhaps a whiff of subtle spice, opening up mouth-watering acidity and sometimes soft tannins, even in its cheaper manifestations Chianti generally brings to the table everything it needs to marry well with food. Especially those tomato-based sauces, long-simmered and sweet, with which it makes such a stereotypical match atop red-checked tablecloths, plastic grapevines and candles flickering in old wicker-wrapped jugs.

Or you can serve it with a steak, a burger, pizza or cheese. Good food wines, in their nature, are accommodating and rarely need be limited to a narrow choice of options.

I'm happy to report that Ruffino 2009 "Aziano" Chianti Classico ($15.99) is a fine example. If it's a bit on the simple side - I think it would reward a year or three in the cellar - it's already ready to serve with tomato-sauced dishes, roast chicken or steak. (The winery suggests also penne al ragù, omelet and bacon, mixed grill, Pecorino cheese and more.) You'll find my tasting report below.

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Today's Tasting Report

Ruffino 2009 "Aziano" Chianti Classico ($15.99)

Clear ruby with reddish-orange glints. Black cherries, a touch of spice and just a hint of dark-roast espresso. Fresh and bright on the palate, tart cherries and palate-cleansing acidity. Alcohol at 13% is in range for table wine. A bit simple - a year or two in the cellar might help with that - but already a fine food wine in the Tuscan style, a natural match with tomato sauces, beef or roast chicken. Ruffino Import Co., Rutherford, Calif. (March 6, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Testing the assumption that simple Chianti and simple Italian fare work well together, it was fine with a fresh cacciatore dish over conchiglie (mini-shells) pasta. Fine, too, with red meat, burgers or steak, roast chicken or pork.

VALUE: My mid-teens local price was within range in Wine-Searcher.com's list of U.S. prices between $10 to $20, but with many vendors tagging it at $10 to the lower teens, shopping around may pay off.

WHEN TO DRINK: Good now, and as noted, capable of possible evolution toward a bit more complexity with two to five years under good cellar conditions.

WEB LINK: Here's the Ruffino website's English-language page on the Aziano.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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A great gift for wine lovers

A wine reference disguised as a fine-art print, the innovative Wine Grape Varietal Table mimics the familiar periodic table of the elements to show a world of wine grape varieties.
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But suppose you're in the mood for a bigger, more structured red? I'm not sure I would ever recommend a blockbuster California Cabernet, say, or a top-level Bordeaux with pasta and Italian "gravy." That would be too much like using a sledgehammer to put up a little nail for a picture frame.

On the other hand, the hearty reds of France's Southern Rhône Valley, and to some extent their varietal imitators from around the world, offer aroma and flavor profiles that aren't entirely different from Tuscan reds, albeit typically a bit more big and bold. It's not hard to bring spaghetti and tomato sauce up to meet these big boys: Just bring a little cheese to the party.

The formula is as simple as this: Cheese, particularly the grated Italian hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano that go so well with tomato-sauced pasta, add a touch of creamy fat that gives the zippy acidity and puckery tannins of Rhône-style reds something to push back against.

It worked just that way with today's featured wine, Liberty School 2008 "Cuvée," a Rhône-style red blend from California's Central Coast. Good with the spaghetti alone, it was a significantly better match with Parmigiano-Reggiano grated on for just the reasons stated: When I took a taste of pasta and sauce with the wine but no cheese, the wine was quenching but seemed to wash the tomato sauce right off my palate. With the cheese, it all came together, and the combination seemed to amplify the flavors. Grated cheese for the win!

Speaking of Rhône-style wines, we're looking at the full range, not only red but pink and white, in our monthly Wine Focus for March in our online WineLovers Discussion Group.

You're welcome to join in. Come join our friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk about international reds based on Syrah, Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre and other Rhône varieties as well as whites based on the region's grapes. To participate in the conversation, simply click to the forum topic "New World Rhone Varieties."

We don't want to leave our European friends out in the cold, so if you don't have access to New World Rhône Rangers, please feel free to join in with your local wines.

All forum discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post your comments and participate actively in the conversation. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system. For your user name, enter your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D", with the capital letters and the space.

Having a real name on your name tag is so important to us that all non-conforming registrations will be quietly discarded. Redemption is possible, though. If you overlook this rule and get no response to your registration, feel free to contact me personally by Email at wine@wineloverspage.com, and we'll sort it out.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly with correctly formed user names, you'll be able to participate in Wine Focus and in all our online wine and food forums.

Today's Tasting Report

Liberty School 2008 Central Coast "Cuvée" ($14.99)

Syrah dominates this Rhône-style blend, with smaller amounts of Grenache, Petite Sirah and Viognier, with a splash of not-so-Rhônish Cabernet Sauvignon. It's dark reddish-purple almost all the way to a clear garnet edge. Plums and red berries and a whiff of brown spices come forward on the nose; bright and tart red fruit on the palate with a hint of oak. It's hearty and acidic, alcohol level reasonable at 13.5 percent, with a distinct edge of tannic astringency to provide structure. (March 1, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Fine with spaghetti with tomato sauce frozen from last summer's garden, best with a good grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to bring it up to the robust red wine.

VALUE: Wine-Searcher.com shows U.S. Prices ranging from $10 to $19; my local price falls in the middle and seems fair enough, although I'd shop around, and send a message to the higher-priced shops by spending elsewhere.

WHEN TO DRINK: The 2009 vintage is in the market now, but I'd have no worries about buying the 2008. Its blend and its good balance of fruit, acidity and tannins should ensure reasonable ageworthiness for at least a few years under good cellar conditions.

WEB LINK: Click here for a winery fact sheet about the Liberty School "Cuvée," anong with a link to buy it direct from the winery for $14.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and locate vendors for Liberty School "Cuvée" on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
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Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Save up to 71% on Award-Winning Wines!

The California Wine Club's Spring Wine Sale is going on now. Stock up and save up to 71% off retail prices with award-winning, limited-production artisan California wines priced as low as $6.99. Shop Now!

Today let's celebrate a long-time favorite from French vineyards in which an attractive quality-price ratio comes with the territory: Côtes-du-Rhône ("Hillsides of the Rhone"), is a generic appellation for miles of vineyards that dot the hillsides - and despite the name, in some cases the valley floor - along an extended swath of the Northern and Southern Rhône river valley.

We've talked often about the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, specific villages whose surrounding vineyards have earned notice by consistently producing particularly good fruit. The wines bearing this label have been grown and made under more stringent regulations aimed at ensuring quality standards: Limited production per acre, for instance, and higher minimum levels of alcohol.

But today we're sticking to the basics, plain and generic Côtes-du-Rhône, a wine that I've been enjoying since my first wine trips to France quite a few years ago. Even with my fractured French, it didn't take me long to learn how to order a "petit pichet" (small carafe) of "vin rouge" (red wine). This fluid would be cheap and somewhat drinkable, and went okay with sidewalk café fare; but this low-end stuff was often thin, acidic and harsh.

For just a couple of francs more, though, I could upgrade to un petit pichet du Côtes-du-Rhône, and then we'd be talking. Add some cheese, a baguette and a salad and I had a good, cheap French dinner to make me happy; and it would be years before I discovered that the Rhône had even better stuff to offer.

This week's featured wine, Les Domaines d'Auriol 2010 "cdr" Côtes du Rhône, takes me right back to those days. Available here for a buck under $10, it's a well-made blend of red Grenache and Syrah grapes in equal proportions. (Any of the 13 grapes permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape may be used in Côtes du Rhône, but Grenache, with its ripe raspberry scent and tart, bright acidity, is usually the workhorse grape, and Syrah, with its plums and fragrant black pepper, is its most frequent companion.)

Look for a simple Côtes du Rhône soon. This bottling, showing a simple, basic "cdr" on the front label, is a fine, affordable example, but the market is full of options. Pour a glass, or even two; enjoy it with cheese or red meat, and pretend you're relaxing in a sidewalk café in Avignon or Paris. Enjoy! My tasting notes are below.

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To shop now, click here or call 1-800-777-4443

Today's Tasting Report

Les Domaines d'Auriol 2010 "cdr" Côtes du Rhône ($8.99)

Clear dark garnet shading to a clear edge. Fresh, young, good and typical aromas in a young CdR: red berries, a dash of Chambord raspberry liqueur and a quick grind of black pepper. Red berries carry over on the palate in a bright, palate-cleansing flavor, crisp acidity and light but textured tannins providing balance. A typical Rhône blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah, it comes in at a rational 13.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Heidelberg Distributing Co., Independence, Ohio. (Feb. 9, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Red meat, cheese or tomato-based pasta all work fine with acidic Rhône reds. We enjoyed it with spaghetti in a light marinara sauce kept frozen from our garden last summer.

VALUE: No, it's not a fancy wine, but it offers about as much value as I've seen for a while in a $9 bottle.

WHEN TO DRINK: The screwcap should keep it fresh for a year or two, but modest Côtes du Rhône is really a wine to drink up while it's fresh.

WEB LINK: Here's a page from distributor Testa Wines with some information on Les Domaines Auriol "cdr."

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Unfortunately, the short trade name "cdr" is not searchable on Wine-Searcher.com. To find it, try local wine shops, or contact distributors Testa Wines of the World or Heidelberg Distributing for Ohio or Kentucky.

For a broader quest, this article on Wine-Searcher.com tells a bit about Côtes du Rhône and provides links to some 500 specific wines.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
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Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

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Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but just as a diet of smoothies would soon grow old for most of us, basic Beaujolais remains an occasional thing for me.

Let me get my hands on one of the Beaujolais "Cru" bottlings, though, and that's a whole 'nother story. These wines from 10 specific Beaujolais villages are so well-regarded that their wines are sold under the village names rather than the generic "Beaujolais."

Like their siblings Beaujolais Nouveau, generic Beaujolais and somewhat more upscale Beaujolais-Villages, these "Crus" are made from the Gamay grape; and they may share Beaujolais's customary ripe and fruity character and its characteristic strawberry aromas.

But the top-shelf appellations usually add an intriguing complexity that you won't find in the simpler wines. And at their best, they can even benefit from a few years in the cellar. When you're in the mood for Beaujolais but want something more serious, the "Crus" are well worth seeking out and paying a little extra to enjoy.

Here's how to ask for them by name: Côte de Brouilly, Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, Chénas, Juliénas and Saint-Amour.

I like 'em all, but one of my favorite villages is certainly Côte de Brouilly, on the slopes of Mont Brouilly, whose wines frequently display an appealing earthy mineral character, akin to the scent of clean, wet clay, that plays a beautiful counterpoint to Gamay's wild strawberries.

The other day it was my pleasure to run across a bottle exceptional even by Côte de Brouilly's usual standards. Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes 2010 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Ambassades. Grown on 12 favored acres on the mountainside, is so well-thought-of that the French diplomatic service purportedly reserves a good share of its production to serve in embassies around the world.

They leave a little for the rest of us, and when you can find it in the lower $20s or even less, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. If you get there before I go back for a six-pack.

My tasting notes are below.

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The California Wine Club's Spring Wine Sale starts next week, but you can order now! Save up to 71% off retail prices on award-winning wines. Shop Now!

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To shop the full selection of wines on sale, click here or call 1-800-777-4443.

Today's Tasting Report

Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes 2010 Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Ambassades ($15.99)

Dark garnet, shading to a clear edge. Beautiful aroma, wild strawberries over an earthy, pleasant mineral scent reminiscent of puddles in red clay after a summer storm. Crisp and fresh, tart wild berries and white pepper, zippy acidity and a gentle edge of tannic astringency, well balanced at 12.5% alcohol. A remarkable wine, pushing the envelope for village Beaujolais. U.S. importer: Vintage '59 Imports LLC, Washington, D.C. (Feb. 16, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It made a surprisingly good companion with a pesto of spinach and walnuts, garlic and Pecorino Romano cheese over spaghetti. Try it, too, with a steak, a rare burger or roast chicken.

VALUE: Wine-Searcher.com shows a range of U.S. retail prices from the middle teens to the lower $20s, which isn't unreasonable for a village Beaujolais of this quality level. It compares with Burgundy at three times the price.

WHEN TO DRINK: Top village Beaujolais like this, in contrast with its simpler siblings' reputation for short useful life, may be cellared and evolve for five years and sometimes longer, but careful storage at 55-60F cellar temperature is mandatory; otherwise drink it in the next year or two.

WEB LINK: Here's the importer's fact sheet on the Ambassades.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and locate vendors for Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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A wine reference disguised as a fine-art print, the innovative Wine Grape Varietal Table mimics the familiar periodic table of the elements to show a world of wine grape varieties.
Click to buy!

In the Jan. 27 issue of The 30 Second Wine Advisor, "Is $20-plus wine 'affordable'," I talked about the high cost of Burgundy, a category in which a $23 price tag qualified as "bargain" for the featured wine, 2009 Domaine Bertrand Ambroise Bourgogne Rouge.

This week let's move across France to the other iconic wine region, Bordeaux, which like Burgundy is draped in so much historic mythology that just about any property bearing a rating from the Médoc Classification of 1855 commands a price that many of us can't or won't pay for a bottle of wine.

Fortunately for bargain-seekers, there's a virtual ocean of "unclassified" Bordeaux, wines that didn't make the cut when the Bordeaux wine merchants tried to sort out quality on the basis of market price more than 156 years ago.

Much like California or Italy or any other wine-producing region or country, the output is variable; it would be naive to argue that "it's all good." But Bordeaux holds the benefit of tradition, and of strict rules that limit what goes into the wine: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, mostly, for the reds, perhaps with some Cabernet Franc, Malbec or Petite Verdot; but the exact "recipe" is up to the wine maker's discretion and what the vineyard delivers.

Happily for wine lovers on a budget, early signals are that the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux, now coming onto the market, is shaping up as particularly good, and this particular rising tide lifted many boats, providing excellent wines and good value at all price levels. While long-time wine lovers are accustomed to seeing Bordeaux producers declaring every year the vintage of the century, popular critics including Robert M. Parker Jr. and Wine Spectator have been effusive. Here's a laudatory report on the vintage from The Telegraph in the UK.

For this week's tasting I sampled the 2009 Chateau des Leotins, from the generic appellation "Bordeaux," which cost a very modest $10. It made me happy: Good, characteristic Bordeaux style and a fine table wine for an everyday price. My tasting notes are below.

We're looking at Bordeaux bargains in our monthly Wine Focus for February, and you're welcome to join in. Come join our friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk about our quest for value in the less-exalted realms of Bordeaux. To participate in the conversation, simply click to the forum topic "Unclassified Bordeaux."

All forum discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post your comments and participate actively in the conversation. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system. For your user name, enter your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D", with the capital letters and the space.

Having a real name on your name tag is so important to us that all non-conforming registrations will be quietly discarded. Redemption is possible, though. If you overlook this rule and get no response to your registration, feel free to contact me personally by Email at wine@wineloverspage.com, and we'll sort it out.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly with correctly formed user names, you'll be able to participate in Wine Focus and in all our online wine and food forums.

Today's Tasting Report

Chateau des Leotins 2009 Bordeaux ($9.99)

Garnet color, dark all the way to the clear edge. Typical red Bordeaux scents, blackcurrant and a whiff of cedar. Tart plums and currants in the flavor, palate-cleansing acidity and astringent tannins, sturdy, rational alcohol at 13.5%, with good blackcurrant fruit lingering in the finish. Characteristic Bordeaux, not the most fancy, but a good demonstration of the style in a very good vintage. U.S. importer: Cutting Edge Selections Inc., Mariemont, Ohio. (Jan. 31, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Its good acidity and palatable tannins are a plus with traditional Bordeaux matches, rare steaks, roast beef and lamb; good with cheeses and even "meaty" vegetarian dishes like a hearty, winter-style root vegetable stew.

VALUE: It's a rare and fine thing to find quality Bordeaux with a $10 price tag. As noted, all levels of Bordeaux seem to be worth consideration in the good 2009 vintage. Wine-Searcher.com finds a few U.S. retailers offering it for a dollar or two less.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's drinking well now, especially with a food match to tame the light tannins, and it seems to have the necessary ingredients and balance to gain a bit with three to five more years in the cellar.

WEB LINK: The website of the producer, Pierre Montagnac, offers pleasant French lounge music and a list of their properties, but Chateau des Leotins is nowhere to be found. Importer Cutting Edge Selections is silent on Leotins as well.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and locate vendors for Chateau des Leotins Bordeaux on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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A Delicious Dilemma!

"The only problem with The California Wine Club is that I have a new favorite wine almost every month," says Club member Jim Wiley. Try two award-winning artisan wines for $49.45 (includes s/h).
Click here or call 1-800-777-4443.

Let's face it: None of these 1 percenters is going to let a $3,000 price tag stand between him and a bottle of Romanee-Conti if he's in the mood for a little Burgundy with his pot roast.

Most of us, though, need to keep a keen eye on the fine line between budget and value in the wines we enjoy. And that may go double for Burgundy, where the combination of limited supply, high demand and cachet come together to make a market in which the finest wines are pricey indeed, and even the bottom-end, generic bottlings aren't cheap.

What's more, when we're bottom-feeding, looking for value among the lowest-price offerings in the category, success isn't guaranteed. In some cases, what's good isn't cheap, and what's cheap isn't good.

Still, I love Burgundy, and if I can't afford the high-end stuff, I'm going to keep on trying, and if I spot what looks like a decent risk in the lower $20s - or better yet, the teens - chances are I'll gamble on a bottle even though it's a bit out of my everyday comfort zone.

This week, for example, I gambled and scored with the 2009 Domaine Bertrand Ambroise Bourgogne Rouge. It set me back $23, which made me think twice. For that price I could get two bottles of a nice California red blend. Or, to be frank, three six-packs of decent local microbrewery beer.

But hey, it's decent Burgundy, characteristic and interesting, if not Romanee-Conti. At the end of the meal, I thought the investment was justified. If you try it, I hope you do, too.

Today's Sponsor

It's a Delicious Dilemma!

"The only problem with The California Wine Club is that I have a new favorite wine almost every month. Thanks!"
--Jim Wiley, PA, CWC Member

The California Wine Club features a new artisan California winery and new award-winning wines every month. In the coming year, we hope that your toughest problem is having new favorite wines on a regular basis. CWC invites you to try two award-winning artisan wines for $49.45 (includes shipping and handling). Click here or call 1-800-777-4443 for details.

Today's Tasting Report

Domaine Bertrand Ambroise 2009 Bourgogne Rouge ($22.99)

Dark garnet. Typical Burgundy aromas, red plum and tomato skin and a whiff of woodsmoke. Good tart fruit flavors, juicy plums, crisp acidity and soft but astringent tannins; appropriate 13% alcohol for a traditional-style table wine. A bit on the simple side, perhaps, but it offers an excellent introduction to Burgundy at a comparatively affordable price. U.S. importer: Robert Kacher Selections, NYC. (Jan. 17, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: Burgundy will almost always make a natural match with rare beef, and it's as good as Pinot Noir gets with wild salmon; we went with its third standard pairing, mushrooms, and scored with an intense mushroom risotto made with a mix of dried porcini and fresh brown mushrooms.

VALUE: It's about as good a value as you'll find for true Burgundy, even at this generic level. Frankly, in competition with many world wines of similar quality, it's pushing the limit for value in the lower $20s range. But sometimes you just want a Burgundy, and this offers a good starting point. It may also pay to shop around, especially if direct wine shipping is allowed where you live, as Wine-Searcher.com reveals an unusually wide range of U.S. prices from $15 to $29 for this item.

WHEN TO DRINK: I don't see any reason why this young Burgundy couldn't last and evolve a bit for five years under excellent cellar conditions, but I'd be dubious about keeping it longer.

PRONUNCIATION:
Bourgogne Rouge = "Boor-gon-yuh Roozh"

WEB LINK: Warning: Google warns of apparent malware on the destination that the search engine reveals as the winery's Website: "... contains content from assolkh.blackhulu.com, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site." Accordingly, I won't link it here, and don't recommend that you try to find it until the issue is resolved. However, here's a safe, if short, fact sheet on the wine from importer Robert Kacher.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Domaine Bertrand Ambroise 2009 Bourgogne Rouge on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Discover The California Wine Club Difference!

Discover the difference for yourself. Try two award-winning artisan wines for $49.45 (includes shipping and handling).
Click here or call 1-800-777-4443 for details. Mention The 30 Second Wine Advisor and they'll include an extra bottle in your first shipment.

But move outside Bordeaux and the places like Napa that echo its style, and as often as not, "Cabernet" without a surname might mean "Cabernet Franc." In Northeastern Italy, for example, and New York in the U.S. and Ontario in Canada, this Cabernet cousin that favors cool climates often turns up in single-varietal wines with just-plain "Cabernet" on the label.

And in France, where the label most often reflects a location, not a grape, the red wines of the Loire Valley often turn to Cabernet Franc to make memorable reds with chiseled structure and fascinating minerality. It could be argued (although some in St.-Emilion might quibble) that no place does Cabernet Franc better than the Loire.

Today let's celebrate Cab Franc with a taste of a relatively affordable item from Chinon, Domaine de Noiré 2009 "Soif de Tendresse," whose label adds the word "Fruité" to celebrate its producer's focus on fruit, not oak.

Chinon is an ancient and historic village - home of the poet Rabelais and a stepping stone along the pathway of Joan of Arc - situated on the Vienne river off the Loire in the Touraine region around the city of Tours, center of the Loire wine region. The Domaine de Noiré offers a pleasant expression of the regional character, and despite its claim to "fruity" character, it's by no means international nor critic-driven in style. You'll find my tasting report below.

Today's Sponsor

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For more than 22 years, The California Wine Club's proprietors Bruce and Pam Boring have been traveling the back roads of California's wine country discovering the best "mom & pop" wineries.

Why the focus on small wineries? Unlike big wineries, which mass produce millions of cases of wine a year, the artisan family wineries CWC features typically handcraft less than 10,000 cases. This limited production allows them to take a "hands on" approach that is just not possible at large wineries. It's a difference you can taste!

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Today's Tasting Report

Domaine de Noiré 2009 "Soif de Tendresse" Chinon "Fruité" ($15.99)

Dark purple shading to a clear garnet edge. Plums and red berries, a dash of oregano and a hint of smoke; it's not wood, though, as the back label assures, "expression à ce vin FRUITÉ, non boisé" ("the expression of this wine is fruity, not woody"). Crisp fruit and a whiff of dried herbs carry over on the palate with good, crisp acidity and soft but substantial tannic astringency that makes it delightfully food-friendly. U.S. importers: Vintner Select, Mason, Ohio; North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, and other regional importers. (Jan. 11, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: On the first night it went very well indeed with a simple omelet made with free-range eggs, stuffed with browned onions and garlic. On the next evening, the remainder of the bottle was fine with a lightly spicy ginger-scented Sichuanese stir-fry with shredded carrots and celery.

VALUE: The middle teens is not an inappropriate neighborhood for a good Loire red.

WHEN TO DRINK: Good fruit, good balance and significant tannins suggest that a year or three in the cellar might add a layer of complexity, but good storage conditions would be important.

PRONUNCIATION:
Chinon = "Shee-nohN"

WEB LINK: Here's an article about the Soif de Tendresse from North Berkeley Imports.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Domaine de Noiré "Soif de Tendresse" Chinon on Wine-Searcher.com.

You can also buy it direct from North Berkeley at this link.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
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Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

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Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch's Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy, is comprehensive and authoritative. This hefty guide offers a thorough, region-by-region rundown of all the wines of Italy. It's indispensable if you love Italian wine or want to learn more about it..
Click to buy it now from Amazon.com in paperback for $14.44, 34 percent off the $21.95 list price.

On the "instep" lies Campania, the region of Naples, home of pizza; and Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii, sweet Sorrento, Capri and the lemon groves of the Amalfi coast . In ancient times, the Romans considered Falernum from this region among their greatest wines, and the name, at least, remains in the wine region Falerno. One of Campania's most famous wines is Lachryma Christi del Vesuvio (red and white), but serious wine enthusiasts will probably find more joy in the ancient, rich and aromatic whites, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino; want red? Taurasi is a full-bodied favorite.

Apulia (Puglia), the Italian boot's high heel, is known for focaccia bread, its groves of ancient olive trees and seafood from the waters that surround it. It is also the home of Primitivo, the red grape, rooted across the Adriatic in Croatia, that DNA studies has shown to be genetically the same as Zinfandel, albeit subject to clonal differences that make the wines anything but identical twins. Salice Salentino is another Pugliese red. Like California's Central Valley or Languedoc's inland plains, though, Apulia is Italy's most prolific grape producer, with most of its industrially grown fruit destined for an anonymous fate in simple table wines.

Basilicata fills the "sole" of the boot. Largely rural with a relatively small population, it doesn't play a major role on the wine scene, but its hearty red Aglianico del Vulture, grown on volcanic soil, boasts a heritage back to the ancient Greeks. Its sugary, prickly Moscato and Malvasia satisfy the wine lover's sweet tooth.

Calabria, the "toe" of the boot, joins Sicily as one of the primary sources of the Italian immigrant stream to the U.S. through Ellis Island, and during that same era to Argentina. The rural poverty that drove emigration leaves a lightly populated region with its economy primarily driven by olive oil and commercial fishing. Nevertheless, its iconic wine, Ciro, dating back to the Greeks, is a potent red made from the Gaglioppo grape.

In addition to these mainland regions, Il Mezzogiorno also includes the islands Sicily and Sardinia, and the regions that lie on its northern edge, Abruzzi and Molise. We'll welcome reports on wines from any of these regions this month. To get things started, I opened an excellent white Falanghina, made by Ocone in the Taburno wine region of Campania, in the hills above Naples. My tasting report is below.

You're invited to join our friendly international crowd of online wine lovers as we taste and talk about the wines of Southern Italy. To participate in the conversation, simply click to the forum topic "January: The South of Italy"

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Today's Tasting Report

Ocone 2009 Taburno Falanghina ($9.99)

This wine made from Falanghina grapes in Campania's Taburno wine region is a bright, clear gold color. Lovely, subtle scents of white fruit and beeswax lead into a delicious flavor, good body, dry, juicy pears and fresh-fruit acidity, rational 12.5% alcohol, with just a touch of appetite-whetting bitterness in the finish. Well balanced and food-friendly, in a rich style that's distinctly Southern Italian. U.S. importer: Scoperta Importing Co., Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (Jan. 5, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It would be just fine with the seafood and saltwater fish that abound off the Naples coast; it was splendid, too, with a vegetable main course of lima beans and diced turnip long braised in olive oil with onions and garlic and a touch of Dijon mustard.

VALUE: On sale at a local retailer thanks to a distributor's close-out, it's a back-up-the-truck buy. Even at its more normal price point in the lower to middle teens, it's still an excellent value.

WHEN TO DRINK: It's not for long-term cellaring, but I'd say its richness and color promise at least a couple of years' aging potential. No rush to drink it up.

PRONUNCIATION:
"Falanghina" = "FA-lan-GHEE-nah," with a hard "g".

WEB LINK: This link leads to another U.S. distributor's fact sheet on Ocone Estate and its 2010 Falanghina..

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Ocone Taburno Falanghina on Wine-Searcher.com.

Talk About Wine Online

If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group, the Internet's first and still the most civil online community. To find our forums, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village

Discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format "John Doe" or "John D". Anonymous, cryptic or first-name-only registrations are discarded without notice.

Once your registration has been approved, which usually happens quickly, you'll be able to participate in all our online wine, food and travel forums.

To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.

Subscriptions and Administrivia

Unsubscribe:
We're sorry if you must leave us, but simply click the "unsubscribe"
link at the bottom of your Email edition to be instantly removed from the mailing list.

Change address:
The quickest and easiest way to change your Email address is simply to register anew, using the link below. If you are keeping your old address but no longer wish to get the Wine Advisor there, click the unsubscribe link below to take it off our list; if you are closing the mailbox, you needn't take any action, as our system will delete your old address as soon as the mail to your old address starts to "bounce."

Subscribe to this Email edition (free):
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Wine Advisor Archives:
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For information, E-mail wine@wineloverspage.com