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30 Second Wine Tasting Tip: "To Morgon" Morgon, one of my favorite villages of Beaujolais, produces wines so characteristic that they earn a linguistic distinction that may be unique in the world of wine: The name of the village has become a verb. "Morgonner," literally "to Morgon," is the term that Beaujolais fanciers use to describe what happens to an older Beaujolais that matures into a complex, earthy wine with the grace and style of a Burgundy. It's not every simple Beaujolais that will do that - most, frankly, are never better than the day they go into the bottle. But Morgon - and particularly Morgons grown on the crumbly "roche pourrie" ("rotten rock") soil of a hillside called the Cote de Py - can produce a delicious exception to the rule. As we've discussed on occasion, 10 of the Beaujolais villages have earned the right to use their own name on the label in place of the broader "Beaujolais." In addition to Morgon there's Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and St-Amour. Known for fresh, refreshing fruitiness more than power or structure, these red wines are made from the Gamay grape. Despite the different grape and distinct region and geology, Beaujolais is categorized as part of greater Burgundy, and may bear the name "Burgundy wine." Of all the villages, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Moulin-a-Vent ... and perhaps most of all, Morgon ... have the ability to show this kinship in wines that, especially with a year or two of age, can seem positively Burgundian. What's your take on Beaujolais? If you would like to share your tasting or touring experience, you can talk about it in our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, http://www.wineloverspage.com/cgi-bin/sb/index.cgi?fn=1. Or write me at wine@wineloverspage.com. I regret that the growing circulation of the "Wine Advisor" makes it difficult for me to reply individually to every note. But I'll respond to as many as I can and do my best to address specific questions. Please be assured that all your input helps me do a better job of writing about wine. Please tell your wine-loving friends about The 30 Second Wine Advisor (weekly) and Wine Advisor Express (daily), and invite them to register for their own free subscription at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor. 30 Second Tasting Notes: Two from Morgon Anne-Marie Perret 1999 Morgon Grand Cras ($10.99) Very dark garnet, with delicious and complex aromas of cherries, raspberries and earthy notes of dried tobacco and cocoa. Crisp and tart raspberry and juicy plum flavors add a hint of soft tannins surprising in a Beaujolais. An exceptional wine, certainly capable of improving for several years. U.S. importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, Va. (July 21, 2001) FOOD MATCH: An excellent match with a summer rendition of veal osso buco with a light fresh-tomato sauce. Domaine Calot 1999 Morgon ($14.99) This clear, dark-garnet wine presents strawberry and earthy, pleasantly herbal aromas. Strawberry jam flavors are ripe and fresh, well structured with snappy lemon-squirt acidity. It plays a classic Beaujolais role against the Morgon Grand Cras's Burgundian style, but it's still very appealing. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Cincinnati. (July 22, 2001) FOOD MATCH: Quaffs well with Thai-style lemon-ginger sausage on a carrot-tomato puree with hints of wasabi and ginger. ChefShop.com Culinary Inspiration and a Trip for Two Await You at ChefShop.com! Receive the culinary newsletter from the award-winning website, ChefShop.com, and enter to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to the Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen. This event brings together the world's epicurean elite in a truly spectacular setting - and YOU can be there! Rub elbows with culinary stars, attend cooking seminars, and sample fine wines from around the world. Click below and enter to Win AND to receive ChefShop's culinary newsletter, featuring recipes, tasting notes, and unique foods and ingredients from around the world. Eat Simply, Eat Well! with ChefShop.com, voted Best Food Site on the Web, Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine. http://sweepstakes.chefshop.com/?code=WL01 Wine Lovers' Voting Booth: Serving wine with food "A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine," the Italians say, and I agree. For many wine lovers, wine is made to go with food and doesn't show all it has to offer if served alone. But even the most strict application of this rule allows for exceptions. For this week's Wine Lovers' Voting Booth, we would like to get a taste of wine lovers' attitudes about serving wine with food, as we ask, "When you have wine, what percentage of the time do you have food with it?" You're invited to click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/votebooth to share your views, and to see how they compare with the opinions of other wine lovers around the world. Announcing our Wine 'Toon Calendar 2002! Be among the first to order the Wine Lovers Page Wine 'Toon Calendar! Wine lovers won't want to miss our handy and chuckle-worthy collection of cartoonist Chuck Stoudt's zany wine 'toons ... plus dozens of favorite wine quotes for every season, AND a highlighted Wine Link of the Week! If you pre-order the Wine Toon Calendar before Sept. 1, 2001, it's only $9.99 plus shipping and handling. After Sept. 1, prices will go up. Order now, and you'll be all set for holiday giving! For the details, see: http://www.wineloverspage.com/calendar/2002toon.shtml. Wine Tasting 101: Brancott (Montana) Sauvignon Blanc There's just one week left in this month's edition of WINE TASTING 101. Dedicated to sharpening your wine-tasting palate by learning to record your impressions and share them with others in a free, interactive online forum, Wine Tasting 101 sets out a specific wine each month and invites participants to try the wine, then post a tasting report for comment and encouragement in a civil, supportive atmosphere. This month's featured wine is a New Zealand 2000 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, labeled "Brancott" in the United States and "Montana" in the rest of the world. Next week we'll announce the featured wine for August. To participate, or learn more, click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/wt101.shtml. 30 Second Administrivia This free E-mail publication is distributed to subscribers every Monday, and our daily Wine Advisor Express is E-mailed Tuesday through Friday. Previous editions are archived at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/thelist.shtml. You are on the subscription list because you registered during a visit to Robin Garr's Wine Lovers' Page. To change your E-mail address, switch from the weekly (Mondays only) to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, E-mail wine@wineloverspage.com. And of course we welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone. 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. More time for wine? You don't need to wait for Mondays to read about wine! Drop in any time at the Wine Lovers' Page, http://www.wineloverspage.com, where we add new tasting notes several times each week and frequently expand our selection of wine-appreciation articles, tips and tutorials. If you'd like to talk about wine online with fellow wine enthusiasts around the world, click to our interactive, international Wine Lovers' Discussion Group forums, http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum. Vol. 3, No. 27, July 23, 2001 Subscribe (free) to The 30 Second Wine Advisor