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30 Second Wine Tasting Tip:
A bargain from Savoie
When we think of France and wine, most of us jump immediately to the well-known regions that we have come to know and love ... Bordeaux, Burgundy, or perhaps the Rhone, Alsace or the Loire; for the bargain-hunters among us, maybe it's Provence and the Languedoc.
Today, though, let's break out of the box and take a quick taste of one of the many country-French regions that rarely turns up on anybody's list of favorites but that justifies a second look.
This is Savoie ("Sah-vwah"), an out-of-the-way section of Eastern France, bordering Switzerland on Lake Geneva at the source of the Rhone. It's an Alpine region, probably better-known to skiiers and hikers and nature watchers than wine enthusiasts. The wines are mostly white, and - like this one - typically made from a regional grape called Jacquere ("Zhock-air").
Memorable wines? Maybe not. But drink them young and fresh, and their crisp fruit can be as refreshing as a thirsty quaff from a mountain spring. They're well matched with cheeses - try one with a Swiss raclette - and go well, too, with chicken dishes or vegetarian fare.
Pierre Boniface 2000 Apremont Vin de Savoie ($8.99)
Clear light straw color. Apples and pears plus a hint of fresh green peas on the nose and palate. Crisply acidic, light in texture but full in flavor. A distinct green-apple flavor adds notes of ripe pears and a fresh citric tang in a long finish. U.S. importer: Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, Va. (Jan. 21, 2002)
FOOD MATCH: Pleasant with a lightly spicy South Indian potato and green-bean curry with coconut milk, but would also work very well with cheese, chicken or veal.
WEB LINK:
The importer's Website is http://www.winemerchant.net/, with a fact sheet on Apremont at http://www.winemerchant.net/hps_top40_wine_descriptions/
wm_boniface_apremont_2001.htm.
Two quick reminders:
Food E-letter and reader survey
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Administrivia
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Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002
Copyright 2002 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
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