Today's Sponsor• The California Wine Club
In This Issue• Rediscovering Provence |
Rediscovering Provence
France's Provence region has become a mighty trendy place in recent years. With its sunny climate, vivid colors, appetizing cuisine and natural scents of lavender, rosemary and thyme, Provence has inspired books, posters, television programs and, of course, travel packages.
Curiously, though, the wines of Provence don't seem to have developed as affectionate a following. Those in the know appreciate their aromatic charms, but even though Provence wines share much in common with the neighboring Southern Rhone and Languedoc, they don't command much publicity ... or shelf space in retail wine stores.
A few Provence appellations like Bandol enjoy near-"cult" followings, and specific producers like Domaine Trevallon and the organic Mas de Gourgonnier featured in the April 30, 2008 Wine Advisor are sought out by their fans.
But the fact remains that Provence wine doesn't seem to enjoy the luster that surrounds Provence as a region, and that's a shame. The wines are typically food-friendly, balanced and - with the possible exception of top Bandols, Trevallon and a few other prizes - quite affordable.
Here's a fine, budget-priced Provence wine I recently enjoyed. I'd like to hear about your favorites. To share your thoughts, check in at our WineLovers Discussion Group, where you'll find today's article at this link:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16189
Domaine Valdernier 2005 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence ($9.99)
Very dark garnet with a clear edge. Fresh raspberry aromas, with a distinct edge of fresh herbs that makes me think of herbes de Provence. Raspberries and something a little more tart - cranberry, maybe - in a fresh and inviting flavor. Good, crisp red fruit lingers in a cleansing acidic finish. U.S. importer: Wine Adventures Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa. (Jan. 31, 2008)
FOOD MATCH: Fine with a standard red-meat match, local grass-fed rib eyes pan-seared medium-rare.
VALUE: Interesting, fruity and tart, a no-brainer at or around the $10 point.
WHEN TO DRINK: The '05 is still showing well, but it's not a wine for long-term cellaring.
WEB LINKS:
Here's a link to the U.S. importer's Web page:
http://www.wineadventures.com
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for Domaine Valdernier Coteaux d'Aix en Provence on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
find/Valdernier%2bAix/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
Today's Sponsor
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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. This link will take you to the forum home page, where you can read discussions in all the forum sections:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village
Everyone is free to browse. If you'd like to post a comment, question or reply, you must register, but registration is free and easy. Do take care to register using your real name, or as a minimum, your real first name and last initial. Anonymous registrations are quietly discarded.
To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or other wireless device.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/
2008/06/rediscovering_provence-print.html
This week on WineLoversPage.com
• WineLovers Discussion Group: Restaurant fads you're tired of
Foams, vertical food, deconstructed dishes, small plates, "fusion" ... restaurant fads abound, and after a while they become tiring to many. Read what fellow wine lovers think and add your own opinions in this active conversation in our FoodLovers Discussion Group.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&f=5&t=15796
Last Week's Wine Advisor Index
The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Good California Pinot Gris (June 6, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080606.php
• Barbecue wine (June 4, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080604.php
• Quest for great Pinot G (June 2, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080602.php
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/food/archives.php
