2004 Lan Rioja

A great bargain at $11 from McCarthy and Schiering. Totally delicious with a gentle perfumey vanilla scent from oak aging. I wrote about this wine in the pre-blog days, but I haven't seen it for a while. I'm going to order a case before it disappears again.

Verdier and Logel - 2006 Cotes du Forez

This stuff is crazy. It's got an intensely herbal nose, and a smoky flavor. The scent combined with the somewhat dusty tannins made me think it was Cabernet Franc, but it's 100% Gamay. I have another bottle by the same maker; I plan to drink it in the next couple days, and I'll report my fingings here.

Cotes du Forez is apparently a little known French appelation. None of my books mention it, but the French wikipedia has an article. If only I could read French.

$13 from McCarthy and Schiering. I liked it, it's worth buying just for the experience.

Jaboulet 2005 Muscat De Beaumes-De-Venise

I stayed late at work tonight, so late that I missed the last express bus home. I originally planned to take the bus tunnel to the SLUT, and walk home the rest of the way, but Jenny offered to meet me at Whole Foods where we could shop for dinner groceries and drive home together.

While wandering around picking up dinner groceries, Jenny broached the idea of dessert. Originally she wanted chocolate or something from the pasty case, but when I suggested cheese and dessert wine, she quickly came around to my way of thinking.

For the cheese, we got a mini Cheverot, a French goat cheese made by Cooperative Sevre-et-Belle in Poitou. Steve Jenkins in his Cheese Primer says he "never has tasted better goat cheese." This one we had tonight has young, so tasted sweet, but still had nice piquant goat cheese flavor.

The dessert wine selection at Whole Foods is somewhat limited (dozens of ports, 2 sauternes, 1 muscat, a handful of random domestic dessert wines), but this muscat seemed a good choice. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is an AC in France's Rhone region. The wines produced there are "vin doux naturel" or natually sweet wines. They are produced from grapes that are naturally high in sugar and then fortified with neutral flavored alcohol. This bottle has lovely honey flavor and floral nose. It was a superb companion to the cheese and the first honeycrisp apple of the season.

All in all, an exceptionally delicious dessert course.

Value is suddenly fashionable

You know the economy is in trouble when Eric Asimov at the New York Times writes an article on finding good wine values. His most salient advice: "Even with the pitiful exchange rate, France is the greatest source of wine bargains in the world."

This blog is squarely focused on value wines, and this seems a good opportunity to thank my friend JJ for instilling in me the importance of seeking "value" in all things, not least culinary pleasures. Any idiot can get satisfactory food and wine by spending a lot of money, but the real joy is in finding superlative food and wine in more modest venues at lower prices.

2006 Domaine de Montine - Coteaux Du Tricastin

The Coteaux Du Tricastin appellation in situated in the south of France's Rhone region. Many varietals are grown there, and I'm not adept enough to discern which one dominates this wine. Either way, I wasn't very happy with this bottle as it's flavor profile was dominated by earthy tobacco flavors (Jenny described it as "dusty" and "rustic"). The small amount of fruit flavors present were very dark, running dangerously close to bitter.

$12 at McCarthy and Schiering. I won't buy more.

2006 El Quintanal - Ribera Del Duero

Not to be confused with the Duoro region in Portugal, Ribera Del Duero is a DO in northern Spain, along (as one might guess) the Duero river. This bottle is 100% Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino, and has a flavor reminiscent of chocolate covered cherries. The fact that I don't like chocolate covered cherries, along with the rough tannins means that I probably won't be buying more.

$12 at McCarthy and Schiering.

Domaine du Pas Saint Martin - 2007 Saumur

I made Indian vegetable curry for dinner last night and it was my best effort yet. I toasted the spices perfectly, and got spectacular browning from the aromatics and spices before adding the liquid.

I was eagerly anticipating the leftovers on my way home tonight and while I was walking from the bus I pondered what wine I'd like to drink. I prefer unoaked whites with spicy food, particularly those with high acid.

I stopped by McCarthy and Schiering and quickly spotted a tempting bottle of Gruner-Veltliner, but when I explained my situation to Lauren, she pointed out that the 2007 wines from Saumur were super high in acid (unfortunately, I didn't ask why). Since I tend to like acidic wines, I went home with this bottle which runs $13.

It's based on the Chenin Blanc, as is common in Suamur wines, and Chenin Blanc is known for high acidtity, but this wine it pretty extreme. Still, the nice citrus flavors come through, and it was great with my spicy curry.