White Zinfandel has certainly ruined many opportunities for rosés in the United States. Slowly they are appearing in restaurants and at wine bars, yet, it is only the brave that are drinking this pink sensation. The rest of us, myself included until recently, don’t want people to believe that we might be drinking White Zinfandel. In reality, the only person that will care, and should care, what you are drinking is you, unless someone else is buying your drink, but that is more geared for the topic of economics, which I won’t be covering here.

I was recently at a wine bar in Paris with friends for dinner. When it came time to order our wine, I was looking at the reds, and by accident I ordered a Cotes-du-Provence thinking it was red. The server came back with our drinks. We had a rainbow of wines sitting on our table, one ordered white, another red, and apparently I ordered a rosé. A bit reluctant at first, I considered sending it back, but quickly remembered the French customer service policy…

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The Rhône Valley.

That’s all I have to say, it is a region that does not need a proper introduction. South of Burgundy, here is where we start to leave the Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc dominated reds and move into deeper Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Carignan.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the big stand out in this region, as well as the way to my heart. Of course such quality and recognition is also accompanied by a prestigious price. If you are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy this treat of a wine on a regular basis, then give me a call and we’ll start hanging out. To the rest of us, there are great alternatives within the Rhône without going into debt.

Côtes du Rhône is the most popular of these alternatives and is available at a great value. A typical bottle will range form $12 to $20. A Côtes du Rhône is, generally speaking, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and then sometimes Mouvedre and/or Carignan, but Grenache is the dominant force here. It’s centralized within the Rhône, displaying characteristics of the North and the South. Côtes du Rhône Villages are within Côtes du Rhône, but a bit more specific. French wine can never be simple; there always has to be a break down and then possibly two or three more after that.

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To kick-start my new program I enjoyed the 2006 Gadais Pére et Fils Muscadet Sèvre et Maine from the Loire Valley. Something interesting was happening here, there was a sweetness on the nose of vanilla and chocolate chip cookie dough. When I tasted it though, there was a slight sweetness upfront, but then the dryness came out with a mild effervescence. On the palate I was picking up a gummy bear fruit flavor ending with sugar cookies. Sounds delicious, well it was, and this certainly has Wine Your Diet written all over it.

For those of you not familiar with Muscadet, it is a region within the Loire Valley in North West France. The grape is Muscadet, but if outside of this area will go by Melon, such as Melon de Bourgogne. This wine can be both white and red. Though the name is similar to Muscat, it is not related.

If you are looking to eat something with this, I would go with something light such as seafood. This is great wine with Read the rest of this entry »

As I was watching the Paris Marathon last Sunday I couldn’t help but think about this horrible rumor I had heard, that wine slows down the metabolism. Just the thought of it sends my mind spinning in twenty, that’s right, twenty, different directions. Let me take this time to set the record straight. As a medical professional, which I am not, I can honesty tell you that the enjoyment of wine does not slow down your metabolism.

We have red wine, say a delicious Côtes du Rhône, which is excellent for the heart. It’s a scientific fact; trust me. The heart is in control, the “boss” of the rest of the body. I think we all know that if the boss is happy then everyone else is going to work efficiently, including metabolism, who is the one in the office that’s usually late all the time, everyone likes him, but he also gets on everyone’s nerves. At this point if you don’t know what I’m taking about, then I’m sorry but you’re metabolism. If the boss doesn’t have her wine, then we all know how the boss acts and then everyone works differently as well.

I think the real lesson here is to make sure your boss is drinking on the job. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2005 Bordeaux reviews have not been unkind to the region. And with that said I decided I wanted to find out what everyone is talking about. I choose a wine from Graves, Albert Duran, 2005, Chateau Beauregard Ducasse. With Graves’ dignified reputation, and eloquence about it, it seemed like a good way to start. I wouldn’t say that 2005 is a year of extra outrageous wine, but I would say that it does bring together. I certainly have tasted the same quality in a table wine at a café in Paris. It has an easy drinking-ness around it that makes you want to open a bottle with friends and just chill out. I would say that this is a conversation wine, not for the fact that you will be discussing the wine, but you will be talking amongst yourselves and indulging in each others banter. This wine makes me want to call up a friend and chat. I just might, actually.

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