NYPress.com - New York's essential guide to culture, arts, politics, news and more » Rhone Valley http://nypress.com New York's essential guide to culture, arts, politics, news and more Thu, 23 May 2013 21:16:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Summer Wines from the Loire: Look to the north of France for white wine inspiration http://nypress.com/summer-wines-from-the-loire-look-to-the-north-of-france-for-white-wine-inspiration/ http://nypress.com/summer-wines-from-the-loire-look-to-the-north-of-france-for-white-wine-inspiration/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 15:47:42 +0000 Josh Perilo http://nypress.com/?p=46131 Sooner or later, this rain is going to end. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. Sure, we’ve gotten a couple hints of the warm, sunshiny weather that summer surely has in store for us, but it always seems to be followed by another half-week of gloom and doom.

Well, I’ve already checked into the summer rental in my mind. I’ve already tucked away my trove of heavy reds and invested in at least a case-worth of refreshing and light summery whites. And there are thousands to choose from. But, when I think about my ideal summer sipper, I almost always turn to one area first: France’s Loire Valley. In the northwestern corner of France, this area is often underestimated and overlooked, but it has an amazing array of versatile offerings. At over 600 miles in length,the river offers wines that vary greatly in style, but all subregions contribute to the great summer white wine collective.

Starting as far inland as the valley extends, we find the area of the Loire that encompasses the famous white wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. In this neck of the woods, Sauvignon Blanc is king, and it is argued that most great Sauvignon Blancs made around the world attempt to duplicate the flavor and nuance of these great wines. Because Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are so well known, they tend to be the most expensive wines that come from the Loire. While only a Sauvignon Blanc made from grapes inside the strict confines of the Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé areas can carry this prestigious name, wines made from Sauvignon Blanc from just outside of these areas can be just as good without commanding the same price. Henri Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($12.99 at Yorkshire Wine and Spirits, 1646 1st Avenue at 85th Street, 212-717-5100) falls into this category. Grapefruit flavor and scents of fresh-cut grass and flint make this a pitch perfect Loire Sauvignon Blanc.

In the Central Loire, the areas tend to have more distinct personalities from subregion to subregion.
While the flavor profiles may change as you travel, Chenin Blanc is almost always the grape that dominates the white wines of these collected areas. Chenin Blanc is a chameleon grape that can taste as full bodied and complex as a Chardonnay from Burgundy, or as light and sweet as a German Riesling. The best-known incarnation of this grape from the Central Loire is Vouvray. Even within this area, Chenin Blanc is made
into different styles of Vouvray, from sticky sweet to austere and bone dry. The best examples tend to straddle the line between the two extremes. A great example of this is Domaine de Vigneau- Chevreau Vouvray Sec 2010 ($21.00 at 67 Wine, 179 Columbus Ave. at 68th Street, 212-724-6767). Lots of white peach and apricot flavors burst onto the palate, and a veritable bouquet of wildflowers are present on the nose. This is the absolute best that the Central Loire has to offer at this price point.

The westernmost area of the Loire sees the river empty into the Atlantic and the terrain turn from fertile to rocky. This is where the lean and minerally Muscadet wines of the Loire are made. Contrary to what the name suggests, these wines are not made from the Muscat grape, but from the obscure Melon de Bourgogne grape. The best examples of these light white wines are the ones that are left to mature on their spent yeast cells (or lees) after they ferment. This gives the otherwise flimsy wine more body and character. When choosing a Muscadet, always look for the words Sur Lie on the bottle to ensure this. Domaine de la Batardière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, 2010 ($11.99 at Beacon
Wines and Spirits, 2120 Broadway at 74th   Street, 212-877-0028) is a perfect example of this style of Muscadet. Almost as light as the ocean spray, but with just enough creaminess to match perfectly with any raw shellfish, this is a must have for any summer seafood feast. So, when  searching for light summer whites of any style, look to the north of France for inspiration. There’s enough variety to keep you trying something new every week till it’s time to put that seersucker suit back in mothballs.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

]]> http://nypress.com/summer-wines-from-the-loire-look-to-the-north-of-france-for-white-wine-inspiration/feed/ 0 The Middle Child of French Wines http://nypress.com/the-middle-child-of-french-wines/ http://nypress.com/the-middle-child-of-french-wines/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:50:21 +0000 Josh Perilo http://nypress.com/?p=39088 The Middle Child of French Wines
Constantly overlooked, the Rhone Valley makes some of the best wines
Being a wine from France is a lot like being a sibling in a large family. You have the oldest, who gets the attention for being the oldest. You’ve got the perfect sibling, who’s always getting straight As. There’s the youngest, who gets attention by being rebellious. Then you’ve got the middle child.
The kid in the middle never gets the respect he or she deserves. They could be the most successful professional in whatever field they pursue, but no matter how hard they try, how much they make or how good they are, they always seem to be overlooked.
If France’s wine areas had a middle child, it would be the Rhone Valley. Burgundy is clearly the oldest, stuck in his ways. Bordeaux is the perfect older sister, always getting high marks (if sometimes undeservedly). The south of France, particularly the Languedoc-Roussillon area, is constantly bucking history and getting attention for it. It’s that sliver of land in between them all that makes arguably some of the world’s best wines that is constantly being overlooked.
If you really think about it, the Rhone is actually two areas. The southern Rhone tends to get a bit more attention for its long and elegant-sounding namesake wines, especially Châteauneuf-du-Pape. All of the great wines from this part of the Rhone are more of a testament to mixology than anything else, though. These wines are all made from a cocktail of 16 different grape varietals. The amount of each varietal can change slightly from year to year, depending on which grapes grew well and which didn’t quite mature.
They don’t have that luxury in the north, however. In the northern Rhone, only one grape is made into red wine: Syrah. The same grape that makes the juicy, berry fruit-flavored wines that made Australia famous was planted here hundreds of years earlier—and the wines couldn’t be more different.
There’s fruit on these wines, to be sure, but the complexity in them runs deep. While many of Australia’s Shirazes are built to taste like what you expect them to taste like—that is to say fruity above all else—the northern Rhone’s Syrahs are like the Lost Boys of Neverland: gentle at heart but rugged from being left alone to their own devices in the wild.
The world famous Hermitage is one of the subregions of this area, situated on a tiny plot of land on the northern side of a foothill. The wines are transcendent, but so are the prices. There are many other amazing Syrahs from the surrounding areas that are comparable in taste but a mite bit easier on the pocketbook.
The subregion of St. Joseph is a thin strip of land that runs almost the entire length of the northern Rhone, north to south. There are many wines from this area that are affordable, and there are many that are amazing. Every once in a while, there are some that are both.
The Ferraton Peres et Fils St.-Joseph La Source 2009 ($29.99 at Beacon Wines and Spirits, 2120 Broadway, at 74th St., 212-877-0028) is as good as most wines that cost three times as much. The nose gives heady scents of violet and rose petals with a hint of spice. On the palate, there is a ton of fruit up front with ripe blackberry and baked raspberry flavors, but the finish becomes spicy with a wet minerality that reminds the drinker this is not Yellowtail.
If, however, you wanted to spend a bit more, there are many Syrahs that deliver in the slightly higher price range. The St.-Joseph Cuvée des Anges 2007 ($60 at Yorkshire Wines and Spirits, 1646 1st Ave., at 85th St, 212-717-5100) gives you everything you’d expect from a first-rate northern Rhone wine and more. Pipe tobacco and charred pig flesh are the carnal smells right out of the bottle. The fruit up front on the palate is plum compote and fig honey. The finish gets black again, with tarry pepper and star anise notes.
So the next time you visit the French family of wines, make sure you don’t forget about the middle child. They’ll rarely disappoint you!

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

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