Pictured above: Raclette!

One of the great differences between the wine-growing regions of the New World and those of Europe is that in Europe local wines play an essential role in everyday life. 

The humble red Schiava grape, for example, is an indispensable partner to Bolzano's bread dumplings flavored with speck, but its pale pink color and high acidity make it an unlikely candidate for "international" status. 

Lambrusco, the simple and frothy red wine from Emilia-Romagna, will never be taken seriously, and yet its specific purpose is to wash down rich plates of lasagna and Prosciutto di Parma, and the locals wouldn't have it any other way. 

The mountainous Savoie region in eastern France produces similarly overlooked but locally important wines. Overlooked but not unsold, that is. The Savoie is tiny and winegrowers in the region have no trouble selling most of their wine to thirsty tourists aprés-ski. But the Savoie's dry white wines are full of sap, minerals, flavors of pine nuts and orchard fruits, and I can't imagine having boiled potatoes and melted cheese or fresh boudin blanc without some. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Savoie on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Savoie has to offer. 

 

Pictured above: the harbor in Nantes. 

The Loire finally end its journey in the region of Nantes before it empties into the Atlantic. This coastal region features granite and gneiss soils on which the neutral-tasting Melon de Bourgogne produces bone dry, lemony, almost briny white wines that seem to pair magically well with the famous oysters of the region. The appellation of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maineproduces the most intense and salty Melon wines of all, where they are frequently bottled directly off the fine lees for added richness.

I recently wrote a few words about the Loire on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Loire has to offer. 

Photos from a past visit to the Loire Valley's Anjou-Saumur: 1. Morning fog near the Layon; 2. Beth Becker at Château Piere-Bise; 3. Tasting at Château Pierre-Bise; 4. Les Treilles in Coteaux-du-Layon; 5.Tasting at Domaine des Baumard ; 6. Jesse with Nicolas Joly; 7. Quarts de Chaumes; 8. Boudin noir and apples à la Jo Pithon; 9. Beth in Saumur; 10. Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard

Anjou-Saumur is the largest region of the Loire Valley and is one of its most diverse. The Cabernet Franc growing areas of the Touraine (Chinon and Bourgeuil) continue into Saumur-Champigny (meaning "field of fire") where the red wines are particularly aromatic. The "Saumur" appellation serves as a catch all and may be still and red or white but more than half of Saumur wines are sparkling. Further west, Anjou is known for its off-dry Anjou Rosé which is made from the local Grolleau grape variety.

But the real pursuit of Anjou is sweet and golden Chenin Blanc produced in a luscious dessert style in Coteaux-du-Layon and its crus of Quarts de Chaume, and Bonnezeaux. These sweet Chenins are the result of passerillage (late harvest) or pourriture noble (botrytis). The difference between a sweet passerillage wine and a sweet pourriture noble wine is remarkable and becomes crystal clear for a taster visiting the region.

Perhaps most importantly is the dry and powerful Savennières where the biodynamic guru Nicolas Joly holds court among many other worldclass producers. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Loire on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Loire has to offer. 

 

Photos from a past visit to the Loire Valley's Touraine: 1. Informal tasting at Château de Coulaine in Chinon; 2. Beth Becker at Château de Coulaine; 3. Beth Becker before an epic tasting at Christophe Des Champs in Bourgueil; 4. Cabernet Franc vines in argile-calcaire soil; 5. Caves deep below Bourgueil; 6. Philippa Sydney, François-Xavier Barc, and Charles Sydney at Charles Joguet in Chinon; 7. Cabernet Franc in Clos de la Dioterie at Charles Joguet in Chinon; 8. The tasting room at Jacky Blot in Montlouis.; 9. Tasting with Manuela Chidaine of Domaine François Chidaine in Montlouis-sur-Loire; 10. 100% Romorantin Cour-Cheverny

The Loire river turns west at Orléans and begins to make its way towards the Atlantic. This is where things get really interestsing. The Gamay wines of Cheverny offer light red wines full of soft red fruit while its Sauvignon-based white wines remind us that we're still transitioning from Le Centre. The odd Cour-Cheverny is based on an obscure white grape called Romorantin to produce a wine that is delicious enough in situ. Wines labled "Touraine" can be produced from Chenin, Sauvignon or Chardonnay for white wine. Red Touraine is made from Côt (Malbec), Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Pinot d’Aunis.

The important stuff lies in the western half of the appellation where one finds golden Chenin growing in tuffeau soils in Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire. Equally significant are the Cabernet Franc's of Chinon, Bourgueil, and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Arguably the greatest expression of the Cabernet Franc varietal, at least in the herbal and floral style produced here. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Loire on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Loire has to offer. 

Photos from a past visit to Sancerre and other regions of Le Centre: 1. The village of Sancerre; 2. Sancerre town; 3. Sancerre's three soils; 4. Jesse Becker, MS, Emmanuel Mellot and Dominique Roger in Bué; 5. Beth Becker in St-Andelin; 6. The road to Chavignol; 7. A perfect Crottin de Chavignol; 8. Beth near Chavignol; 9. The tiny hamlet of Verdigny at dusk. 

The Loire River extends itself for over 1000 kilometers and its myriad of valleys and tributaries makes for France's most diverse and multi-facted wine region.

The Loire begins in the Massif Central and flows north towards the city of Orléans before it sharply bends left and makes it way to the Atlantic ocean. It's between the Massif and Orléans where the fringe of Burgundy can be felt with its countless lieux-dits (named vineyards) and the occasional plots of Pinot Noir. But it is in Sancerre, the world's benchmark example of Sauvignon Blanc, that the wines of Le Centre (the central vineyards of France) really shine. In Sancerre, Sauvignon excels on the same Kimmeridgian soils that define Chablis. In Pouilly-Fumé, silex (flint) lends a hallmark pierre à fusil (gun flint) aroma to its wines. 

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are only two of the Central appellations with something to express. Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly provide plenty of Sauvignon and Pinot to ponder deeply despite their humble pricing. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Loire on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Loire has to offer. 

 

 

Images from previous visits to the Jura: 1. The Jura near Arbois; 2. Arbois Vineyard; 3. River Cuisance in Arbois; 4. Arbois; 5. Tasting at Henri Maire; 6. Tasting Château-Chalon; 7. Jesse and Jacques Puffeney; 8. Puffeney's dinner; 9. Voile; 10. La Cuisance in Arbois; 11. Chicken and Morels; 12. Vines in Pupillin; 13. Pierre Overnoy peels potatoes; 14. Beth sips a Macvin du Jura. 

We're eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first container of wines from France and Italy that will include wines from our two Jura producers: Domaine Pignier and David Geneletti. This is a fascinating region that has been surging in popularity here in the United States thanks to a handful of dedicated importers and more than a few enthusiastic consumers. 

To the uninitiated, the wines of the Jura can seem strange and almost of another era. The wines are sometimes knowingly and deliberately oxidized and many of its grape varieties are quite uncommon. Jura wines are some of the world's most long-lived and reward the patient collector with an extraordinary array of flavor and texture after years of cellarage.  They are also some of the world's greatest wines at the table. No piece of Comté cheese should ever be served without a nutty glass of Vin Jaune and no pâté en croute is complete without a savage Trousseau to accompany it. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Jura to accompany the Jura selections on our website. Click here and scroll down to learn about its unique grape varieties, unusual methods of production and the specific vocabulary surrounding the remarkable wines of the Jura. 

 

 

Photos from a visit to Chablis in December 2008: 1. Bernard Raveneau; 2. Tasting at Domaine François Raveneau; 3. Tasting at Agnes et Didier Dauvissat; 4. Jesse on a cold winter day in Chablis; 5. Domaine Louis Michel et Fils; 6. Chablis in the snow. 

We just received word from the importer that the highly anticipated wines of Thomas Pico's Domaine Pattes Loup have finally arrived in San Francisco. We took a position on these wines after tasting them for the first time back in January and have been eagerly counting the days when we could taste them again and ship them to our customers throughout the United States. 

I recently wrote a few words about the special flavor of Chablis to accompany the Chablis selections on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about why we believe Chablis produces some of the most unique and flavorful white wines on the planet. 

Mount Saint Granier in the Savoie--the "bitter mountain" of Apremont

Click here to BUY NOW: 2009 Domaine Bernard Apremont Vieilles Vignes - $16.99

Of all the cool, crisp whites that the Savoie has to offer, Apremont is one of the most pure and refreshing.

On the edge of the Swiss alps, the 400 hectare Apremont appellation is nestled at the base of Mount Granier. In a region where vineyards are widely dispersed - mountains often get in the way - Apremont's existence is the result of a rather tragic event. In 1248, a sudden landslide destroyed the town of St. Adnr's, burying the town in stone. Over time, the sloping rubble was cultivated into the vineyards of Apremont.

Apremont is produced from Jacquère, a grape variety grown almost exclusively in the Savoie. A good Apremont should be light in body, not excessively fruity, with lemony acidity and flinty nuance weaving its way through the fruit. Most of all, Apremont is a wine for uncomplicated drinking, perfect for warm weather sipping and a superb match with Alpine cheeses.

2009 Domaine Bernard Apremont VV

René et Béatrice Bernard work their vines according to the practices of lutte raisonée keeping treatments to the absolute minimum while organically working the soil. The 2009 Domaine Bernard Apremont Vieilles Vignes shows classic flavors of lemon and apple but there's also notes of peach and apricot framed by bright acidity and salty minerality.

This wine makes for a light and crisp aperitif, and is also excellent at the table with trout, perch, smoked salmon, or mountain cheeses like tomme and raclette. The greatest pleasure of Apremont is it's freshness - drink it young and don't wait--it quenches your thirst when the mood is too happy for water.

Click here to BUY NOW: 2009 Domaine Bernard Apremont Vieilles Vignes - $16.99

In Kermit Lynch’s excellent book, Adventures on the Wine Route, he writes about not bothering with wineries which store their wine in tanks outdoors. You’ll have to excuse my selfishness for not taking the time to look up the page for a citation: whenever I open that book, I compulsively read it for several hours.

In addition to outdoor storage tanks, I find sales reps, glossy pamphlets, and tasting-room swag or chotskies to be a sign of . . . insincerity. So you can imagine my relief when we were greeted by a hungry herd of sheep at Château le Roc in Fronton.

Like much of the French Sud-Ouest, the Fronton appellation is comprised of rural, piecemeal farms and tiny villages far removed from the egotism of Bordeaux to the north and the sophistication of Toulouse just to the south. Fronton's red wine, based on the little known Négrette varietal, is in fact the wine most typically consumed in Toulousain cafés, and as we discovered, makes a fine match with the local version of cassoulet served with (what else?) duck confit and spicy garlic sausages. But Négrette seemed to show far less rusticity than the Duras and Fer flavored wines of neighboring Gaillac, and certainly lacked the abrasive tannins of Madiran's Tannat. Négrette, if anything, seemed more akin to a more deeply colored Beaujolais, or in the hands of Frédéric Ribes, an especially explosively aromatic style of Red Burgundy.

By "explosively aromatic," I am of course referring to the whole-cluster style of Pinot Noir produced at Domaine Dujac, Domaine de l'Arlot, DRC, and Cristom winery in Oregon. I’ve had an on-again-off-again love affair with this style over the years (currently an on-again relationship). My prior discontent with this style was caused by how it easily overwhelms terroir, but it nevertheless produces something intensely pleasurable in certain wines of certain vintages.

My visit to Frédéric Ribes' cellar at Château le Roc shed new light on this technique. The wines I tasted were obviously made in this style, yet displayed remarkable delineation from one wine to the next. Ribes' ultimate expression of Négrette comes in the form of Le Roc's Cuvée Don Quichotte, a 50% Négrette and 50% Syrah (the appellation stipulates the blend only needs be 50% Négrette), a wine of intense perfume and character and great aging potential. After a full day of tasting in Fronton, Négrette was a proven noble varietal and Le Roc its benchmark producer.

These are remarkable wines from an area we'll only occasionally feature in our offers as we tend to focus on more northerly appellations. That said, I find it impossible to overlook sunshine wines of quality and distinction such as these. If you'd like to purchase Château le Roc and other unique wines of terroir, I invite you to join our client list.

Just prior to departing San Francisco for a six day tour of southwest France, a colleague of mine commented on the rustic nature of the wines produced in le Midi. He also noted the challenge these wines present when attempting to pair them with a meal at a modern table. The difficulty is that wines like Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appear to be wines of a different era. The days of cassecroute, the hearty mid-morning snack of meat, bread, and wine that sustained farm workers until lunch is only today an occasional indulgence. Likewise, the multi-course, three-hour lunch consisting of foie gras, wine, cheese, and dessert (like the lunch we had today) is rarely seen because people have work to do after they eat lunch. If this hearty way of eating was once typical of Gascony, it only makes sense that the wines of this region would match this hearty country fare. But what happens when people start opting for a salad at their desk? What happens when tastes change?

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh (pronounced “pasher-rank doo veek bill”) is the white wine of Madiran. If its name sounds old-fashioned, it is. In a different time, before trellising, each vine was held up by an individual stake, called a “pacher,” and Vic-Bilh is local patois meaning “old country.” The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Perhaps it would’ve been more convenient to name it Madiran Blanc. André Béheity, president of the winegrowers association in Madiran and Pacherenc, explained that the name had been in use long before France began designating areas as AOC.

The name never changed, and neither did the style of the wines. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh is produced with local grape varieties, namely Petit Manseng, a white grape with small berries and the ability to build high sugars while maintaining acidity. It would seem the perfect material for sweet botrytised wine if it weren’t for its naturally thick skin and the Föhn, a strong Pyrenees wind that never gives noble rot a chance this region. Despite the wind, Petit Manseng hangs tough, and most of it has yet to be picked here in mid-November. The grapes are in fact dehydrating on the vine as I write this, resulting in passerillage, an off-dry wine that tastes like a juicy Palisade peach crossed with the sweetest Jonathan apple. It also shows signature bitterness, a result of those thick skins, and razor-edged sharpness due to its high acidity. What can you eat with such a wine?

First, Pacherenc, I now realize, is the ultimate wine for foie gras. The acidity slices through fatty foie gras and keeps your palate alive, while the sweet-apple fruitiness counters its salty flavor. Trust me; you can consume a shameful amount of foie gras when paired with this wine. Pacherenc is also in form with charcuterie, as was demonstrated to me the alongside a huge plate of cochon noir de Bigorre. Blue-veined and hard sheep’s-milk cheeses are brilliant, and Pacherenc could of course work in a lightly-sweet dessert like the sugared crêpes served to me yesterday. But Pacherenc also works where savory and sweet flavors meet (e.g., pork chops and apple sauce) and its acid/sugar balance seems like a no-brainer for sweet and sour of Cantonese cooking. And what about holiday meals where sweet and salty foods are intermingled on the table? Honey-glazed ham may have finally met its match, and maybe squashes, sweet potatoes, and yams. Watch out family gatherings, for Pancherenc du Vic-Bilh is headed your way!