Wine of the Day August 11, 2011 - Trophy Hunting

Only two days before our wonderful vacation is over, and I started to get that feeling of dread that always comes when I start to think about packing up and returning home.  This time, that feeling was much more pronounced because I knew that I was leaving France - the country where even the cheapo table wine is outstanding.  I know that I can find great wine in Canada, but I wanted to bring back some wine that might not be available at our local wine or liquor stores.

You may recall from a few posts ago that one of the most impressive wines I tried was from Domaine de la Janasse.  Most, if not all the producers in France open their doors to the public for tastings and sales, so we decided to visit this Domaine earlier in the week.  We took a full tour of their winery and saw their concrete fermentation tanks,

their old oak barrels,

and of course sampled a lot of their wines.

What is really incredible is that the producers actually encourage you to taste any and all of the wines that they have for sale.  Domaine de la Janasse is a large scale producer, and they have everything from cheap table wine to their cornerstone Chateauneuf du Pape (that our hosts shared with us a few days ago), and even some "premier cru" wines which are made using the best grapes from their vineyards.  Here you can see their full range of wine ranging from their "Vin du Pays" for 7 Euros to their Chateauneuf du Pape "Vielle Vignes" (grapes grown on 80+ year old vines) for 61 Euros.  

Since I had already enjoyed their "regular" CNdP (28 Euros) a few days ago, I was eager to try their premiere offerings, which are called "Chaupin" (45 Euros) and "Vielle Vignes" (61 Euros!).  I was amazed that I was standing there sipping on a wine that would likely sell for $200+ per bottle in Canada.  Have I mentioned that I love France?  Their 2007 CNdP Vielle Vignes actually scored 100 points on the Wine Spectator rating system a few years ago, and according to the locals, 2009 was a very similar year, so I really had no choice but to buy one!  We actually ended up buying several bottles from them, most of which are resting in my cellar as we speak.

Today's Wine of the Day is one of the unlucky bottles that didn't make the trip home to BC.  This wine was a Cotes du Rhone white wine that we enjoyed after we returned from our beach day in Cassis (A beautiful Mediterranean village who's tag line is "we are like St. Tropez without the attitude".   As I mentioned above, even though Janasse is a producer of Chateauneuf du Pape, their cheaper wines that do not meet the stringent CNdP regulations are produced as "Cotes du Rhone", which is also a regulated appellation that encompasses the entire Rhone valley.  

I really like Cotes du Rhone white wines, as they have a medium body like a Chardonnay, but without that oaky flavour.  This wine was a very nice, fruity wine that we enjoyed with some cheese and fruits by the pool.


Here is a pic of my "trophies" before I packed them in my suitcase.  Boy did I ever sweat when I opened that suitcase when we retreived our bags in Vancouver - luckily no wines were harmed by the nefarious baggage smashers at Charles du Gaule, Mirabel, or YVR.

The white Chateaneuf du Pape on the left will be enjoyed sometime in the next year, as whites are usually best when they are young.  2009 is supposed to be a banner year for Rhone wines, so I am going to do my best to keep these in the cellar as long as I can stand it.  The "Vielle Vignes" is definitely going to be 10+ years old before I pop that cork.

Wine of the Day August 10, 2011 - A Valuable Lesson Learned (And what exactly is a MOF?)

Being the gastronomic centre of the universe, France has a lot to offer in the way of food experiences.  However, travelling with young children means that some of these experiences take a back seat to cheeseburgers and chicken strips...  

Since we only had a few days left before we had to return home to reality, we made arrangements with the family that owned the villa to look after the girls while Wendy and I headed off for a meal at one of the top rated restaurants in the Avignon area.  "Entre Vignes et Garrigues" is about 10 minutes north of the city, and is situated on a beautiful property that used to be an old church.  Our hosts recommended the restaurant, as it is one of the few Michelin rated restaurants in the area, and the chef, Serge Chenet is a MOF!, So you might be wondering - what is a MOF?  MOF is a very coveted national award, which stands for Meilleur Ouvrier de France ("Ouvrier" is a term similar to craftsman), and chef Chenet won his award for his culinary skills.

Click here to see the web site for Entre Vignes et Garrigue

It turned out to be an absolutely perfect evening - not a cloud in the sky, and still warm (about 25 C) when we arrived at 8pm.  On evenings such as these, the restaurant seating is actually out on the "Terrasse" where you can look out over the garden and vineyards near the property.  We didn't bring our camera, so I recommend looking at the "photo library" on the restaurant's web site.  If you scroll along the pictures of the restaurant, there are a few shots of the terrasse.  

I know this is a blog post about wine, but I really have to touch on the food.  We enjoyed a nine course meal including about three different hors d'oeuvres.  The "amuse bouche" was one of the most incredible things I have ever eaten - a candied cherry tomato - yes - kind of like a candy apple, but with a tomato.  Sounds weird, but it really was a taste sensation.  For the Entree, we chose the Cote de veau fermier rotie, which turned out to be the best veal I have ever eaten.  It was served with "pommes dauphines" which is a very gourmet version of french fries.  These "fries" were so good, I kind of cried a little when I put the first one in my mouth.

When we ordered, the Sommelier asked us about our choice of wine.  The wine list was extensive, and of course it featured several wines from Chateauneuf du Pape, as well as other great wines from the area.  As you can probably tell, I am partial to CNdP wines, and I asked the sommelier which one would go best with our meal.  He politely referred me away form CNdP's and advised that although it was red meat, the veal was very delicate, and that a lighter wine might go better with it.  Now in France, the Chef and the "Saucier" (the person in charge of the sauces - no kidding), are the top two positions in any great establishment.  Running a close third is the Sommelier, who is a consultant that wants to ensure that you enjoy a wine that compliments your meal.   So, of course I didn't listen to him and ordered a CNdP.  It was a 2004 Chateau La Nerthe (sorry for the stock photo, but this wasn't the kind of place that you can whip out your camera and take a photo of your wine bottle)

The wine was very, very good.  Chateau La Nerthe is one of the most prestigious and well known chateaus in the CNdP appelation, and I was eager to try one of their wines.  Unfortunately, the wine's spicy and robust flavors simply overpowered the veal, and although the meal was incredibly delicious, it was not as good as it could have been if I had chosen a more delicate wine.

So, the valuable lesson I learned from this experience - Always listen to the Sommelier!