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IN THIS ISSUE Ah, France: The country that protected and nurtured wine-making through the Dark Ages still has something to make us grateful... this month, 20 great wines under $30 from the Rhône, Loire, Languedoc and Champagne regions. France is the birthplace for many of the world's best known red and white wines, though different countries and regions around the world interpret them differently. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are just a few examples. Why? In a word, history. French wines have their roots in the Roman Empire, who planted vineyards as they crossed the continent. And before the French, the Greeks. The religious orders in France took care to protect the French grape vines during the Dark Ages; the records kept by them have helped the French continue to make wine perfected over centuries. So over a thousand years later, we can enjoy the fruit of their labors... |
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THIS
MONTH'S READER QUESTION What's in a name? You say tomato, I say... "I'm used to Cabernet from
California and Pinot Noir from Oregon. But I recently tried a
Burgundy for the first time and loved it! My husband said no
wonder, since it was Pinot Noir. OK. So, what IS the difference
between Burgundy and Pinot Noir?"
—Deb Shimora, Calgary,
Alberta CA
The biggest difference is based on the fact that in France, the name of the wine is where it's from. Whether red or white, most French wines are named after the regions they originate from. This works primarily because each region specializes in the production of different types of wines and flavors. So even though the type of grape is the same, (wine made from the Pinot Noir grape anywhere else in the world is NOT Burgundy) it can't help but taste different - like any varietal, wine from a grape grown in one location will taste different from the same type of grape grown elsewhere. Though there are ten wine producing regions in France, the major wine areas in France include: Burgundy (Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot) the Loire Valley and Alsace (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris), the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat), and Champagne (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay). Over the last several years, the Languedoc region (we have some great wines from here below) has really increased in prominence as well, building a well-deserved reputation for really drinkable reds, often breaking the "place name" tradition by appearing on their own as varietals or blends of Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot. A recent Wine PocketList search showed that - in general - the wines with higher ratings tended also to be those with higher prices. But, we found that more than one A- wine (white and red) was represented in the "bargain" category of under $10. And while not many of these highly rated wines are widely available (over 20,000 cases imported), when you do find them they are worth the effort. So in this issue of VinConnections, tap into the rich history of French wine, and enjoy a plethora of great vino, priced right and ready to be enjoyed.
[Do you have a wine-related question you'd like to ask? If so, send it to us via email at: getinfo@winepocketlist.com and you may see it answered in an upcoming issue!] |
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WINE
QUOTE Drinking is the best way to find out what you like the best... "When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking."
—Alexis Lichine.
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DEFINITIONS
AND GLOSSARY Understanding our System Grade:
[A-] Vintage: 1999 Price: $12 Individual
Evaluations: IE: A, A-, B+
These are four exclusive WPL categories, and many wines rated by the PocketList will fall into one of these special designations.
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About VinConnections: VinConnections is a free monthly newsletter of top-rated wines, published by the Wine PocketList, a comprehensive online database of top-rated wines for $30 a bottle or less. VinConnections publishes only a very small handful of the wines available in our comprehensive database. Complete listings of over 10,000 wines are available only to Wine PocketList subscribers.
Our mission is to inform and educate everyday wine lovers like us who enjoy a good bottle of wine, help locate great wine values and confidently broaden both your and our tasting horizons. |
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About the Wine PocketList: Subscribers can search, save and print custom buying guides sorted by a variety of criteria (Varietal, region, category, price range, etc), getting hundreds of brand-new reviews each month as they're published. Every wine is highly rated, and every wine is $30 or under. To see a demo for yourself, click here. |
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| If you have
any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to email
us or contact us directly. We are very interested in hearing from you!
Michael Hinshaw, Publisher The Wine PocketList The Wine PocketList |
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