I Love French Wine and Food - An Alsace Pinot Blanc

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Alsace region of northeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Pinot Blanc wine.

When it comes to the total acreage devoted to French vineyards, Alsace ranks tenth out of the eleven winemaking regions. Don't be fooled by the numbers; Alsace is a major producer of quality French wine. Its wine growing area is only about 60 miles (100 kilometers) long, and at the most a mere 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide nestled between the Vosges Mountains to the east and the Rhine River and Germany to the west. But this relatively tiny area is known for distinctive wines. Their wine bottles are also distinctive; tall and thin with labels that feature the grape variety, not the usual practice in France. Chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting grape mixture) is allowed for many wine categories.

About 95% of Alsace wine is white. The major white grape varieties are Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Secondary white grape varieties include Pinot Blanc, reviewed below, Sylvaner, and Muscat. The major red grape variety is Pinot Noir, reviewed in a companion article in this series.

Colmar is an Alsatian town pretty well in the middle of the Alsatian wine villages. Go there if you don't like rain; given its proximity to the Vosges Mountains, Colmar is the driest town in all of France. This city of about sixty-five thousand was founded in the Ninth Century. In spite of the fact that Colmar was largely destroyed in both World Wars, its old town (Vieille Ville) remains worthy of a visit. Some say that it's more interesting than Strasbourg. You really should visit both and decide for yourself. Among Colmar's sights are the St-Martin church constructed from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries, the Ancienne Douane (Old Customs House), and the Maison aux Arcades (Arcades House).

Ribeauvillé is the home of Trimbach wines and has been since 1626. In spite of its size, under five thousand, it has a bit of everything: ancient town walls, picturesque medieval houses, Gothic churches, a town hall with antiques, and a spring. Nearby are the ruins of three castles. And the first Sunday in September, Ribeauvillé hosts a major Minstrel Show.

Before reviewing the Alsatian wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Foie Gras (Goose or Duck Liver).
For your second course savor Baeckeoffe (Meat and Potato Casserole).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Gâteau Chasseur (Almond Cake with Raspberries and Meringue).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2004 12.5% alcohol about $13.50

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials.

Tasting Note Straw colour; apple, pear fruit aromas with light biscuit and citrus tones; medium- to full-bodied with ripe peachy flavours and a clean, zesty finish.

Serving Suggestion Smoked salmon, shellfish or asparagus in hollandaise sauce. Alsatian Pinot Gris is becoming increasingly fashionable, and this example illustrates why. Honeyed fruit aromas, such as peach and pear, plus a texture of smoke and mineral seduce in this just off-dry white that's, round, soft and quite rich. The producer recommends this as a good substitute for red wine with meat dishes such as cold cuts, roast beef or game. They also suggest pairing it with smoked chicken, fish or lobster. And now for the review.

My first meal consisted of a commercially prepared chicken breast with the skin on (more calories, more flavor), potato salad, and a spicy salad based on tomatoes, red pepper and garlic. The wine was refreshingly acidic and somewhat fruity. I finished with fresh pineapple. This combination was quite good; the pineapple's fruit flavors and the wine's fruit flavors melded well, and seemed to intensify each other.

I then paired the Pinot Blanc with a reheated home-cooked chicken leg in a tomato-based sauce with beets and more of the above potato salad. The wine scored as in the first round, but was more assertively fruity including the taste of pears. I am not used to a Pinot Blanc wine being so present, and I like this change.

My last meal consisted of a cheeseless broccoli, mushroom, and zucchini quiche and mashed potatoes. The wine was powerful and quite fruity, but short.

The first cheese was a French goat's milk cheese that really seemed more like a Camembert. At the first sips the cheese sort of cut off the wine. Later the results were somewhat better; the wine was fruity and moderately acidic. Then I went for a Swiss Gruyere with a lightly sharp, nutty flavor. This combination was even better; the Pinot Blanc came out nice and fruity.

I usually don't go with a non-imported cheese when tasting wines. However, I am making an exception for a Canadian Asiago cheese that our local supermarket almost never carries. This cheese is perhaps the best that I have tasted in a long time; in my opinion it clearly surpasses its Italian Asiago cousin. When a cheese is that good, I am quite anxious to try it with wine. The result wasn't disappointing; this gem intensified the wine's fruit and acidity.

Final verdict. There is no doubt in my mind, this wine is a winner. And its price is quite reasonable.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love French Wine and Food - A Languedoc-Roussillon Pinot Noir

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of south central France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Pinot Noir.

Among the eleven wine-growing regions of France Languedoc-Roussillon ranks number four in total vineyard acreage. This area, which includes the Midi was traditionally known for generating immense amounts of rather dubious table wine called vin ordinaire. Recently, in part because of Australian winemakers, the region has started to produce a lot of fine wine. A few weeks ago a salesman offering free samples greeted me at my nearby wine store. While I hadn't planned to review yet another Languedoc-Roussillon wine so soon after the two others, I was particularly intrigued by this wine's classification and its grape variety.

The wine bottle proudly displayed a sticker proclaiming its Gold ranking in a national contest for Vin de Pays (Country Wines) in 2006. You may recall from the initial article in this series (I Love French Wine and Food - Launching a Series) that Vin de Pays is a relatively recent French classification for wines of promise that for one reason or another don't meet the stricter requirements of the presumably better classifications. Even though almost one third of French wine is classified as Vin de Pays we don't get too many of them here. I smelled a potential bargain.

The grape variety was Pinot Noir. I know of a relatively recent exhaustive list of Languedoc-Roussillon grape varieties comprising over thirty entries, some famous, others obscure. Pinot Noir was absent, surely not by oversight. Pinot Noir tends to be a cool-weather grape found in places such as Champagne and Burgundy in France, and Oregon in the United States. In our various article series we reviewed Pinot Noirs from non-traditional areas including Germany, Italy, and France (Alsace). We'll see below how a Languedoc-Roussillon Pinot Noir stacks up.

Narbonne is a city of about fifty thousand that had been a major city in old Roman times. Sadly little of its Roman past remains. You'll have to be satisfied with "modern" sites such as the Fourteenth Century Cathédrale St-Just-et-St-Pasteur (St-Just's and St-Pasteur's Cathedral), the tallest cathedral in all of southern France. Nearby is the Palais des Archevêques (Archbishop's Palace) that houses art and archeology museums. If you're feeling ambitious climb the almost two hundred steps in the dungeon for a prisoner's eye view of the surroundings. The sculpture museum in the former church Notre Dame de la Mourguié displays Roman and Gallic treasures of all sorts. The twenty two kilometer (fifteen mile) Robine Canal, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, flows into the much longer Canal du Midi (Midi Canal), similarly classified. Charles Trenet, a famous French singer and songwriter was born in Narbonne. Leon Blum, a three time French Prime Minister was born in Paris but elected to Parliament from Narbonne.

Before reviewing the Languedoc-Roussillon wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Gambas (Prawns).
For your second course savor Loup en Papillote (Sea Bass cooked in Foil).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Pêches à la Minervoise (White Peaches with Muscat Wine and Raisins).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Partiarche Pinot Noir Vin de Pays 2004 12% about $9

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Pale ruby color; light cherry and spice aromas, sweet fresh cherry flavour, soft finish. Serving suggestion: Serve with cold roast beef.

My first meal consisted of cold beef spare ribs with cracked peppercorns, potato salad, and cucumber and onion salad. My first reaction was - this is a real Pinot Noir at a great price. Its light acid did a great job of cutting the congealed fat. It was shorter and less complex than other Pinot Noirs that cost a lot, lot more.

The next meal was cold barbequed chicken with cucumber and onion salad, and potato salad. There was a lot of extract and quite a good length. I tasted tobacco and dark fruits.

The final meal involved grilled hamburgers with spicy Thai sauce, a cole slaw advertised as a health cole slaw - whatever that means, and once again potato salad. In this case spicy meant really spicy. The sauce was too assertive; I had to remove most of it. While I like spices I want the wine to be there. Once that problem was solved the wine was fine. I tasted black cherries rather than the sweet cherries that I had been promised. I was not disappointed. I also tasted the underbrush and that didn't disappoint me either.

My first cheese pairing was with a local Asiago cheese that I prefer to the native Italian versions that I have tried. Perhaps in Italy... The Pinot Noir was powerful with dark fruit. Then I went to a goat's milk cheese, a Palet de Chevre from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. I might have guessed that the cheese was a Camembert rather than a goat's milk cheese. Be that as it may, the wine became too acidic and lost its flavor. Then I paired the Pinot Noir with a nutty tasting Swiss Gruyere. At first the same phenomenon occurred, but later became less pronounced. I thought that perhaps the wine was starting to decline, but I finished the bottle on its own and the fruit came back in force.

Final verdict. We have a winner. We have a bargain. The two are related. At twice the price I wouldn't bother. But at the present price I'll be coming back. And I'll be looking for another Vin de Pays to try soon.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Trentino-Alto Adige Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Trentino-Alto Adige is located in the center of Italy's northern border. It touches both Switzerland and Austria. Among its tourist attractions are the Dolomite mountains, called "the most beautiful work of architecture even seen" by the famous architect Le Corbusier, glacier lakes, and Alpine forests. In fact the region is composed of two parts, Trentino in the south and Alto Adige in the north. Alto Adige belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries, where it was known as Südtirol. Like many other parts of Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige was often invaded. Unlike most other parts of Italy, this area is officially bilingual; a sizable portion of its population about 925 thousand is German speaking.

Trentino-Alto Adige has plentiful forests, and the hillsides are covered with fruit trees. This is Italy's major apple-producing region. Only about 15% of the land can be cultivated. Agricultural products include corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye. In addition to beef and dairy cattle, mining and manufacturing are prevalent.

Trento is the administrative center of Trentino and Bolzano is the administrative center of Alto Adige. Both are tourist towns. Trentino was the site of the Council of Trent lasting almost twenty years in the middle of the 16th Century with a major impact on the Catholic Church. Both these cities, and many others in the region, have numerous churches and secular sites of interest to tourists.

Trentino-Alto Adige devotes about thirty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 16th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 25 million gallons, giving it a 14th place. About 55% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 45% for white. The region produces 8 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. A whopping 79.1% of Trentino-Alto Adige wine carries the DOC designation, by far the highest percentage in Italy. Trentino-Alto Adige is home to almost four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Gewürtztraminer, Pinot Bianco, often called Pinot Blanc outside of Italy, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, often called Pinot Gris outside of Italy, Sylvaner, and Müller-Thurgau. In fact, some say Gewürtztraminer originated in the Alto-Adige town of Termeno, known as Tramin in German. Italian white varieties include Nosiola, and Moscato Giallo, Trentino-Alto Adige's version of the international Moscato (Muscat) grape.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Pinot Nero, called Pinot Noir outside of Italy, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The best known strictly Italian red varieties are Schiava, Lagrein, Teroldego, and Marzemino.

Before reviewing the Trentino-Alto Adige wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Ravioli della Val Pusteria, Rye Pasta with Spinach and Caraway Seeds. Then try Gulasch de Manzo, Beef, Potato, Onion, and Paprika Stew.
For dessert indulge yourself with Krapfen Tirolesi, Fried Pastry with Marmalade and Powdered Sugar. Did you notice that these specialties seem as Austrian as Italian?

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Concilio Pinot Nero Reserva 2002 12.5% alcohol about $15
I'll start by quoting the marketing materials: "Pretty aromas of strawberry, pepper and earth lead to flavors that are soft and velvety. Good varietal characteristics demonstrated here in ths light-to-medium bodied, long finishing wine. Match to a grilled salmon or tuna.

And now for my thoughts. This wine has a cherry and tobacco nose and is mildly acidic. It tastes of tobacco. The wine is round, mouth-filling and somewhat robust. It is a bit older than most of the wines in this series, and frankly, it shows. Like many Pinot Noirs, it tasted of earth.

Once in a while I follow the producer's suggestions. I felt this Pinot Noir was an excellent accompaniment to a grilled Atlantic salmon with steamed asparagus. The fish brought out the wine's fruit flavors, and the wine did a great job of cutting the fish's fattiness. I still remember the first time that I drank a Pinot Noir (Oregon, I believe) with salmon at the suggestion of a excellent fish restaurant. It's a great combination when both the fish and the wine are high quality. I ended this meal with almond milk chocolate, washed down with a bit of wine. This latter combination is not classical, but the result was more than satisfactory.

My next tasting included beef stew and potatoes, zucchini and onions in a tomato sauce, and a commercially prepared moderately spicy "Turkish" salad based on red pepper, tomato, and onion. The wine was round, mouth-filling, a bit complex. The dominant taste was tobacco. But I was disappointed, the wine was short.

Asiago is a cheese whose characteristics differ widely depending on where it is made, and its aging. I happen to love a local Asiago that my neighborhood supermarket carries once in a while. It is relatively sharp. I am told that Wisconsin Asiago cheese typically has butterscotch undertones. The imported Asiago tasted with this wine was nutty and pleasantly acidic, but frankly not as good as the local version. The cheese brought out the earthy characteristics of the Pinot Noir. Interestingly enough, the wine immediately changed its flavor and became more acidic in the presence of a commercially prepared roasted butternut squash dip.

In a close call, my initial reaction was not to purchase this wine again. Then I changed my mind, I would purchase it again, but be quite careful in pairing the wine. There is a simple solution, serve it with a grilled, preferably Atlantic, salmon.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Veneto Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Veneto region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Veneto is located in northeastern Italy on the Gulf of Venice. The region is mountainous with all kinds of water; rivers, lakes, lagoons, and of course, canals. In its heyday, during the Renaissance (Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries), the Venetian Republic ruled a large part of northern Italy, and was a major player in the world of commerce and culture. Veneto's present population is about 4.5 million.

Veneto's capital, Venice, is one of the world's top tourist destinations, claiming 60 million visitors a year. Its attractions are too numerous to list here. Venice's neighbor, Padua, is the oldest city in northern Italy. Padua was the home of the famous astronomer Gallileo Gallilei. The metropolitan region encompassing these two cities has over 1.6 million people. Another city of interest is Verona with its numerous Roman and medieval monuments.

Agricultural products include cattle, corn, wheat, sugar beets, and of course grapes. With all the water you can be sure that fish and seafood abound. Rice is more important than pasta, and lovers of sweets will not be disappointed. Industries include textiles, silk, shipbuilding, and sugar refining, but the major industry remains tourism.

Veneto devotes almost 250 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 3rd among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is almost 180 million gallons, also giving it a 3rd place. About 45% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Veneto is home to about four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, approximately half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano, Chardonnay, and Pinot Bianco, known as Pinot Blanc outside of Italy. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Garganega and Prosecco.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The best-known strictly Italian red varieties are Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara.

Before we reviewing the Veneto wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wine when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Pasta e Fasioli; Pasta and Bean Soup.

Then try Risotto de Scampi; Scampi Risotto.

For dessert indulge yourself with Torta de Paparele; Lemon Tagliatelle Cake.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Corte Gardoni Bianco di Custoza DOC 2004 12.5% alcohol about $8

I'll start with the marketing materials. "Floral notes mixed with sweet red Delicious apple and Bosc pear aromatics form the inviting and lifted nose. The flavors are quite different with citrus and green apples coming to the fore. It is light to medium-bodied, providing a tangy finish that would pair well with grilled, firm (tuna or sword) fish." And now for my thoughts.

This wine was first paired to a commercial chicken pot pie with a bit of chili-lime hot sauce. I tasted some apple. It was quite weak at first, but did pick up some strength from sip to sip.

The next meal was more in line with the marketing suggestions, namely grilled salmon filet with oven-baked potato patties and French fries. While there was some apple taste, essentially the wine didn't add anything to the meal. However, it went well with dessert, thin biscuits containing almonds and pistachios.

My next trial included chicken legs in a soy and onion sauce with rice and green beans. The wine was not unpleasant but was light and fleeting.

Montasio cheese is a specialty of the Veneto region. It is made from cow's milk and can have a sharp flavor when it ages. I was happy when the wine was able to handle this strong cheese. It didn't do as well with an Asiago cheese, also from the Veneto area.

Final verdict, I won't be buying this wine again, even at its relatively low price.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Umbria Region

Umbria lies smack dab in the middle of Italy. The countryside is unspoiled and dotted with medieval churches. Its fairly gentle terrain is composed of hills, valleys, and small mountains. Umbria is the only region of Italy with neither a seacoast nor a foreign border. But it has lakes, rivers, and even a waterfall. It is known as the green valley of Italy. In spite of this name, until a few decades ago Umbria kept losing population to the more highly industrial north. Its total population is about 830 thousand.

Umbria was settled by the Umbri, perhaps the first inhabitants of Italy. They were forced into the mountains by the Etruscans, who were conquered by the Romans and then the Lombards. The poet Dante considered it the most violent part of Italy.

Umbria is particularly known for pork, dried pasta, and both black and white truffles. It also produces specialty breads and a wide variety of vegetables and meats. Fish and eels from the Tiber River and Lake Trasimeno abound. Cheeses include Pecorino Toscano, reviewed below.

Umbria's capital is Perugia, a beautiful medieval city with a population of 150 thousand. Among other things Perugia is known for chocolates and Italian as a second language classes. Another famous Umbrian city is Assisi, the home of St. Francis of Assisi.

Umbria devotes about 41 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 15th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 19.5 million gallons, giving it a 16th place. About 58% of the wine production is white, leaving 42% for red. The region produces 11 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of

Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine, and 2 DOCG red wines, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior.

About 30% of Umbrian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Umbria is home to about thirty major and secondary grape varieties, about two thirds white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Chardonnay and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Grechetto, used in the its flagship Orvieto DOC wines.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, and Merlot. The best known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, now grown elsewhere such as in California.

Before we review the Umbrian wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Zuppa di Lenticchie di Castelluccio, Castelluccio Lentil Soup, which with local bread can be a meal in itself.

Later try Porchetta alla Perugina, Roasted Suckling Pig with Wild Fennel, Rosemary, and Garlic.
For dessert indulge yourself with Serpentone delle Monache di Perugia, Nut and Fruit "Snake" of the Capucin Nuns.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Lungaraotti Pinot Grigio 2004 12% about $12

I haven't always been happy with Italian Pinot Grigio, or for that matter with non-Italian Pinot Gris. These wines often are weak. However, I thought that this particular Pinot Grigio was a fine wine for its price when it accompanied the right food. The sales literature suggested that this light-bodied, vivid, and balanced wine would be a great match for antipasti. My mistake was pairing it with non-imported antipasti, really more of a mediocre relish, which overpowered the wine. I later tried this wine with cold barbecued chicken in a moderately spicy Thai sauce and was quite pleased. Its citrus flavors really shone. I could taste this wine's subtle complexity.

Pecorino Toscano is a sheep's milk cheese that has been made in Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. Soft Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. It is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. I thought that it blended very nicely into the wine.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love French Wine and Food - A 2007 Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau

This article treats one of the world's most successful marketing campaigns - the French red wine that arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is released for sale just after the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday in November. Within 24 hours over one million cases will be sold. During the coming year, consumers all over the world will probably buy more than 65 million bottles. If things work on schedule more than 4 million bottles will be exported to the United States, and 7 million to Japan and to Germany. On the other hand millions of bottles of last year's production was destroyed prior to the release of the 2007 crop.

Let me present a few tidbits of information before reviewing what may be one of the best Beaujolais Nouveau wines. This wine comes from specially designated areas (villages) in the Beaujolais region of southeastern France. Like its un-villaged cousin it is made from the Gamay grape, which was kicked out of the world-famous, neighboring Burgundy region in 1395. French legislation requires that all grapes in the Beaujolais region be picked by hand. Champagne is the only other French region that forbids mechanical harvesting. While Beaujolais Nouveau was first regulated in 1938, it dates back to ancient times when a somewhat similar wine was produced for slaves. History does not record their reaction. Let's take a look at mine.

Before reviewing the Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau wine and imported cheeses that we purchased at a local wine store and a local imported food store, here a few suggestions of what to eat with such wine:

Start with Foie Gras au Torchon (Foie Gras in a dishcloth).

For your second course savor Roti de Dinde (Roast Turkey).

And as dessert indulge yourself with Pommes au four (Oven Baked Apples).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages 2007 12.2% about $16

I bought this bottle a few days after the release of the 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau (November 15, 2007) along with a more plebian French offering and an Italian Vino Novello, (new wine) a quite similar Italian rendition. In what I am hoping is not a change in policy my supplier provided no marketing materials. Here are some comments from another supplier: More than one can bargain for, the unusually complex '07 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages exhibits combined aromas and flavors of ripe tropical fruits and sweet earth. And now for my reactions.

My first pairing of this wine involved a combination of honey garlic and paprika coated barbecued chicken thighs with the skin on, chicken fat-roasted potatoes that melt in your mouth, and Moroccan carrots. The wine refreshingly cut the fat with its mild acidity. The dominant fruit was black cherries. This Beaujolais became more powerful and acidic when dealing with the spicy carrots.

The next meal consisted of an omelet made with a mild, non-imported white cheese. The wine seemed full-bodied, especially at first but later became weaker. It had a moderate length. The dominant flavor was black cherry, but I did taste bubble gum.

Then I tried this wine with beef stew and potatoes. I tasted some fruit and even a bit of tobacco. The Beaujolais- Villages Nouveau was mildly acidic and fairly short. Dessert was homemade sesame seed and sunflower seed cookies slathered in homemade Concord grape jelly. I didn't make the cookies or the jelly, but I raised the Concord grapes myself. This year's crop was bountiful, and if I daresay, delicious. Needless to say, I did not attempt to make wine out of them. Anyway, the wine was considerably less fruity than the jelly. As always, I don't blame the wine for unorthodox pairings that don't succeed, but I just had to try my grapes.

The first cheese was a French goat cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region of central western France that is starting to develop ammonia. The cheese and the wine really didn't meld. The wine became more generic. Then I went to a more delicate, nutty-flavored German Emmenthaler (Swiss-type) that has seen better days. The wine was still fruity but nothing to stop the presses.

Final verdict. Can you guess? It's happened before and it's happened again. This Beaujolais Nouveau just can't justify the price. I can't say that I was surprised, and I do feel that I gave it a fair chance. Frankly if you want Beaujolais, and why not, you're better off with one that isn't Nouveau. Suggestion, why not sneak in such a Beaujolais into your Beaujolais Nouveau party and see which one people prefer?

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. His central website is www.wineinyourdiet.com devoted to the health and nutritional aspects of wine and its place in your weight-loss program. His global wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com. Visit his other websites devoted to Italian wine, Italian travel, and Italian food.

I Love French Wine and Food - Beaujolais Nouveau

This article treats one of the world's most successful marketing campaigns - the French red wine that arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, Beaujolais Nouveau. At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday in November, this wine is released for sale. Talk about market share, in the next 24 hours over one million cases will be sold. During the coming year, consumers all over the world will buy more than 65 million bottles. There will be about 4 million bottles exported to the United States, and 7 million to Japan and to Germany. About seven hundred thousand bottles will be exported to Italy, which makes a similar wine, Vino Novello, reviewed in our article I Love Italian Wine and Food - Vino Novello (New Wine).

What is exactly is new wine, whether Beaujolais Nouveau, Vino Novello, or some other, similar product? New wine is the first of the harvest, released in early November. The exact date depends on the country. New wines are produced by a special method, carbonic maceration, in which whole grapes ferment in stainless steel tanks, often reaching a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Centigrade (77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). This process lasts for about 5 to 20 days, and may be followed by crushing the grapes, which then undergo traditional fermentation for a few days. The exact procedure varies from one winemaker to another, but the ensuing wine is virtually tannin free. The lack of tannins implies a short shelf life. While you don't have to drink the wine immediately, most people finish the season by Easter. Actually, in the best vintages Beaujolais Nouveau can last until the following year's crop. In theory you could drink Beaujolais Nouveau all year long. Take my advice, don't.

New wines are usually colored bright red or violet. They tend to be fruity, tasting of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, banana, and freshly squeezed grapes, depending on the grape variety used, the production method, and the area in which the grapes are grown. Detractors talk about bubble gum, lollipops, nail polish, and jello. Many feel that new wine tastes of grape juice with alcohol. One thing is certain, if you don't like a given new wine, don't store it away to try it again in two years. It won't improve with time.

Let me present a few tidbits of information before reviewing one of the best Beaujolais Nouveau wines. This wine comes from Beaujolais region of southeastern France and is made from the Gamay grape, which was kicked out of the world-famous, neighboring Burgundy region in 1395. By law, all the grapes in the Beaujolais region must be picked by hand. Champagne is the only other region of France that forbids mechanical harvesting. While Beaujolais Nouveau was first regulated in 1938, it dates back to ancient times when a somewhat similar wine was produced for slaves. History does not record their reaction. Let's take a look at mine.

Wine Reviewed Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2006 12.5% about $13
I bought this bottle the day after the release of the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau (November 16, 2006). It was the most expensive, and presumably the best, of all the new wines available.
Beaujolais Villages Nouveau comes from the Gamay grape variety grown in the Beaujolais region of southwestern France. Gamay grapes contain virtually no tannins, and so many white wine lovers feel at home with them. The wine is considered quite fruity and easy to drink. Unlike some of its inferior competitors, it did not smell of nail polish.

My first pairing of this wine involved chicken in a honey, garlic, and soy sauce. The wine was not very flavorful, but during the course of the meal its flavors increased somewhat. Unfortunately the dominant flavor was bubble gum, but there was a light taste of black fruit.

The next meal involved hamburgers accompanied by potatoes, Moroccan style carrots (spicy, the major spice was cumin), and a spicy tomato and red pepper salsa. The spicy food brought out the wine's fruitiness. In particular, the wine's acidity was a good match for the salsa's acidity.

Then I tried this wine with kube, or kibbe, a Middle-Eastern specialty, balls of ground rice filled with ground meat. They were cooked overnight with potatoes in a somewhat spicy sauce. The wine still smelled of bubble gum after a few days. It didn't add much to the meal, but did get a bit more expressive as it warmed up. (By the way, it was not overchilled.) It went rather well with fresh pineapple, but didn't add anything to the other dessert of thin almond and pistachio biscuits.
I didn't have any French cheeses to accompany the wine, so I had to settle for Italian cheeses. Asiago cheese is nutty-flavored, fairly strong cheese from northeastern Italy. In its presence the wine was moderately fruity. This Beaujolais Nouveau was pleasant but a bit thin in the face of a somewhat overripe Pecorino Toscano from the Tuscany region of Italy.

Final verdict. For many years I have not been a fan of new wines. I taste them every year, and am always willing to change my mind. This overpriced Beaujolais Nouveau gave me no reason to budge an inch. As we said every September (or earlier) when our baseball team was eliminated from the pennant race, wait 'til next year.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college.

I Love French Wine and Food - A Bordeaux Rose

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the world-famous Bordeaux region of southwestern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a Bordeaux rosé from an internationally renowned producer.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions Bordeaux ranks first in acreage with about 50% more land devoted to vineyards than the second-place Rhône Valley. But it's more than just a question of acreage and volume. Bordeaux is widely considered as one of the top wine producing regions of the entire earth and has been for centuries. The wine reviewed below comes from somewhere in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux produces over seventy million cases of wine per year, about 85% red, 12% white, and the rest rosé. That means a total of more than two million cases of rosé wine per year. When I wrote the first Bordeaux article in this series, I Love French Wine and Food - A Bordeaux Merlot I stated that I didn't remember ever tasting a Bordeaux rosé. I also promised to deal with this problem and I'll review Bordeaux rosé in this article.

There are over twenty two thousand vineyards in Bordeaux englobing about 280 thousand acres. This means the average Bordeaux vineyard is less than 13 acres or somewhat more than 5 hectares, which is not a big area. About half of the vineyards produce their own wine, and about six thousand produce and sell their own wine, the rest selling wine through cooperatives. Bordeaux boasts about 60 different wine appellations ranging from fair-to-middling to world class with plenty in between. Some Bordeaux wine classifications date back to 1855 and have barely changed since, except that Baron Rothschild was able to get his best wine promoted from Second Cru (Second Growth) to Premier Cru (First Growth). Those in the know say that his Château Lafitte definitely deserves this honor. We'll review some fairly top-notch Bordeaux wines sooner or later, but the wine reviewed below is quite inexpensive. Interestingly Chateau Petrus, crafted by another internationally known Bordeaux wine producer holds no prestigious classification. However, Chateau Petrus is definitely world class and comes with a price to match, if the wine merchant will even look at your money.

Believe it or not, Merlot is the major red grape in Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon comes in a distant second. We'll talk about the remaining important Bordeaux red grape varieties elsewhere in this series. The major white grapes are Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Both the village of St. Emillion, population about twenty-four hundred, and its surrounding vineyards are UNESCO World Heritage sites. St. Emillion has its own wine classification dating back to 1878 and revised about every ten years. If you want to test your memory or become an old-fashioned sommelier then you can learn the gory details of this wine classification. Interestingly enough several St. Emillion wines were declassified in 2006, the most recent moment that the judges wielded their feared ax. One such unlucky wine was the Château La Tour du Pin Figeac, produced by Jean-Pierre Moueix, the guy who makes the famous Chateau Petrus and who produced an inexpensive Merlot reviewed in the article cited above.

If you're going to tour this area you should come during the week. The Office du Tourisme (Tourist Office) organizes tours of local vineyards including Chateau Petrus and Cheval Blanc another top of the line producer. Just south of town is Chateau Ausone, rounding out the best producers in the region.

In addition to vineyard tours and wine tasting, there are a few sights to see. St. Emillion itself is lovely with ancient stone buildings and the ruins of the city walls. The Eglise Monolithe (Monolithic Church) was hewn out of rock between the Ninth and the Twelfth Centuries. It is one of France's largest underground churches. Its Clocher (Bell Tower) dominates the town center. You'll also want to see the Thirteenth Century Chateau du Roi (King's Castle) built by the English; remember that Bordeaux was once in the hands of the English. Enjoy the Place du Marché (Market Square.)

Before reviewing the Bordeaux wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Andouillette (Chitterling Sausage).

For your second course savor Esturgeon à la Libournaise (Sturgeon cooked with White Wine).

And as dessert indulge yourself with Fanchonette Bordelaise (Puff Pastry with Custard and Meringue).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Mouton Cadet Rose 2006 12.7% about $11.00

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Vinified using the traditional "saignée" method and blended by the family company, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, "le Rose de Mouton Cadet" is made from carefully selected wine from chosen vineyards in the Bordeaux region. It should be drunk young at a temperature of 8º C, which will enhance its subtle and refreshing fruit, sustained in a full finish. And now for the review.

My first pairing was with home made barbecued chicken accompanied by rice, grilled Portabello mushrooms, and grilled red peppers. It was quite substantial for a rosé. However, I tasted bubble gum. The acidity was nice but the wine was a bit sour.

My next meal consisted of an omelet with local Havarti cheese, Turkish salad, and sliced avocado. The wine was not very present and this combination was not a success. I felt that I was drinking alcoholic fruit juice. This mild tasting meal overpowered the rosé. Interestingly enough the wine went well with the avocado, but I still tasted bubble gum with the Turkish salad. I had the feeling that this wine was almost worth drinking with fruit-juice candy.

My final meal was whole-wheat spaghetti with a homemade tuna, red onion, garlic, and Greek Olive sauce that had a commercial tomato spaghetti sauce as its base. I doused on a lot of grated Parmesan Cheese. I was moderately proud of this meal, but the wine pairing was no success. This rosé tasted like a fruit juice and didn't react differently to the sauce's different components.

The first cheese pairing was with a Dutch Edam that was nutty, a bit fatty, and somewhat sour. The wine was not so bad; I tasted fruit in the background. The next cheese was a mild-tasting Italian Fruilano. It was OK, an acceptable combination of fruit and acidity.

Final verdict. No doubt about it; even if I didn't expect much at this price I was disappointed. I have tasted red Mouton Cadet and this rosé was in a different league. There was some left in the bottle and I couldn't bring myself to finish it. Perhaps I missed a great pairing. I don't think so.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian travel website is www.travelitalytravel.com .

I Love French Wine and Food - A Saumur (Loire Valley) White

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Loire Valley region of central France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a white Chenin Blanc from Anjou-Saumur in the central part of the region.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions the Loire Valley ranks number three when it comes to the acreage devoted to vineyards. The Loire is France's longest river running for 620 miles (one thousand kilometers) across the center of the country. In many ways the Loire Valley can be considered as a series of regions. Here they are running from west to east: Nantais whose primary grape is the white Muscadet, Anjou-Saumur whose primary grapes are the white Chenin Blanc and the red Cabernet Franc, Touraine whose primary white grapes are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc and whose primary red grape is Cabernet Franc, and Central Vineyards whose primary white grape is Sauvignon Blanc and whose primary red grape is Pinot Noir. We will review at least one wine from each of these four areas.

Saumur is a city of about thirty-five thousand inhabitants where the Loire and the Thouet Rivers meet in the Anjou and Saumur zone of the Loire Valley, east of the Nantes and west of Tours. It is a bourgeois city proud of its historic center and Fourteenth Century Church of St-Pierre and the city square of the same name. And of course there is a Loire Valley turreted Castle, the Château de Saumur well worth the visit even though the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum) and the Musée du Cheval (Equestrian Museum) may be closed to the public.
Saumur's Riding School, the Cadre Noir de Saumur (literally the Black Cadre) was founded well over one hundred fifty years ago. Its instructors, whether military or civilian, wear beautiful black and gold uniforms in public performances that attract up to forty thousand spectators. If you are at all interested in equestrian performances make sure to catch their class act. And stop by the Maison du Vin (House of Wine) for more information on this great wine-growing region.

Before reviewing the Loire wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Rillions (Big chunks of Pork cooked in Pork Fat). For your second course savor Bécasse fourée au Foie Gras (Woodcock stuffed with Foie Gras). And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte Tatin (Upside down Apple Tart).

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. We see very little white Saumur in our market, so this is a rare treat indeed. Made with 100% Chenin Blanc, it shows the aromatic virtues of the grape coupled with racy acidity. The result is a wine that may be enjoyed in its youth with seafood dishes such as grilled prawns, but will definitely age gracefully for 3-5 years.

My first meal was fried chicken-breast scaloppini, with rice and Turkish salad. This wine was very refreshing and pleasantly acidic. It was palate-cleansing with a lot of lime. It was quite present when pairing with a strong Turkish salad.

The next meal consisted of slow-cooked chicken legs with a mix of Eastern spices, brown rice, and green beans. The Saumur Blanc was quite forward with plenty of fruit and acidity. It was very pleasant.
The final pairing involved whole-wheat spaghetti and hamburgers but no tomato sauce. The wine was refreshingly acidic with a lot of lime. It was very long. While the wine was somewhat flattened by a fruit-juice candy, it displayed delicate fruit and acidity when paired with a good-quality cheesecake.

The first cheese pairing was with a mild Italian Pecorino Friulano cheese. This was no success; the wine became a bit thin and lost a lot of its fruit. Then I tried a nutty Dutch Edam cheese. The wine was moderately fruity and I would say that combination was OK but not great.

Final verdict. I liked this wine and would buy it again. I feel that it was quite good for the price. And there's not all that much more to say about it.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation.

Wine and Food Baskets Are Easy to Give

Wine and food baskets are great ways to send a personal message and you can find them in any price range imaginable. If you're stuck for a gift idea, wine and food baskets are simple yet elegant. For the very simplest gifts, you can go with a simple wine and cheese basket, and these are great gifts for him giving to people that you don't really know anything about. The great thing about this is that you don't have to do any research to figure out what wines and cheeses pair well together. If you have no idea what kind of cheese would go well with a Cabernet Sauvignon wine, that is okay because someone has already done that work for you.

Wine and cheese is such a classic combination, that even people who do not drink wine or eat cheese know about it. So if you are looking for a gift for someone and you know that they either like wine or like cheese, a wine and cheese basket would be a perfect gift for them. It is already paired well together and attractively packaged, all you have to do is add your personalized message to the gift tag.

If you'd like your gift to be a little more elegant, you can go a step above wine and cheese. Perhaps you have a chocolate lover on your gift list, but you don't want to get more than a chocolate selection for them. There are gift baskets that will pair the perfect wine and chocolate combination, a delight for any chocolate lover.

Thinking of going on a picnic? Perhaps you are looking for a unique way to propose. You can order a reusable wine and food picnic basket that comes with everything you need for a picnic for two, including a camera to capture the moment. It not only includes the wine and snacks, but also the silverware, wine glasses, cheeseboard, and plates. The only thing you will need to add is a blanket for sitting on and sunshine for sitting under.

No matter what type of wine and food basket you are looking for, from the simple to the elegant, from the cheap to the outrageous, or anything in between, you can find a perfect wine and food basket for any occasion. You can use a wine and food basket to say. "I'm sorry.", "Welcome to the company.", "I love you", Or "best friends forever".

I have a great selection of wine and food baskets to choose from, no matter what the occasion. If you are looking for something that can be drop shipped as a long distance gift, wine and food baskets are the perfect idea.

http://cabernetvineyards.org/category/cabernet-glasses/wine-and-food-baskets/

http://cabernetvineyards.org/

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Abruzzi Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider Abruzzi. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Abruzzi is located on the central eastern part of Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The area is 2/3 mountains and 1/3 hills. Over time Abruzzi has belonged to the Romans, the Lombards, and the kingdom of Naples. While this area was once very poor, its income is now growing. Abruzzi and Molise were a single region from 1948 to 1965. Its population is 1.275 million.

Agricultural products include grapes, olives, wheat, sugar beets, tobacco, saffron, pigs, and sheep. The Adriatic Sea and inland lakes and streams provide a wide variety of fish and shellfish. If I remember correctly, the first time that I heard of this region was decades ago, when I learned that according to Craig Claiborne, at the time Food Editor of the New York Times, Italy's best food was found in Abruzzi.

Abruzzi has no large cities. Its administrative center l'Aquila has a population of about 70 thousand. But big cities are hardly a requirement for good wine. Few would ever claim that Italy's best wines come from Rome, or the surrounding area.

Abruzzi devotes about eighty two thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 10th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 110 million gallons, giving it a 5th place. About 90% of the wine production is red or rosé (not very much rosé), leaving 10% for white. The region produces 3 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG red wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. About 17% of Abruzzi wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Abruzzi is home to about two dozen major and secondary grape varieties, a few more white and than red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano and Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Trebbiano d'Abbruzzi, felt by some to be Bombino Bianco.

The best known Italian red variety is Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC is the most widely exported Italian DOC wine.

Before we reviewing the Abruzzi wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with local wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with a Pizza Rustica, Cinnamon-Scented Pie Stuffed with Proscuitto, Cheese, and Eggs.

Then move on to Polenta sulla Spianatora, Polenta (Cornbread) Topped with Sausage in Spicy Tomato Sauce.

For desert enjoy a Crostata di Ricotta, a Ricotta Tart.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Abruzzo Illuminati Montepulciano d'Abruzzo "Riparosso" 2004 DOC 13% alcohol about $11.50

The marketing materials state that this wine has hints of an Amarone (a much more expensive wine) or a Ripasso ( a more expensive wine). There are raisings, currants, and tar on the nose whilst the taste profile is ripe, mellow fruit flavors of raspberry jam and ocha. It doesn't contain a lot of acidity so drink it within a year. Pair it with pizza, burgers, or any meat dish that you tend to eat during the week.

This wine is said to complement pasta, red meats, and savory cheeses.

I found the Riparosso to be somewhat robust, with cherry and plum flavors. I didn't have the feeling that I was drinking a regular Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, but instead almost a Ripasso, a wine that I prefer. This wine managed to feel full-bodied even with its light tannins. It balanced nicely the tanginess of barbecued eggplant loaded with garlic, and demonstrated notable spiciness when paired with a meat ball and vegetable stew. Its acidity was pleasant. I did not discern all the flavors listed above. For me the dominant flavor was black cherry. The final meat dish that accompanied this wine was a barbecued boneless rib steak with a spicy curry and cumin sauce. The wine seemed to pick up strength to accompany this meat, which by the way, we don't eat on a regular basis during the week.

I tasted this wine with two related cheeses. Pecorino Toscano is a soft, nutty cheese. Interestingly enough, I found that the wine was no longer robust, it seemed to soften to accompany this mild cheese. In the presence of a Pecorino Fiore Sardo, a balsamic sheep's milk cheese with a stronger flavor and coarser consistency than its Tuscan cousin, the wine almost magically picked up flavor to meet the challenge.

Final verdict, as you can tell this wine is a definite keeper.

Extra note. Several months ago on a whim I bought a $6 bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Given the realities of the marketplace, I really doubt that any producer can come up with a decent bottle at that price. At first the wine was terribly acidic. I held out, finished the bottle and the last glass was almost OK. Yes, there are bargains, such as this Riparosso, but few in the $6 range.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com

I Love French Wine and Food - A Provence Bandol

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the world famous Provence region in southeastern France. You may even find a bargain wine in this sun-drenched ideal tourist location, marred only by the number of tourists. I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour of this French candidate for paradise in which we review a local red wine based on the red Mourvèdre grape.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions Provence ranks ninth in acreage if you include the island of Corsica, which most people do in spite of their considerable differences. Provence is synonymous with rosé wine, and although its percentage is declining, happily according to many wine lovers. Over 50% of Provence wine is rosé, or as some might say, pink. Many of its wines are pink and flabby, but others are not. The region is home to dozens of grape varieties, often not found elsewhere. With an average of three thousand hours of sun a year, a lot of Provence wines taste baked.

One secret to making fine tasting wine is limiting its production. The Bandol AOC reviewed below and its high-quality neighbors are capped by law at 180 cases per acre (40 hectoliters per hectare). In this area growers could generate at least twice as much output, almost without trying. But any gains in quantity would be lost in quality. Voilà. Limiting Corsica's wine output has helped reduce Europe's famous, or rather infamous, wine lake.

While there is no shortage of great places to visit in Provence, let's start by honoring this wine's home town, Bandol, population eight thousand. It's right on the coast, about thirty five miles (fifty five kilometers) southeast of Marseille and has become quite a tourist attraction. Bandol's port has a capacity of fifteen hundred sailing vessels and that includes a lot of yachts. It is quite a center for scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. In high season unless you love crowds you are better off visiting the vineyards right outside town.

For a change of pace go about four miles (six kilometers) north of Bandol to La Cadiere d'Azur, a medieval village of about three thousand perched on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards. Vincent Van Gogh was here. When you see it you'll know why.

Before reviewing the Bandol wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Caviar d'Aubergines (Egglant Purée).

For your second course savor Poisson aux Herbes de Provence (Fish with Provence Herbs).

And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte aux Noix (Walnut and Honey Tart).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Domaine Le Galantin Bandol Rouge 2005 14.0% about $20.00

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Description Bandol, the most serious wine of Provence, [is] typically a deep-flavoured, lush red blend dominated by the Mourvèdre grape. Tasting Note (Jancis Robinson, Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition, 2006) This version is mostly Mourvèdre with a touch of Grenache for balance. Its lovely collection of aromas include cherry, anise, marzipan, and garrigue. And now for my review.

Before the first meal I sipped some of this wine. It was dark, fruity, powerful, and long. You know that the wine is present. The first meal was delicatessen-made thin strips of beef with sliced vegetables. I added rice and a Thai hot sauce. The wine remained long and strong with dark chocolate. I have the feeling that it could hold up to anything. I am getting an image: people sitting around a campfire devouring raw or scarcely cooked bear meat - I have no idea what bear meat tastes like but I know this Bandol could handle it. This is not a wine for watercress sandwiches - with or without the crusts. I liked the wine with a cocoa strudel. The chocolate of the wine accompanied the "chocolate" of the cake. There was, however, a discordant note, I'll talk about it in the next round.

The second tasting was with broiled beef ribs accompanied by jerk sauce, barbecued red skin potatoes, and commercial grilled eggplant. The wine was thick and mouthfilling, but there was something about its acidity that was not quite right, let's not mince words; it was unpleasant. This also happened with the first meal. It may be hard to believe but swirling the glass vigorously removed this secondary defect. In the present series of reviews covering more than sixty wines this is the first time that I have encountered such a problem.

The final meal consisted of a pan-fried lamb chop that had been marinated in olive oil, garlic, and sliced red onion plus an artichoke, garlic, and tomato salsa and corn on the cob. The wine was full and long brimming with chocolate and to a lesser extent tobacco. The defect is long gone and the wine was excellent. As strong as it was the Bandol accompanied rather than overpowered the subtle meat. Jancis Robinson was right, who am I to doubt her, I tasted garrigue, Mediterranean spices.

The first cheese pairing was with a mild-tasting Italian Pecorino Fruilano, which somehow cut across the wine. It surprised me that such a weak cheese could denature such a strong wine. The Bandol was able to keep its taste when paired with the more flavorful Dutch Edam. I tasted deep chocolate.

Final verdict. This wine is a winner. I confess that I don't understand fully the problem with the defect. But I am more than willing to take the chance on it again. However, just between you and me, I won't waste it on cheese pairings.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian travel website is http://www.travelitalytravel.com

I Love French Wine and Food - A Rhone Valley Crozes-Hermitage

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Rhône Valley region of southeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a Crozes-Hermitage red wine from the northern Rhône Valley.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions the Rhône Valley ranks second in acreage. The region extends 125 miles (200 kilometers) along the Rhône River. This region is actually composed of two parts, the north and the south whose wines tend to be quite different. The northern Rhône Valley is quite narrow. Its major red grape variety is Syrah, while its major white variety is Viognier. The northern Rhône Valley produces some of the best red wines in all France, and according to its fan club, some of the best red wines on earth. The southern Rhône Valley produces about 95% of the Rhône Valley wines. This is the kingdom of grape blending. For example the famous Châteauneuf-Du-Pape AOC wine may be made from up to thirteen different grape varieties.

Vienne, population about thirty thousand, was a major town in Roman Gaul and still retains a lot of its history and its charm. Near the river you'll find the Romanesque church of St-Pierre already rebuilt in the Ninth Century. The Gothic Cathedral of St-Maurice was built during the Eleventh to Sixteenth Centuries and largely destroyed in a religious war during the mid-Sixteenth Century. Rue des Orfèvres (Goldsmiths' Street) is filled with Renaissance buildings and the Romanesque church St-André-le-Bas (St. Andrew the Lesser).

Vienne's Théâtre Romain (Roman Theater) is one of the largest in France; it spans almost 450 feet (140 meters) and once held thirteen thousand spectators. Excavation started only in 1922. This theater hosts a great jazz festival in July. Other Roman ruins include the Temple d'Auguste et de Livie (Temple of Augustus and Livia) erected by the Emperor Claudius and the Plan de l'Aiguille (Needle Tower), a truncated pyramid that was once part of a Roman circus. Some say that this structure encloses the tomb of Pontius Pilate.

Before reviewing the Côtes du Rhône wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Foie Gras avec Gelée de Viognier (Goose Liver Pâté with Viognier Jelly).

For your second course savor Chevreau à l'Ail et Herbes Sauvages (Baby Goat with Garlic and Wild Herbs).

And as dessert indulge yourself with Granité aux Pommes et Calvados (Apple and Calvados Ice).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Domaine du Colombier Crozes-Hermitage 2005 13% about $25

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Until 1992, Florent Viale and his father sold all of their grapes to négociants. As Crozes-Hermitage came into its own, the Viales decided to make their own wines. The results have been nothing short of spectacular. Layers of blackberry, tar and black pepper dominate their finely made Syrah-based wines. A very good match for roast leg of lamb.

My first meal was a barbecue including a rib steak marinated in a homemade ketchup-based sauce with chunks of garlic, corn on the cob, and red-skinned potatoes. The wine was powerful and mouth-filling. It was quite long and had no trouble maintaining its flavors. I didn't used to be a fan of tannins but these Crozes-Hermitage tannins melted in my mouth along with the meal.

My next meal involved a combination of marinated barbecued beef and veal ribs, red-skinned potatoes, and a garlic-based Moroccan salad. First I tried the more subtle veal ribs. The Crozes-Hermitage was very powerful with a lot of tobacco. As powerful as the wine was, it complemented the veal very well. The taste of dark fruit predominated with the beef ribs. There was quite a change in the wine, but with both types of ribs it was simply great. Dessert consisted of blueberry fruit juice candy. I was somewhat surprised but the wine was a good accompaniment. I tasted blackberries in the wine.

I know how much this wine likes beef and veal, so I decided to try it with barbecued chicken marinated in a commercial Mediterranean-style light sauce. The wine was careful not to overwhelm the meat. Once again the meal included barbecued red-skinned potatoes and this time, perhaps because the meat was subtler, the potatoes had more effect bringing out the earthiness of the wine. Interestingly enough the intensive Turkish Salad was the least successful accompaniment to the wine. One might have expected the contrary, namely, that the greatest pairing success would be with the strongest tasting component. The Turkish Salad and Crozes-Hermitage combination was good, it just wasn't as good as the other pairings in this meal.

The first cheese was a mild-tasting Italian Pecorino Fruilano. This wine is so fine that even though the cheese flattened it somewhat, it remained excellent. But believe me, I won't subject the wine to such an indignity again. The second cheese was a nutty tasting Dutch Edam. This more powerful cheese had less of a flattening effect on the wine. Go figure.

Final verdict. This wine is a definite winner. I went back to my previous article describing a Rhône Valley wine: I Love French Wine And Food - A Red Côtes du Rhône to refresh my memory. I was very happy with that much more modest wine, priced at about half of this one. Is the Crozes-Hermitage better? Yes. Is it twice as good? That's a hard question. It really depends on how you view wines. The Crozes-Hermitage is definitely a fine wine for its price range, as was the other. I am definitely tempted to taste a Rhône Valley red wine in the $50 range. But I can't promise you when. Perhaps what I should do is buy a case of this Crozes-Hermitage and drink one a year and see if the critics are right when they say it can be cellared for many, many years.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian travel website is www.travelitalytravel.com

I Love German Wine and Food - A Rheingau Pinot Noir

If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider the Rheingau region of central Germany. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local Pinot Noir.

The Rheingau region is the most central wine-growing region in Germany. This area is particularly known for Riesling which represents more than 80% of its total wine production and secondarily for Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) which accounts for slightly under 10% of the area's total wine production. The best Pinot Noir in the region is said to come from Assmannshausen but I was unable to find a bottle.

The Rheingau is eighth in vineyard area among Germany's thirteen wine regions, comprising about 3% of German vineyards. It is also eighth in the volume of wine produced. Less than 20% of its wine production is QbA wine, the remainder is the higher quality QmP wine.

Kloster Eberbach, near where our reviewed wine was produced, is a former Cistercian monastery. Its Gothic and Romanesque buildings date from the Twelfth to Fourteenth Centuries and formed the backdrop for a medieval murder mystery, The Name of the Rose, starring Sean Connery.

The city of Eltville was known as Alta Villa in Roman times. It contains the majestic Kurfürstliche Burg (Elector's Castle) which was built in the 14th and 15th Centuries. If you go make sure to visit the exhibition of their most famous elector, Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type. The castle's surroundings include more than 300 varieties of roses. You may also want to visit the Church of Sts Peter and Paul and the half-timbered houses near the river.

Before reviewing the Rheingau wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with geräucherte Forelle (Smoked Trout).

Continue with Saurbraten (Beef Marinated in Wine, Vinegar, and Spices) and Reibekuchen (Small Potato Pancakes with Blueberry or Apple Sauce).

For dessert indulge yourself with brandy-filled Pralinen (Pralines).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Kloster Eberbach Spätburgunder Trocken 2004 12.6% alcohol about $16

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Light ruby color with classic Pinot Noir aromas of beetroot, cherry, and earth. Dry, supple, well-balanced and-structured, this light-bodied, medium long finishing wine would match well with grilled rock Cornish hen or salmon.

My first meal consisted of a cheeseless meat lasagna. The wine was definitely a Pinot Noir. It was earthy and tasted of tobacco and the underbrush. It cut the meat's grease and showed itself definitely to be a food-friendly wine. To the best of my memory this is my first German Pinot Noir and in fact the first German red wine that I have tasted. I'll be coming back for more.

My next meal included baked filo dough pastry covered with sesame seeds stuffed with ground chicken and peas. I topped the mixture with a moderately spicy Middle Eastern salsa that included tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, and onions. This pairing worked fairly well; the meat brought out the tobacco in the Pinot Noir. While the wine was not as full as some other Pinot Noirs in its price range, it was moderately long.

My final meal was a slow-cooked beef stew with potatoes. The Pinot Noir was mouth-filling; once again it tasted of tobacco and earth. Just so you know, I'm not a smoker or an ex-smoker. But I do like a bit of tobacco in my Pinot Noirs.

I had enough wine left to accompany two cheeses; unfortunately neither pairing was particularly successful. First was a Bel Paese soft cow's milk cheese from the Lombardy region of northern Italy. This mild cheese made the wine a bit flat. I finished the bottle with a German Limberger cheese, famous or perhaps infamous for its strong smell. Luckily enough my cheese had almost no odor. But it did manage to kill the wine's fruit.

Final verdict. I liked this wine but won't decide whether to buy it again until I try several other German Pinot Noirs. But it is definitely worth considering.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine German or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - Liguria Region, Tuscany Wine

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Liguria region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Liguria, also known as the Italian Riviera, is located in the northwest corner of Italy. It borders France, Monaco, and has a 350 kilometer (over 200 mile) coastline on the Ligurian Sea. The region is hilly and mountainous, but has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Romans captured Liguria in the Second Century B. C. It was subsequently conquered by Barbarians, and by the Lombards. In area it is the third smallest Italian region with a population of about 1.6 million.

The land in Liguria tends not to be particularly fertile. Agricultural products include flowers, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. Some claim that Liguria introduced pasta to Italy. Most of the pasta is wheat. Pesto is a regional specialty. A wide variety of seafood is available. Heavy industry is on the decline. Tourism is so important that in some areas the July and August population is ten or fifteen times that of the slow season. The area is particularly popular with retirees.

Liguria's capital and largest city is Genoa, a city of six hundred thousand. Parts of the old city have been placed on the World Heritage list as of 2006. Among its many sights are the home in which Christopher Columbus was said to be born, and La Lanterna, the oldest working lighthouse in the world. Another special tourist destination is Cinque Terre, five tiny villages along the coast. They are a hiker's paradise, but make sure that you are in good shape before attempting the complete route of about 13 kilometers (8 miles). This area is home to two DOC wines, Cinque Terre and Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà, neither of which is often found in North America.

Liguria devotes slightly under twelve thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 19th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 4.4 million gallons, also giving it a 19th place. About 34% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 66% for white. The region produces 8 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. Almost 14% of Ligurian wine carries the DOC. Liguria is home to almost three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, somewhat more white than red varieties.

No international white grape varieties are widely grown in Liguria, whose most important white grapes are Bosco, Pigato, and Vermentino. Given its limited wine production, little Ligurian wine is exported to North America. In the unfortunate absence of any Ligurian wines, we are reviewing a Vermentino-based wine from Tuscany. If I am ever in Liguria, I promise to drink and review a few local wines.

No international red grape varieties are widely grown in Liguria. The best-known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, which is grown elsewhere including California. Other Ligurian red varieties include Rossese, Ciliegiolo, and Ormeasco, also known as Dolcetto.

Before reviewing the Ligurian-style wine and Italian cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Torta Pasqualina; Artichoke Savory Pie.

For the second course try Cappon Magor; Ligurian Seafood Caponata (you may have to order this dish in advance).

As dessert indulge yourself with Pandolce; Sweet Bread From Genoa.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Rocca di Montemassi Vermentino Maremma Toscana IGT 12.5% alcohol about $12.50

Let's start with the marketing materials. "Vermentino is an attractive, aromatic grape variety that is widely grown in Sardinia and Liguria. Montemassi believed that the conditions along the coastal Maremma region of Tuscany would be ideal. Their instincts were correct and the result is a pear/peach aroma wine that would be ideal as a sipping wine or with mildly spiced Mediterranean cuisine."

My first pairing was with chicken thighs slowed-cooked in a sweet and sour sauce. The wine was floral, light tasting and refreshingly acidic. It was an excellent accompaniment to the dessert of thin, dry biscuits containing pistachios and almonds, which brought out the wine's subtlety.

I then tried this wine with poached Tilapia fillets in a red pepper, onion, and chicken broth sauce accompanied by potato patties and green peppers in tomato sauce. The fish was delicate and not overwhelmed by the wine, which presented fruit and a bit of pepper. But frankly, the wine was too light and too short.

The next meal was kube, or kibbe, a Middle-Eastern specialty, balls of ground rice filled with ground meat. They were cooked overnight with potatoes in a somewhat spicy sauce. The wine was fruity and floral, with just enough acidity to counteract the meat's fat and soften the spices. It was a fine companion for a side of more powerfully spiced Moroccan carrots. Just when I was thinking that the wine was a chameleon, changing itself to match the food, I tried it with fresh pineapple. The pineapple was excellent, its sweetness and acidity was a great way to end the meal. But in its presence, this wine was flat.

The cheese pairings had mixed results. Asiago is a nutty-flavored cheese from northeastern Italy. The wine went well with this cheese and seemed to pick up fruitiness. On the other hand in the presence of a strong, actually overripe, Pecorino cheese from nearby Tuscany it seemed to lose its flavor.

Final verdict. I don't plan to buy this wine again. As a Tuscan wine it can't meet the stiff local competition. I think I'll wait for a true Ligurian wine. It may be a long wait.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com

I Love French Wine and Food - A Red Cotes du Rhone

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Rhône Valley region of southeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Côtes du Rhône.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions the Rhône Valley ranks second in acreage. The region extends 125 miles (200 kilometers) along the Rhône River. This region is actually composed of two parts, the north and the south whose wines tend to be quite different. The northern Rhône Valley is quite narrow. The major red grape variety is Syrah, while the major white variety is Viognier. The southern Rhône Valley produces about 95% of the Rhône Valley wines. This is the kingdom of grape blending. For example the famous Châteauneuf-Du-Pape AOC wine may be made from up to thirteen different grape varieties. The better wines are clearly defined as coming from the northern or the southern part of the Rhône valley. We will be reviewing some of these wines in later articles.

The site of Avignon was probably settled by the Celts. It was a flourishing city in the time of the Ancient Romans. But it is best known as the home of seven popes between 1309 and 1377. Who would have thought that when Pope Clement V chose this southern French city for the site of his Papacy, it was ruled by the King of Sicily, albeit through the house of Anjou, in the opposite corner of France? Avignon and the surrounding area remained more or less papal property until the French Revolution. The major tourist site is the Palais des Papes (Papal Palace), which unfortunately is missing many of its original furnishings. But there is a lot more to see including several churches and museums, the beautiful hilltop garden Rocher des Doms (Rock of the Domes), the opera house, the Clocktower Square, and of course the Pont-St.-Bénézet (St.-Bénézet Bridge) made famous by a children's song Sur le pont d'Avignon (On the Avignon bridge). Parts of this bridge are said to date back to the Twelfth Century. And you're only a little more than ten miles (less than twenty kilometers) from the village of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape.

Before reviewing the Côtes du Rhône wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Fois Gras de Canard (Duck Liver Pâté).

For your second course savor Caillette (Pork-Liver Meat Loaf).

And as dessert indulge yourself with Sorbet (Sherbert) and fresh fruit.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Réserve Perrin Côtes du Rhône P2004 13% about $12

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Roaming Rhône. This wine will transport you to the South of France. Five generations of Perrin winemaking culminate here as you breathe in aromas of candied cherries, plum, spice, and earthy tones. There's volumes of juicy cherry flavors surrounded by good ripe tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Gourmets can savor it with chicken or lamb tajine.

Most of the wines that we have reviewed are made from a single grape variety. This wine, like most of the wines in the southern Rhône Valley, is a blend, in this case 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 10% Cinsault.

My first meal consisted of rib steak and fried potatoes. The steak was marinated in a homemade ketchup and horseradish mustard sauce. By accident too much mustard fell into the sauce, but I didn't want to throw it out and start over again. No problem, this wine rose to the challenge easily and wasn't in the least overwhelmed by all that horseradish. I still tasted dark fruits and spices.

My next meal involved slow cooked ribs and potatoes. The wine was very round and full. While it wasn't complex it was quite pleasant. In addition to the above components I tasted a bit of tar. When the food was gone the wine tasted peppery. I liked it.

Once again I went to beef, this time a slow cooked beef stew. The wine was a bit chewy. It was powerful and mouth-filling.

The first cheese was a French Saint-Aubin, a soft cow's milk cheese traditionally packed in a wooden box. This cheese has a creamy brie-like texture and a stronger taste. Unlike many other wines, this Côtes du Rhône retained its fruit when paired with the Saint-Aubin.

I next tried the wine with an Italian Bel Paese, a mild buttery cheese suggested to accompany fruity wines or to be eaten alone as a snack or a dessert. This combination was even better; the wine became rounder. There was a little wine left in the bottle. Instead of slicing off a bit more cheese, I tried it with a slice of mint chocolate cake. Unfortunately the combination was no success, the cake denatured the wine a bit. But, as always, I don't blame a wine for an unorthodox pairing choice that turns out to be a mistake.

Final verdict. This wine is a definite winner, especially when you consider its price. I'll be buying it again, but not before tasting several other wines from both the north and the south of the Rhône Valley.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Marche Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider The Marche region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

The Marche is located in the central western area of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. This hilly, often mountainous area has been inhabited for about six thousand years. It belonged to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Over the centuries, it was occupied by many different peoples. Its population is a little less than 1.5 million people.

Because of its rough terrain and unproductive soil, The Marche is not one of the most agriculturally advanced regions of Italy. Wheat, olives, corn, and fodder are abundant. The Marche is known for Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale, highly prized white veal. And what a selection of fish and seafood is available, including lobster, relatively rare in Italy. There is some industry, in particular paper, chemicals, petro-chemicals, and pharmecuticals.

If you are interested in off-the-beaten track touring, The Marche has a lot to offer. One of its cities, Urbino, is a World Heritage Site. It's a medieval town, with a magnificent palace dating back to the mid-fifteenth Century. Its National Gallery (of The Marche) has an excellent collection of Renaissance art. After all, this was the birthplace of Raphael. The administrative capital, Anacona, is an important port on the Adriatic Sea with an interesting old city. Most of all, the entire region gives you an idea of traditional Italy, relatively untouched by 21st Century lifestyle. People in The Marche consume the most wine per capita of any region in Italy.

The Marche devotes about sixty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 12th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 48 million gallons, giving it a 10th place. About 38% of the wine production is red, leaving 62% for white. The region produces 13 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Conero and Vernaccia di Serrapetrona are DOCG wines, in which the G stands for Garantita, but there is no guarantee that these wines are truly superior. About 20% of wine from The Marche carries the DOC or DOCG designation. The Marche is home to about two and a half dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with a few more white varieties than red ones.

International white grape varieties include Trebbiano, and to a lesser extent Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Verdicchio. The Veernaccia variety is found in one of the DOCG wines.

Widely grown somewhat international red grape varieties include Sangiovese, an Italian variety grown elsewhere, including California. The international red grape varieties grown to a lesser extent include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. The best-known strictly Italian red variety is Montepulciano. Another red variety is Lacrima, whose name means tears.

Before reviewing the wine from The Marche and Italian cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Brodetto; Fish Soup (containing over a dozen types of fish).

Then enjoy Vincigrassi; Lasagna with Truffles, Prosciutto, and Cream.

And for dessert, indulge yourself with a Crostata di Ricotta; Ricotta Tart.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Velenosi 'Il Brecciarolo Rosso Piceno Superiore' 2002 13.5% alcohol about $14

Let's start with by quoting the marketing materials. "This marvelous blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano would be great with steaks or venison. The aromas suggest cherry, allspice, oak, and cinnamon. It is dry, supple, smooth, medium-bodied, international in style."

I read somewhere "A softer version of Chianti." You can't believe everything that you read, I felt the opposite.

The first quote should have said Montepulciano and Sangiovese, as this wine contains more of the first variety than the second, as indicated by the back label (and the taste).

The initial pairing was with whole wheat spaghetti in a spicy tomato and meat sauce. The wine was tannic and acidic, with a plumy flavor. It held up well. I next tried it with a slow-cooked beef stew and potatoes. When it didn't have the strong spices to bail it out, this wine was harsh. But as it breathed it became somewhat softer. It probably should have been decanted.

I next tried the Rosso Piceno with beef ribs, potatoes, and green beans in tomato sauce. The harshness was confirmed, as was its plumy flavor. The last meat meal was with slow-cooked meat balls, potatoes, and eggplant in tomato sauce. The wine tasted of dark fruit, but was not really pleasant. I was able to pair it with more meals than usual, precisely because I didn't have any desire for refilling my glass.

The best-known cheese in The Marches is Casciotta d'Urbino, made from a combination of sheep's milk and cow's milk. None is available in my part of the world, so I settled for two cheeses, Pecorino Toscano from neighboring Tuscany, and Isola from relatively faraway Sicily. My Pecorino Toscano was getting a bit strong but went well with the wine. It nutty, sharp flavor was a fine match for the wine's fruit. Isola is a Sicilian fresh cheese made from sheep's milk. It is powerful, strong smelling, and strong tasting. In its presence, the wine was nice and fruity.

Final verdict. This wine is too expensive for an accompaniment to strong cheeses, and spaghetti in a spicy sauce. I don't plan on buying it again.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com

I Love French Wine and Food - A White Cote De Beaune

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the world famous Burgundy region in eastern France. Although it's fairly rare, you may even find a bargain. I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a Chardonnay white wine coming from the Côte de Beaune region not far from the city of Dijon in northeastern France. Burgundy ranks fourth in acreage of France's eleven wine-growing regions if you include the Beaujolais region, even though strictly speaking Beaujolais wines aren't Burgundy wines; they don't even use the same red grapes. A lot of people will tell you that Burgundy wine is the best in France, if not in the entire world. Perhaps one day we will review a really expensive Burgundy wine. Here we review a medium-priced Burgundy that comes from the oldest negociant (wine seller) in Burgundy.

The city of Beaune is about two hundred miles southeast of Paris. It is right in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, with Côte de Beaune to the south and Côte de Nuits to the north. Stop by the Twelfth Century church called Collégiale Notre-Dame that hosts a series of tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. You'll enjoy the Marché aux Vins (Wine Market) where wine tasting is encouraged. And make sure to visit the famous Hospices de Beaune founded as a hospital for veterans of the Hundred Year's War. The Grand' Salle is truly grand, it is more than 150 feet (about 50 meters) long and still has some of the original furniture. In late November the Hospice hosts a world-class wine auction and fete.

Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and local imported food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Gougère (Grated Cheese Pastry). For your second course savor Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stewed in Red Wine). And as dessert indulge yourself with Pain d'Épices (Gingerbread).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Maison Champy Pernand-Vergelesses 2004 13% about $20.00

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: The complex set of aromas includes apricot, lemon zest, pear, mineral, oak, and a hint of butter. This dry, youthful wine is good now and will become very impressive with a few years of maturation (2-4 years). This long finishing wine will work nicely with grilled trout or Chicken Kiev.

My first meal consisted of chicken hamburgers with harissa (a Tunisian hot pepper sauce), roasted potatoes cooked in chicken fat, and spicy pickle slices. The wine was quite round and sweet. (I might have guessed it to be a Riesling.) It tasted of lime and was somewhat unctuous with a great length. Frankly, it was too good for this simple meal.

The next meal involved stove-top chicken cooked in a soy-honey sauce with rice and green beans. The Burgundy was refreshingly acidic, tasting of white grapefruit and lemon. It was feathery and yet powerful. I don't understand why it was sweet with the first meal, and certainly not sweet here.

The final meal was a packaged Eggplant Parmagiana to which I added grated Parmesan cheese. The wine was quite long, nice and fruity, with good acidity.

The first cheese pairing was with an Emmenthaler (Swiss) cheese that actually came from Germany. The wine was multilayered and nicely acidic but not sweet. I then tried this Chardonnay with goat cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region of central western France. The wine was muted but not flattened.

Final verdict. I would buy this wine again but not waste it on plebian food pairing. I really think it could hold its own with gourmet meals.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Among his many web sites he is particularly proud of his new love and relationships site celebrating mostly spiritual and on occasion physical love at http://www.loveamourlove.com. You will find a wide range of articles devoted to various aspects of love, and a special collection of love quotes in both English and French (with translations.) Check out his global wine website at http://www.theworldwidewine.com with his new weekly column reviewing $10 wines.