I'm a believer!

Gone are the days of wines under 5 €. I am unfortunately back in the USA.  Before I left for my fabulous trip to France I had purchased a Groupon to Barclays Wine.  This was a purchase from about a year ago and was coming up to expiration date.  I quickly ordered random wines to satisfy offer before expiration date.  After tasting some disapointing wines from the Bordeaux region, I had no expectations for one of the bottles I purchased from this offer. 

 It was a 2010 Chateau les Tuileries Bordeaux, this bottle is $14.95 on Barclay's website, I consider this a bargain based on US prices.  If the heavens could have opened and angels sing, that would have been the entrance this wine made.  From the first smell, lovely smoky, fruity aromas to the first taste of smooth ripe berries I was in love.  I take back everything I said about the Bordeaux appellation.  I think there is definitely a variety in that appellation and I quickly dismissed based on a couple of bad bottles. 

Now that I am back in the US I will have to search  for those fabulous french wines and disregard the 300% markup for said wines and enjoy.

I went to the dark side

I know it's been a while since I posted, this does not mean I have not been drinking wine.  I have been doing some repeats of my favorite cheap Rose from local DIA Market.  I have been spending my time "researching" whether cheap wine is any less appealing than "not cheap".

I have been to Reims, home of the Champagne region, and have to say "I might have acquired a taste for expensive Champagne".  We planned a last minute trip to Reims and the only tour available at the Veuve Cliquot was their most expensive tour.  After some hesitation and a cheap bottle of Rose, I confirmed our reservation.  The tour was comprised of just 4 people and was a 2.5 hour tour of their house and cayeres.  We had a private tasting in one of the cayeres with their sommolier of 4 different "Cave Prive" vintages. This tasting also included a cheese pairing with each vintage and I have to tell you "WOW".  This was not the cheese I have picked up at local DIA or gourmand epicerie for that matter.  In retrospect, experience "priceless", getting Champagne home $60.00 via 2nd piece of luggage on American Airlines.

I also visited one of the "Best" wine shops in Paris today.  Lavinia Madeleine, this is a store comprised of 3 floors of wines from all over the world.  You can purchase a card that you insert in different tasting stations and select a sample of various wines.  I splurged and sampled a bottle of wine that retails for €315.00.  The sample was €10.00.  I have to say I was disapointed in said wine and proceeded downstairs to the "Cheap Wine" sample station (average €1.50 per sample).  Found a lovely red from the Loire valley that came home with me, but is above the €5.00 limit this blog has been all about.  It is a staggering €14.30 per bottle (still a bargain in my book). 

This brings me to my casual dating of a couple of wines from the Languedoc-Rousillon Region.  I purchased a bottle of 2008 L'Ancienne Mercerie Couture Faugeres.  This bottle was €16.00.  I know I could have bought 3-4 bottles of wine for that price, but I had to see weather price made a difference.  I have to say that I enjoyed my "cheap" Faugeres as much as the "expensive" Faugeres.  I give it credit to being a bit more full bodied, but with a bit more tannins. Do I think it is worth the price tag of 4 times the first bottle of Faugeres, the answer is no. It is a lovely wine, but I was happy with my  "cheap" Faugeres.




My side note for the day:  We had lunch in a department store today at a cafeteria.  They had a beverage station with the usual sodas, ice tea and WINE!  You filled your glass or pitcher of 1 of the 5 selections available.  What a perfect world these French people live in!

Taking a Break From Rose

I will always have my long weekend in St. Tropez with my beloved Rose; it was just a summer fling.  I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I was being watched and judged for completely ignoring my cheap red wine.   Alas today my sensibilities returned and I am back with my new fling, a 2009 Corbieres. This bottle was purchased at the local Franprix for €2.79. I did a little research on the last bottle of Corbieres and found that it is a prolific appellation, but is considered an authentic country blend of at least 2 grapes, usually Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The nose on this one was not as sweet as the previous bottle of Corbieres. It still has a fruity red berry smell, but a bit of earthiness to it.  It is a very drinkable wine, a little less tannic than the previous one. Still has a peppery bite, but a bit smoother, for an extra €.79, it was money well spent.  I know there are other wine appellations in France to explore, but the Languedoc-Roussillon has stolen my heart.




My side note for the day is a question for the French.  Do you not wear contacts here?  Do you take out a mortgage to pay for solutions for said lenses?  Having to purchase a bottle of contact lense solution today, I was to say the least, SHOCKED at the price. €18.50 (that's $25.30 as of today's conversion rates).  How is it in a country that I can purchase glorious wines for €2.00 can charge $25.00 for some Bausch & Lomb?  I want to know if I can rinse my contacts with a little red wine, will that clean and disinfect them?

I think we are on Wine #7

Today's selection is a 2010 Corbieres.  Corbières is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Languedoc-Roussillon, and it is this region's largest AOC.  This bottle was purchased for a mere €2.00 (Reality check here: A Cafe Crème is €4.40.  What kind of message is the French sending; let's make a great bottle of wine half the price of a cup of coffee.  Economically, it makes sense for me to drink wine.)  I definitely get an aroma of blackberries from this wine. I expected my first sip to be sweeter than it was based on the nose.  It was actually a bit tannic, but not overly so.  This wine may benefit from a little aging, but not disagreeable to drink now.  I have to say that I like it.  Once again I am finding that wines from the Languedoc region are Tres Bon.


As American tourists we did the tourist thing today and went to the Eiffel Tower.  It was a lovely warm sunny day.  After waiting in a few long lines next to people with questionable hygiene habits, we made it to the top.  It was amazing, I know I sound like a tourist, but I am one.  We proceeded to do the typical tourist thing and had a glass of champagne.  You had a choice of an Alain Ducasse or a Rose (I didn't get the name of it.  I opted for the cheaper one).  I have to say it was Deliceaux!

A Lovely Beaujolais

 I was warned about the Noveux Beaujolais, so was hesitant on picking anything called a Beaujolais.  This bottle was  €4.68.  It is a Signet Vigneron 2009 Domaine Romany Beaujolais: this is a bottle of deliciousness!   This particular bottle had a sticker on it claiming to be a Medaille D'Or 2011 winner.  What a marketing campaign.  Nose is pure heaven, what you expect a bottle of red wine to smell like. Floral, red fruits just pure heaven.  I don't like this wine, can't you tell.  As much as I am intrigued by my infatuation of the Faugeres appellation, I am in love with this wine.  I will have clandenstine meetings with this bottle behind the Faugeres back.  Upon first sip, this wine is rich and full, mellow on the tongue.  I cannot believe that this wine is under €5.00.  I am trying to figure out how may bottles customs will let me bring back.  Now, I know I still have 24 days to find something better, but I'm not sure that will happen.  I end my evening with an astounding WOW!

My side note for the day: With all the money I am saving on Cheap French Wine, I can spend it on Tres Chic Parisian clothing.  I found a jacket today at my new favorite store Antoine & Lili.  I curse the warm days and sun that prevents me from wearing said jacket, but Ce La Vie!

Bonsoir!

Dating Faugeres

Now that I have been intrigued by the "Faugeres", I had to continue the romance.  This time it is in the form of a 2008 Domaine Cazalet Faugeres.  This wine topped out at €3.90.  The nose is a little earthy, but in a good way.  Again the sense of raisins with a hint of vanilla. This wine was pleasant from first sip. A little tart and dry, but finish is so mellow and rewarding.  I still have a hard time describing this wine.  I can't put my finger on what exactly I'm tasting.

The Faugeres wine appellation was only created in 1982, relatively unknown outside of France.  I have definitely become a convert and have approximately 25 days to continue my love affair.  I will have to do some hard searching at home to find wines from this appellation.   I am also sure I won't find them at the bargain prices at my local super marche. 

I have no doubt that this won't be my last bottle from the appellation Faugeres.  I may even stray outside my €5.00 limit to try something from this region above that.

Bon Soir, until tomorrow.

Are we on Wine #5? Mon Dieu!

I have mixed emotions about my first Sunday in Paris!  I woke up to the bells ringing of some unknown church (beautiful).  Planned my trip to a local artist market within walking distance of apartment and verified the forecast (chance of rain in late afternoon).  Got about 3 blocks from apartment and sky opened up and dumped hurricane force rains and wind. On the way back to our apartment, I  realized it was not the sort of day for the other bottle of Rose in the fridge, instead decided it was a day for vin rouge. Swam to the local Franprix to discover they were closed.  Mon Dieu!  Found the equivalent of a French Mini-Mart that was open and found a bottle of Michel Roudier Faugeres.  This bottle was at the top of my budget at €4.90 but given the torrential downpour outside, I thought "what the hell".  This is red blend from the Languedoc region and is a blend of Syrah,  Grenache, Mouvedre, Carignan and Cinsault.

Upon smelling this wine found it to be very "Raisiny" (go figure, a grape product smells like raisins).  The taste grew on me.  It was different than the red blends I was used to at home.  By the second glass, we had a mild flirtation going on.  Not bold, not creamy, tart, not too dry, and not too sweet.  I found lots of adjectives it was not, but couldn't put my finger on what it was.  I may have to have a second date with this bottle to further my research (all in the name of education).  The rest of my evening was spent with my bottle of Faugeres, French pop videos and knitting.  I know I lead an exciting life, Mon Dieu!

Wines #3 and #4

It was only  matter of time before we had a failure.  Here I was thinking France was the land of amazing cheap wines and there was no such thing as a bad one.  I stand corrected.  I purchased a bottle of 2010 Bellecourt Lagraviere. This is a red wine from Bordeaux and was a whopping €3.99.  I have to say aroma was "Stinky Poo Poo".  That is a legitimate Oenophile term (I think?)  To be more specific, it smelled like dirt and mushrooms (earthy?)  I braved the nose and tasted.  Not a fan.  Tasted like dirt and mushrooms (or Stinky Poo Poo).

Dismayed by my failure and lack of a beverage for the evening, I hastened to my local DIA and brought back a couple of bottles of Rose.  Having had a particularly lovely day in Paris and sipping Rose at lunch, thought this would be the antidote for my woes.

Enter 2010 Cotes du Roussillon Rose.  A steal at €1.79.  Yes folks, I did say €1.79 even without a club DIA card.  This smells like a summer day frolicking through a field of flowers.  Ok if I have to be serious, this wine has a lovely floral smell with a finish of honey.  This wine has a lightly sweet taste that just the perfect balance of sweet and acidic, with a hint of apples.  I have to say I am in love with this wine and will be partaking in it for the duration.  Now how can I fit a case in my suitcase and not be over 50lbs?

I want to know how French people are not all drunkards with the abundance of cheap good wines.

My side note for the day, we had a lovely dinner at a busy restaurant on a busy corner.  It was very warm outside, so we sat on the terrace (sidewalk to the rest of the world).  I had a starter of an Egg Pot with Tomato and Basil Foam.  This is not a dish I was familiar with or even knew existed, but I have to say they were little ramekins of heaven.  I did choose to pair my meal with another Rose.  I think the French know something we don't.  I can't really talk about this wine as it was above the €5.00 price point.  Let's just say deliceaux!

Wine #2

I admit, I thought the label was pretty and yes that influenced my buying decision.  As I ventured into my local DIA market, this wine was being featured as a special.  List price was €2.49, with a DIA club card €1.98.  I do not have a DIA Club card, nor is my French sufficient enough to have a conversation with the clerk on how to obtain said card, so I paid full price.

This pretty labeled bottle is the 2008 Chateau Moulin La Mondiere Corbieres.  According to the bottle it is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and old vine Carignan.  The nose is somewhat floral, very light.  At first sip, not very impressive, very soft and light.  Swallow and then it smacks you in the tongue.  Lovely finish to this wine.  Starts out peppery and spicy, goes to a green olive oil????? (I tasted olive oils once and there was an oil made from green olives, that's what this reminds me of) and then smooths out to a creamy end.

In the end, my €2.49 was well spent, I would be even happier if I had my club card and was able to get this wine for €1.98, but hey what's €.51 anyway (according to today's conversion rate $.70)

My side note for the day, I can see the dome of the Church of the Val-de-Grâce from my bedroom. How cool is that?



Wine #1

My adventures in cheap French wines begin with a bottle of 2010 Roche Mazet Cabernet Sauvignon. This gem cost a whopping €4.50. At first sniff, I get a whiff of cassis and a little pepper. When I first tasted this wine it was very dry on my tongue. Now this is where I have to insert that I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to wine. When I say dry that means my tongue wants to shrivel up and run away. After the first glass (I did persevere in the name of education), found that this wine became much more pleasant and mellow. I think this is what you Oenophiles call "letting the wine breathe". This wine has a bite to it but a great bold taste with hints of pepper and dare I say citrus?

I think this is where I have to preface this review with the disclaimer that it was enjoyed after a transatlantic flight and 30+ hours of no sleep.

Bon Soir, rendez-vous demain avec un autre vin bon marché français. (For those that don't speak French or know how to use Google Translate, I said "Good Night, See you tomorrow with another cheap French wine.")

On a side note, in our travels today in Paris I came across a wine bar and thought the name was particularly silly!