An Afternoon in France With Dion Jones-Lewin - Great Food, Wine…and a bit of Good Whisky Too

On Saturday, December 14^th, we had the pleasure of hosting Dion Jones-Lewin at our store. She signed her cookbooks and handed out samples of delicious French fare as I poured some wonderful French wines and an excellent French Whisky to celebrate.

This delightful lady was born and raised in Paris and learned to cook from her Grand-mere. After her grandmother’s death, Dion found a sealed box filled with recipes and family photos, which inspired her to write her series of cookbooks, “From the Sealed Box: Simply French”. They are written to allow anyone to experience French cuisine without spending hours in the kitchen.

Dion charmed our customers, introducing them to the joys of French cooking - and sold a lot of cookbooks. This was not surprising as her books are very well written with easy to read and follow recipes…and lists of ingredients which are not impossible to find. There are four volumes in the series, with her recently released “A French Christmas” now available. You can find out more about Dion and her Cookbooks at  CafeDion.com.

We poured four wines to celebrate France. They all showed well and many people enjoyed them enough to purchase the wine from a bottle or two to a case or so.

Domain du Salvard Cheverney Blanc 2012. This is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Chardonnay from estate vineyards in Cheverney, a small appellation  in the Loire Valley. It is fresh and crisp with flavors of citrus, mineral and a generous acidity that results in a mouth watering finish that is refreshing and food friendly. It is a good alternative to the more pricey Sancerre produced nearby, costing only $14.99 per bottle.

Champalou Vouvray Sec 2011.  This wine is 100% Chenin Blanc and is from an estate founded by Didier and Catherine Champalou in the early 1980’s. White acacia flowers, honey  and citrus on the nose and a complex flavor profile of citrus  fruits with a beautiful minerality  make this a wonderful food wine. Priced at 21.99.

Clos la Coutale Cahors 2011. When Malbec is mentioned, people think of Argentina although Cahors, located just south of Bordeaux, is the birthplace of this grape. It was taken to Argentina by French emigrants at the end of the nineteenth century and has become that country’s signature red varietal. This wine which is 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot is much meatier, earthier and more structured than the Argentinan style of Malbec. It has a similar fruit profile but  is less flashy and fruit driven and  is an outstanding wine. $19.99.

Chateau Aney Haut- Medoc Rouge 2010. This Bordeaux blend from the Left Bank is a great value from an area where wine prices can get astronomical. Left Bank wines are usually Cabernet Sauvignon  predominant, and this is indeed primarily Cabernet, tempered and rounded with a bit of Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. It is aged 12 months in new French oak. There is a nose of cassis, black fruits, graphite and tobacco with a wonderful fruit and earth flavor profile.  Delicious now and will only get better in the cellar for the next several years. A bargain at $32.99.

Last but not least, we poured a wonderful Whisky, Bastille. When thinking of Whisky, nobody thinks of France – at least until they try this. It is distilled from barley and wheat and is aged primarily in French Limousin oak for five to seven years. It has a floral, fruity nose with a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, it is slightly sweet and honeyed, with a bit of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. This is a beautiful whisky that is  best enjoyed neat and is a bargain at $30.00.

Dion’s cookbooks combined with her delightful personality, great wines being poured, a few morsels demonstrating her expertise…topped off with a sip of a great whisky…make my job very easy to enjoy.

Cheers!

Red Bordeaux—Expensive and Confusing?Nope… Hints to “Bank” On

Customers are afraid of the Bordeaux section because first, they figure it will be expensive, and second, they don’t understand what they are reading on the label. Have no fear. Simply put, a red Bordeaux wine is a wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. It is the largest French wine producing area, composed of over 120,000 hectares of vineyards and producing over 700 million bottles of wine each year.

The region’s hub is the city of Bordeaux, which sits on the west bank of the Gironde River and runs from southeast to northwest on its course to the Atlantic Ocean in west central France. Just north of Bordeaux, the Dordogne River empties into the Gironde from the southeast, forming a “Y”. The Estates along the western bank of the Gironde are known as “Left Bank” and those along the east bank of the Dordogne are known as “Right Bank.” The area between the two arms of the “Y” is known as “Entre Deux Mers” (“between two seas.”)

Why do we care about all this? Here's why:

By law, only six grapes that can be included in red wines from Bordeaux—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere. The first two are by far the largest contributors. The climate and the soils are vastly different on the Left and Right Banks—so much so that Cabernet Sauvignon grows far better on the Left Bank, and Merlot and Cabernet Franc far better on the Right Bank and in Entre Deux Mers. Consequently, Left Bank wines are Cabernet predominant and therefore more tannic, structured, and long lived as a rule (and less approachable at an early age.) The wines from the Right Bank are Merlot driven, with Cabernet Franc as an important component and much less Cabernet Sauvignon. Right Bank Bordeaux tends to have lusher fruit, somewhat softer tannins, and can be enjoyed at an earlier age. So when you come to the store, you’ll know which “Bank” of Bordeaux you prefer.

If only the label on the wine said “Left” or “Right” Bank, the world would be perfect, but that would be too easy. Instead, the label will usually indicate the appellation, and you should leave it up to your wine geek to know that Medoc, Haut Medoc, Margaux, St. Estephe, Graves, and St. Julian are all Left Bank, and Pomerol, St Emillion, and Canon-Fronsac are Right Bank. As long as you know what style you like, you will get a wine you love.

In 1855, Napolean III requested that Bordeaux wines be classified into five levels, or growths, according to the amount of money they commanded. Four first growths were named—Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut Brion, and Latour. In 1973, Mouton Rothschild was added. All five of these wines are from the Left Bank and cost upwards of $1000.00 per bottle upon release. Even fifth growths which fifteen years ago could be purchased for $30.00-$45.00 now cost over $100.00. Although the Right Bank wines aren’t in this classification, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Petrus, and Chateau le Pin are still in these price ranges.

Because of these crazy prices, most of us will never get a chance to try these wines, which fuels the idea that Bordeaux is only for the rich. This is not true. Although the first through fifth growths are the most famous fifty or so wines from the Left Bank, and about twenty similar wines exist from the other side, over 8400 other Bordeaux producers remain. These “petits chateaux” produce very nice wines for $40.00, $25.00, and even $15.00. These wines express the terroir and varietal character of the appellation where they are grown and are pleasant to drink often upon the day of bottling. They don’t age like the classified growths but will improve over three or four years.

Bordeaux wines as a rule are made from rather tannic grapes and they are aged in oak, so they’re going to be tannic. Don’t look to these wines for sipping at a cocktail party or drinking on their own by the fire one evening. These are food wines. They have aromatics and flavors of red and black fruit, with solid structure and good acidity. They tend to be a bit lower in alcohol than their California counterparts. These characteristics are typical of the cooler climate in Bordeaux. Because the climate is cool, year to year variance can be marked. Time of last frost, daily temperatures, and amount and time of rainfall all have a huge influence on the quality of wine in a given year. Be sure to ask your wine specialist which vintages to avoid or look for, or which are best for drinking early or putting away for a few years.

So tonight you are having a dinner of beef, lamb, or game. Bordeaux is an excellent choice. If you want to splurge a bit and like the structure of Cab based wines, the Chateau Mongravey (Margaux) is outstanding for $44.99. The Right Bank and Merlot predominant L’Excellence des Menuts at $42.99 is drinking perfectly.

Want to spend less and still drink well? From the Left Bank we have the Chateau Le Pey (Medoc, $16.49) and Chateau Beauregard Lagupeau (Graves, $16.99), and from the Right we have La Croix Bonnelle (St. Emillion, $16.99) and La Croix Meunier (St. Emillion, $24.99). These are all nice examples of Bordeaux at reasonable prices. There are others in the $10.00-12.00 range that will amaze you.

Bordeaux doesn’t have to be complicated and it certainly doesn’t have to be expensive. Wines from this area have been among the most renowned in the world for hundreds of years. It’s time you found out what all the fuss is about. You will be glad you did.

You can “bank” on it!