Châteauneuf-du-Pape
So what is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine that comes from the area located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. Easy enough, but what does that mean? Unlike in the USA where we name the wines after the grape varietals, in Europe, the wines are mostly named after the area or region that it comes from, for example Bordeaux, Chianti, Rioja, etc
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is located in the Southern Rhône Valley. Let’s give a little background of the Southern Rhône Valley, one of my favorite regions in the world.
Everyone has probably heard of and tasted a Côtes du Rhône wine. Côtes du Rhône meaning 'slopes of Rhône' is the vast region, mostly around Avignon in Southern France. The best vineyards are located east of the Rhône River. Wines coming from this region are labeled Côtes du Rhône. Starting from the basic Côtes du Rhône which encompasses the whole region, the next step up is the designation Côtes du Rhône Villages, where 95 communes in the Rhône Valley are allowed to use this designation. That means the grapes must come from within the boundaries of 95 of these villages. The next step up is Côtes du Rhône Villages with the name of the specific village on the label. As of 2009, only 18 villages are allowed to put this designation on the label with strict control on the quality of the grapes. The grapes must be from the named village. The top level is then left for Crus that can call the wines after the village, such as Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, etc, without the designation Côtes du Rhône on the label. The most famous Côtes du Rhône is Châteauneuf du Pape - yes, believe it or not, but Châteauneuf du Pape is essentially a Côtes du Rhône, albeit at a higher quality that has been allowed to put the village name on the bottle.
To make it easier, think of it as a dart board. The whole board is Côtes du Rhône. As you move inward, you get to Côtes du Rhône Villages. Move more towards the center and you get Côtes du Rhône Villages with the name of a specific village like Seguret, Sablet, Cairanne, etc. Get to the bulls eye and you have the Crus - Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, etc.
Enough about the Rhône Valley, let’s talk a bit of history. Châteauneuf-du-Pape roughly translates to “new castle of the pope”. Rome had been the traditional stronghold of the papacy, but in the 1300s, Pope Clement V relocated the papacy to the town of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent "Avignon Popes" were known to be lovers of wines. Even though wine was made around Avignon, it was not of very high quality. The Popes chose a small village about 10 km north of Avignon close to the banks of the Rhône River, up in the hills, as their summer residence. This village then took up the name as we know it know - Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Popes decided to plant vines on the stony land which surrounded their landholdings. For a long time the wine production remained a bit of a secret but started to become well known in the 18th century. In 1929, the wines of this region were officially recognized and became its own appellation - Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is made from a combination of essentially 13 grapes (more, if you break the grapes out into the blanc and noir categories). However, the most popular grapes include Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.
Basics of Wine and Food Pairing
Wine and food pairing is not an exact science. It’s more of an art. A lot of so called wine experts will tell you that your meal will be ruined if a wrong wine choice is made, but they are not the ones eating at your table. My philosophy is that a meal can never be ruined if you are drinking the wine and eating the foods that you enjoy.
When it comes to pairing wine with food, you should throw out the old rule - red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. These rules were meant when we did not have all the intricate flavors in our cuisine. With the influx of global flavors and experimentation by innovative chefs, the rules have changed. As an example, at the recent Wine, Beer and Food Festival at DeVos Place, we paired a Pinot Noir with Rainbow Trout. This raised a lot of eyebrows, but the dish with Michigan cherries and brown butter sauce complemented the cherries and red fruits of this subtle Pinot Noir. We certainly changed a lot of opinions after that dinner.
Having said this, there are a few guidelines that can elevate the enjoyment of a meal by creating harmony between the wine and food. It all starts with the basic goal of obtaining balance with the food and wine. The wine shouldn't overpower the food, nor should the food overpower the wine.
So without much further ado, here are a few basic rules of thumb for food and wine pairing. None of these rules stand on their own, but when combined, they should make for a memorable meal.
Weight and Texture: This is the most basic rule. Every wine and food pairing should start with this. The weight and texture are sensation that you get on your palate. For example, a Pinot Noir would feel lighter, while a Cabernet Sauvignon would feel heavier on the palate. You would want to pair light bodied wines with lighter food and full bodied wines with heartier and richer dishes. A dish of a Dover sole would be paired with a lighter wine to match the delicateness of the dish. A heartier beef stew may be paired with a bigger, bolder wine to match with the red meat and the richness of the stew.
Flavors: Once you have matched the weight and texture, the next step would be the flavors. When looking at flavors, one component should not overpower the other. The flavors of the food and wine can either complement or contrast each other.
When complementing the flavors, consider how the food is prepared. Delicately flavored foods pair best with delicate wines and vice versa. Look for the dominant flavor, such as the sauce, seasoning or simply the flavor of the meat or vegetable. The flavor of duck or the earthiness of a mushroom dish would pair with an earthy Pinot Noir rather than citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, while shrimp ceviche will pair better with same citrusy Sauvignon Blanc as opposed to the earthy Pinot Noir.
Contrast of flavors can also work wonders but you have to be more careful. A hot and spicy curry dish will pair great with off-dry white wines, such as Gewurztraminers or German Rieslings. A dessert wine such as Port, with strong tannins and sweetness is wonderful with a creamy and salty blue cheese such as Stilton or Gorgonzola.
Tannins and Acid:These two components are very important in a wine and have to match the food. A tomato-based pasta sauce, which has high acidity, would require a wine that can stand up to it (for example, a Sangiovese based wine like Chianti). If there is no balance between the acidity of the dish and the wine, the component with lower acidity tastes flabby and dull, while the other may taste too tart. High amounts of acidity in food, when paired with a wine that also has high acidity, will mellow the wine and make it taste richer. Similarly a wine high in tannins (for example, a Cabernet Sauvignon) when paired with a food high in tannins (for example pecans or walnuts) will make the wine extremely dry and astringent and almost undrinkable. On the other hand, the protein in meats or cream sauces tends to soften up the tannins. So the same Cabernet Sauvignon will be incredible when enjoyed with beef with a cream sauce or cheeses.
The following are a few general pairing suggestions. This is not meant to encompass everything. I have left out sparkling wines because I think they are wonderful with everything.
General Pairing Suggestions
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Reds |
Whites |
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BBQ Ribs |
Zinfandel; Petit Sirah; Australian Shiraz; Amarone |
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Beef |
Bordeaux and Bordeaux Varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; Barolo |
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Pork/Veal |
Beaujolais; Lighter Zinfandel; Pinot Noir |
Pinot Gris; Chardonnay; Rhone Whites such as Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne |
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Lamb |
Rhone Style Wines such as Syrah/Shiraz and Grenache; Chateauneuf du Pape; Cabernet Sauvignon; Priorat |
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Poultry |
Beaujolais; Pinot Noir |
Chardonnay; Chenin Blanc; Viognier |
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Mild Cheeses such as fresh Goat Cheese, Brie, etc |
Pinot Noir; Sangiovese |
Sauvignon Blanc; Chenin Blanc |
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Strong Cheeses such as Parmigiano, Mancehego, Blue cheeses, etc |
Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot, Northern Rhone; Port, |
Chardonnay |
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Lighter Seafood, such as White Fish, Dover Sole |
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Chardonnay; Gewürztraminer; Sauvignon Blanc |
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Heavier Seafood, such as Salmon, etc |
Merlot; Pinot Noir; Beaujolais |
Chardonnay |
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Shellfish |
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Chenin Blanc; Riesling; Sauvignon Blanc; Chablis |
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Tomato Sauce |
Sangiovese; Tempranillo; Zinfandel |
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Wine 101 - Part II
Q: What is the proper temperature to serve wine?
A: The right temperature can mean a world of difference in how wines taste. We tend to drink our red wines too warm and our white wines too cold. White wines, if too cold may be refreshing on a hot day, but lose their nuances and can sometimes be nearly tasteless. Red wines served too warm will taste overly alcoholic and light. So as a rule of thumb, white wines should be served between 50 degree to 55 degrees and red wines between 60 degrees to 65 degrees. To get the wines at the right temperature, follow the 20 minute rule – red wines in the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving, and white wines out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.
Q: How long can does a wine keep after it is opened?
A: Air is a wines best friend and enemy. A little amount of air softens the wine and makes it pleasant to drink. However, the oxygen in the air also oxidizes the wine. A wine bottle, if properly stored, can last 3 to 5 days, maybe even longer. Cork the bottle and lay it on its side in the refrigerator – don’t worry if it is a red wine. The lower temperature slows down the oxidation. You can take the red wine out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you want to drink it.
Q: To breathe or not to breathe?
A: Many people will open a bottle of wine by pulling the cork and leaving it on the table to breathe for hours. The fact is that you are wasting your time if you do not decant the wine. The thought behind removing the cork is to allow air in the wine to soften it up. However, it has been shown scientifically that the narrow opening of the bottle does nothing even in a 24 hour period. So if you want to let the wine breathe, open it and decant into a carafe or a decanter a few hours before drinking.
Q: Should I decant my wine?
A: A wine is decanted for two reasons. First to allow the air into the wine to soften it, and the second to remove sediments. People usually decant older wines to remove the sediments. However, I lean against decanting old wines. The window for an older wine is very small. As I mentioned above, the air can be an enemy to the wine, especially in an older wine. If you decant an older wine to remove the sediments, make sure your friends are around so you can drink the wine before it falls apart. Younger wines will often benefit from a few hours of decanting, although it is not necessary since the wine should open up in your glass.
Q: Does wine gets better the older it is?
A: This is a big myth that wine gets better as it ages. Wine is the middle step of sugar conversion to vinegar. If left long enough, it will eventually turn into vinegar. In fact, there are only a very few wines that age well. Majority of the wines are meant to be drunk within three to five years of the vintage. However, wine does change as it ages. It may be fruity and tannic when it is young, but may take on some more austere characteristics as it ages and lose the fruitiness and the big tannic structure. Many people are disappointed when they taste older wines. By all means, have a small cellar to age the big California Cabernets and Bordeaux wines. But if you like your wine to be fruity, buy a few bottles at a time and drink them up. After all, as one my friend said ‘so many wines and so little time.’
Q: Do legs indicate the quality of wine?
A: This is another myth that needs to be put to bed. Legs, or as French call them ‘tears’ do not indicate the quality of wine. It’s merely physics. As you swirl the wine, there is surface tension between the wine and glass that holds the liquid. However, as alcohol evaporates from the top, the gravity takes over, the surface tension is broken and water runs down the glass. Depending upon the impurities in the glass, the water can streak down that causes the legs or tears. This had no indication as to the quality of the wine. The legs will be more pronounced in higher alcohol wines or wines that have higher sugar content. So next time you are at a party and someone talks about legs, just smile and enjoy your wine.
Wine 101 - Part I
Q: What is Wine?
A: Simply stated, wine is a simple natural process that turns sugars in juice into alcohol by yeasts. This process is called fermentation. Wine can be made from any fruit, although over 99% is made from grapes.
Q: Why is wine mostly made by fermenting grape juice?
A: Almost all the grapes, when picked off the vine, taste the same. Grapes, unlike other fruits, contain so many different flavor compounds that when fermented, the juice is amazingly complex, offering a wide variety of flavors and textures. A cherry wine will for the most part taste like cherries. However, the chemical compounds in grapes can mimic various fruit flavors. Lucky for us.
Q: What are different categories of wine?
A: Wine can essentially be divided into three broad categories –sparkling, still, and fortified. Sparkling wines have bubbles such as Champagne. Still wines have no bubbles such as Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, etc. Fortified wines are made by addition of liquor, such as Ports.
Q: What are the different types of still wine?
A: Wine can be white, red or rosé. The juice of the grape is white in color, except for a few varieties of grapes. White wine is made by pressing the grapes to allow the juice to run free. The juice is than fermented to produce wine. Red wine is made by allowing the skin of the grapes to stay in contact with the juice during fermentation. This allows the wine to absorb the skin color, hence giving wine the red color (Did you know that white wine can be made from red grapes by removing the skin from the juice?) Rosé wine is made by allowing the skin to stay in contact with the juice for a shorter time – hours instead of days. This process gives the wine just a hint of color.
Q: What are tannins?
A: Tannins are found mostly in red wines. Tannin is a compound present in grape skins, seeds and stems and is detected in the mouth as causing a drying sensation. This is the same feeling when drinking a very strong tea. Since most white wines are not fermented on their skins, they do not contain tannin. To understand the sensation of tannins, take a few grapes, peel the skin and eat it without the pulp. The dryness caused on your palate is from the tannins.
Q: What is dry and sweet wine?
A: Fermentation converts sugar into alcohol. If fermentation is stopped before yeasts have consumed all the sugar, the sugar left behind is termed as residual sugar. Depending upon the sugar level, the wine can be classified as sweet or semi-sweet. Wines without residual sugar as said to be dry.
Q: Why is acidity so important in a wine?
A: Acids make wine taste refreshing. They are most noticeable in crisp tasting whites, but are present in all wines to a varying degree. Low acid wines taste soft and smooth and can be pleasant to drink, but can also taste flabby with no backbone – akin to a pop that has gone flat. High acidity is perceived as a tanginess that makes your mouth water.
Grower Champagne
What is a Grower Champagne? Like all Champagne, Grower Champagne is a sparkling wine that must come from the region of Champagne, France. Grower Champagne, as the name implies, are wines made by people, who grow their own grapes and make Champagnes from these grapes, generally clustered around a single village. Unbeknownst to many people, the big Champagne houses make their Champagnes by using grapes sourced from as many as 80 different vineyards from the entire Champagne region, and some may not even grow any of their own grapes.
What is the difference? The biggest difference is obviously the amount produced. While larger Champagne houses make millions of cases in a production facility, the Growers often only make hundreds and at the most a few thousand cases, in small family owned domaines. The larger Champagne houses have the flexibility to buy grapes from all over the Champagne region and thus are not affected by vagaries of the weather in a particular region. As such, they can have a consistent house style that can be made year after year. Grower Champagne producers are limited to only their vineyard holdings and are highly affected by the growing conditions. Grower Champagnes are usually described as artisanal, and the wines reflect the terroir (the unique flavor/style/taste) of the village, especially if they own vineyards in one of Champagne's Grand Cru Village. Grower Champagnes are also often released younger than their large house counterparts due, in part, to the greater financial resources that would be needed for long term aging and storage.
What should I drink? If you like a certain house style of one of the large producers, stick with that style. However, if you want to experience the effect of different soil types, the growing conditions and the different grapes (by the way, the three main grapes in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier), try one of the Growers. Growers, since many are family owned, do not have large overhead. Hence, you can get a great quality Champagne, from the Grand Cru villages, for about half or less than what you would expect to pay for a Grand Crus from one of the larger houses.
How do I determine if a Champagne is a Grower Champagne? A Grower Champagne can be identified by the initials RM (meaning Récoltant-Manipulant) on the wine label, while conventional Champagne would have the initials NM (négociant-manipulant). The writing on the label is extremely small and you have to search for it - they don't make it easier. In case you can't find the initials, some of the famous larger negociant producers include Veuve Clicquot, Moet Et Chandon, Piper Heidsieck, Mumm, Tattinger, Bollinger, Louis Roederer. The growers only account for 3% of the total champagne production. Some names to look out for, that may be available in Grand Rapids include Chartogne-Taillet, Pierre Peters, Marc Hebrart, Pierre Gimmonet, Guy Larmandier, Varnier-Fanniere. In short, if you recognize the name (can you say advertising and marketing budgets), it probably is a negociant producer. We, here at Bar Divani, have a whole section of our bubbles offering dedicated to just Grower Champagnes.
One of my favorite importer of Grower Champagnes is Terry Theise. He has a small portfolio of amazing Growers from all around the Champagne region. The following is some of his personal musings about Grower Champagnes (abbreviated and slightly modified)
Why Drink Grower Champagne, aka "Farmer-fizz"?
• You should drink "farmer-fizz" if you'd rather buy Champagne from a farmer than a factory.
• You should drink it if you'd rather have a wine expressive of vineyard, and the grower's own connection to vineyard, than a wine "formed" by a marketing swami who's studied to the nth-degree what you can be persuaded to "consume."
• You should drink grower-Champagne if the individually distinctive flavors of terroir-driven wines matter more than the lowest-common denominator pap served up by the mega conglomerates in the "luxury goods"business.
• You should drink it because it's honest REAL wine grown and made by a vintner—by a FAMILY just like yours—by a "him," not by an "it." You should drink it because it's better to buy wine from a person than from a company.
• You should drink it because its price is honestly based on what it costs to produce, not manipulated to account for massive PR and ad budgets, or to hold on to market-share.
• You should drink grower-Champagne because, like all hand-crafted estate-bottled wines, it is not a mere Thing but is indeed a BEING, expressive of where it grew and who raised it. In drinking it you help protect DIVERSITY, and diversity leads to VITALITY.
• And if you'd rather eat a local field-ripened summer tomato rapturous with sweetness instead of some January tomato you buy at the supermarket hard as a stone and tasting of nothing, then you should be drinking farmer-fizz!
Wines for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is stressful as it is – the family, the food, the cleaning. The last thing you want to be is stressed out about the wines to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner. The simple truth is that there is not a meal all year round where it will be this easy to pick a wine, but at the same time, there is not a meal that is more difficult to match with a perfect wine.
The biggest hurdle to picking wines for the dinner is not the turkey, but all the accompaniments with turkey during the dinner. In fact, turkey can be one of the most versatile of meats when it comes to wine. You can match not only white wines, but lighter more delicate reds, with the flavorful white meat. At the same time, the dark meat can stand up to bold reds. With the accompaniments, there are all sorts of difficult to impossible flavors to match with wines on the table.
Take the dressing for instance, maybe savory with sausage and sage, or slightly sweet with cornbread, or even salty with the flavor of oysters. That in itself can be a big issue. Then there is cranberry. With its acidity and sweetness, it almost impossible to pair a wine with it. Sweet potato pie with marshmallows, candied yams, the gelatin salads, whether vegetable or fruit, the different type of gravies, all of these offer a lot of challenging flavors.
But worry not. There is one solution. Why settle for one wine, when more is better. Get some additional stemware for each guest and place at least three different wines on the table, preferably all different in style and color, and let your guests try the different wines with different foods and flavors.
The more people at your table, the larger variety of wines you might make available. In reality, it does not cost more to you, because total consumption will be no greater of several wines than if you were serving only one.
Now that we know that we are going to have various styles of wine on the table, but which ones? The following wines are good general match:
Whites: This could be a Chardonnay, Riesling, off-dry Gewurztraminer, Vouvray and Pinot Gris. These wines will work with the white meat turkey and lots of other flavors as well.
If you are using a Chardonnay, look for something that has no oak or just a light touch of oak. You do not want oak to dominate the palate. An off-dry Gewürztraminer or Riesling is a great starter wine as well as with dessert. Off dry Vouvray with their nice acidity can certainly keep the palate fresh, especially with so many flavors.
Soft Reds: First choice is probably a Pinot Noir, but also many Merlots, Cotes du Rhônes and the Beaujolais Nouveau which are released in mid-November each year. These wines will work with any part of the bird. Not only will these wines go wonderfully with the dinner, but it will also appease those hardcore red wine drinkers in your group.
A lighter, more elegant example of Pinot Noir might get lost in the myriad of flavors that is the typical Thanksgiving meal. So looking for a wine that is all about sweet fruit can be a great option. Look for a California Pinot Noir from the Central Coast. A softer California Merlot is also a good choice.
Personally, I love a Cotes du Rhône with my turkey. The combination of dark and white meat with sage stuffing is perfect for the subtle fruitiness and earthiness of Cotes du Rhone.
Beaujolais Nouveau can be a fun wine; low in tannins, easy to drink and a crowd pleaser. If you are looking for an upgrade, choose a Cru Beaujolais from one of the villages, especially from the spectacular 2009 or 2010 vintage.
Full Bodied Reds: These are for the real hardcore drinker and could include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah or Zinfandel. These wines will not only work well with cheeses and chocolates at the end of the dinner, but also with the dark meat and sausage stuffing.
Thanksgiving being a uniquely American holiday, it is not complete without a Zinfandel on the table. A lighter-styled Zinfandel that combines some of the freshness and elegance of Beaujolais with the overt fruitiness of California Pinot Noir may be more of fit than darker jammier Zinfandels. Zinfandel's fruity character also lends an impression of sweetness, which helps to knit together with the food the Thanksgiving table.
If you are looking for Cabernet, choose some lighter Cabernets from Sonoma or even Argentina. And talking of Argentina, a fruity Malbec is akin to Zinfandel. Do not hesitate to put one on the table. If you are looking into Syrah/Shiraz from Australia, choose one from Western Australia which is a bit lighter in weight than the big jammy wines from Barossa Valley in South Australia
Rosés & Sparkling Wines: There are many people who feel that sparkling wines can complement any meal and I am one of them. A well balanced sparkling can do wonders for the Thanksgiving dinner, working all the way from aperitif through dinner with white meat and to dessert.
Prosecco from Italy and sparklers labeled extra dry or demi-sec generally are softer-styled sparklers with just enough fruitiness to work with your Thanksgiving dinner.
And let's not forget rosé. Technically, a rosé is an unfinished red wine. Rosé is made by leaving the skin in contact with the fermenting juice for a much shorter time. It has all the refreshing qualities of a white wine mixed with some characteristics of a red. Some people think that this is the best wine for Thanksgiving dinner. If you are only serving one wine, then definitely go with the rosé. If not, you should still have a rosé on the table. For dryer styles of rosé to go with the dinner, try those from Southern France and Spain. If you really want a White Zinfandel, leave it for dessert or as an aperitif.
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