| If you are looking for fine French wine | | | | taste and review are purchased at the |
| and food, consider the Alsace region of | | | | full retail price. |
| northeastern France. You may find a | | | | Wine Reviewed Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2004 |
| bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun | | | | 12.5% alcohol about $13.50 |
| on this fact-filled wine education tour | | | | Let's start by quoting the marketing |
| in which we review a local white Pinot | | | | materials. Tasting Note Straw colour; |
| Blanc wine. | | | | apple, pear fruit aromas with light |
| Alsace ranks tenth out of the eleven | | | | biscuit and citrus tones; medium- to |
| French winemaking regions in terms of | | | | full-bodied with ripe peachy flavours |
| vineyard area. Don't be fooled by the | | | | and a clean, zesty finish. Serving |
| numbers; Alsace is a major producer of | | | | Suggestion Smoked salmon, shellfish or |
| quality French wine. Its wine growing | | | | asparagus in hollandaise sauce. Alsatian |
| area is only about 60 miles (100 | | | | Pinot Gris is becoming increasingly |
| kilometers) long, and at the most a mere | | | | fashionable, and this example |
| 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide nestled | | | | illustrates why. Honeyed fruit aromas, |
| between the Vosges Mountains to the east | | | | such as peach and pear, plus a texture |
| and the Rhine River and Germany to the | | | | of smoke and mineral seduce in this just |
| west. But this relatively tiny area is | | | | off-dry white that's, round, soft and |
| known for distinctive wines. Their wine | | | | quite rich. The producer recommends this |
| bottles are also distinctive; tall and | | | | as a good substitute for red wine with |
| thin with labels that feature the grape | | | | meat dishes such as cold cuts, roast |
| variety, not the usual practice in | | | | beef or game. They also suggest pairing |
| France. Chaptalization (adding sugar to | | | | it with smoked chicken, fish or lobster. |
| the fermenting grape mixture) is allowed | | | | And now for the review. |
| for many wine categories. | | | | My first meal consisted of a |
| About 95% of Alsace wine is white. The | | | | commercially prepared chicken breast |
| major white grape varieties are | | | | with the skin on (more calories, more |
| Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and | | | | flavor), potato salad, and a spicy salad |
| Riesling. Secondary white grape | | | | based on tomatoes, red pepper and |
| varieties include Pinot Blanc, reviewed | | | | garlic. The wine was refreshingly acidic |
| below, Sylvaner, and Muscat. The major | | | | and somewhat fruity. I finished with |
| red grape variety is Pinot Noir, | | | | fresh pineapple. This combination was |
| reviewed in a companion article in this | | | | quite good; the pineapple's fruit |
| series. | | | | flavors and the wine's fruit flavors |
| Colmar is an Alsatian town pretty well | | | | melded well, and seemed to intensify |
| in the middle of the Alsatian wine | | | | each other. |
| villages. Go there if you don't like | | | | I then paired the Pinot Blanc with a |
| rain; given its proximity to the Vosges | | | | reheated home-cooked chicken leg in a |
| Mountains, Colmar is the driest town in | | | | tomato-based sauce with beets and more |
| all of France. This city of about | | | | of the above potato salad. The wine |
| sixty-five thousand was founded in the | | | | scored as in the first round, but was |
| Ninth Century. In spite of the fact that | | | | more assertively fruity including the |
| Colmar was largely destroyed in both | | | | taste of pears. I am not used to a Pinot |
| World Wars, its old town (Vieille Ville) | | | | Blanc wine being so present, and I like |
| remains worthy of a visit. Some say that | | | | this change. |
| it's more interesting than Strasbourg. | | | | My last meal consisted of a cheeseless |
| You really should visit both and decide | | | | broccoli, mushroom, and zucchini quiche |
| for yourself. Among Colmar's sights are | | | | and mashed potatoes. While the wine was |
| the St-Martin church constructed from | | | | powerful and quite fruity, it did come |
| the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth | | | | up short. |
| Centuries, the Ancienne Douane (Old | | | | The first cheese was a French goat's |
| Customs House), and the Maison aux | | | | milk cheese that really seemed more like |
| Arcades (Arcades House). | | | | a Camembert. At the first sips the |
| Ribeauville is the home of Trimbach | | | | cheese sort of cut off the wine. Later |
| wines and has been since 1626. In spite | | | | the results were somewhat better; the |
| of its size, under five thousand, it has | | | | wine was moderately acidic and somewhat |
| a bit of everything: ancient town walls, | | | | fruity. Then I went for a Swiss Gruyere |
| Gothic churches, storybook medieval | | | | with a lightly sharp, nutty flavor. This |
| houses, ,a town hall peppered with | | | | combination was even better; the Pinot |
| antiques, and a spring. Nearby are the | | | | Blanc came out nice and fruity. |
| ruins of three castles. And the first | | | | I usually don't go with a non-imported |
| Sunday in September, Ribeauville hosts a | | | | cheese when tasting wines. However, I am |
| major Minstrel Show. | | | | making an exception for a Canadian |
| Before reviewing the Alsatian wine and | | | | Asiago cheese that our local supermarket |
| imported cheeses that we were lucky | | | | almost never carries. I think that this |
| enough to purchase at a local wine store | | | | is the best cheese I have tasted in |
| and a local Italian food store, here are | | | | quite a while; in my opinion it clearly |
| a few suggestions of what to eat with | | | | surpasses its Italian Asiago cousin. |
| indigenous wines when touring this | | | | When I like a cheese that good, I really |
| beautiful region. Start with Foie Gras | | | | want to try it with wine. The result |
| (Goose or Duck Liver). For your second | | | | wasn't disappointing; this gem |
| course savor Baeckeoffe (Meat and Potato | | | | intensified the wine's fruit and |
| Casserole). And as dessert indulge | | | | acidity. |
| yourself with Gateau Chasseur (Almond | | | | Final verdict. There is no doubt in my |
| Cake with Raspberries and Meringue). | | | | mind, this wine is a winner. And the |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we | | | | price is reasonable to boot. |