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