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