THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501190051
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: HUMBLE STEWARD
SOURCE: JIM RAPER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
LOOKING BACK ON wine and food experiences from the past year:
The wine I drank most often in 1994 was Marques de Caceres 1990 Rioja Crianza, a Spanish red that I bought at the Price Club for less than $6 a bottle. The 1991 is in the market now, and, although it's not as fruity as the 1990, I find it more complex, with a note of coffee on the finish.
In either vintage, this is a serious red that delivers full flavors without being heavy or highly alcoholic. It also pairs well with almost any dish that is not creamy or delicate.
I drink it with all meats, grilled and roasted chicken, tomato-based Italian dishes and moderately spiced Tex-Mex dishes.
Also versatile, cheap and often at my dinner table in '94 were the vintage-dated varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and syrah from Southern France.
These $5 to $6 wines from producers such as Chantefleur, Barton & Guestier, Georges DuBoeuf and Fortant de France are labeled as Vin de Pays d'Oc. Although, precisely put, they are a step down from the appellation controllee wines of France, they have blossomed in quality in recent years and usually are very good values.
Grocers occasionally discount the Vin de Pays d'Oc wines bottled by the big producers listed above. And local wine shops sometimes offer great buys on more interesting, small producer wines of the same classification.
Wines labeled as Vin de Pays du Jardin de France, which are from the Loire, can be good values, as well.
I have been told: ``Don't confuse me with so much information. All I want are a few labels to look for when I'm shopping at the grocery store.''
OK, I'll give it a shot, based on tastings during the past year.
Here are a few versatile and widely available wines on grocers' shelves (regardless of vintage) that get my nod: Mirassou Pinot Blanc White Burgundy ($8), Fetzer Sundial Chardonnay ($8), Napa Ridge Pinot Noir North Coast ($7), and Rosemount Shiraz South Eastern Australia ($10).
For overall quality within a reasonable ($9 to $30) price range I suggest looking for these families of wines: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Matanzas Creek, Markham, Benziger and Guenoc.
The wines I remember most fondly from 1994 were a Palmer 1966 Margaux and Heitz 1974 Martha's Vineyard Napa Valley, both of which were poured at tastings by Hampton wine merchant George LeCuyer.
The Palmer proved that the 1966 vintage in Medoc did include some fabulous wines. And all I had heard and read about the complex 1974 Martha's Vineyard proved to be true. Those experts who call this the best of the domestics may be right.
The most delicious pairing of wine and food I tasted during the year had to be the grilled herb-crusted veal chops, matched with Haut-Brion 1982 Graves, at a dinner prepared by South Hampton Roads wine merchant Peter Coe and his wife, Susan.
The 1982 Haut-Brion was soft and rich, but still showed a deep red color and trace of tannin, leading me to believe that it is shy of its peak.
Other wines we drank during that evening of Epicurean dreams included a Pol Roger Brut Champagne; Martin Codax 1993 Rias Baixas Albarino (a floral, crisp white wine from northwestern Spain); Le Bouquet de Julie 1993 Pinot Blanc Alsace (a tasty, though inexpensive, off-dry white); and an Adelsheim 1986 Pinot Noir Polk County Oregon (a surprisingly Burgundian-like red with a long finish).
Favorite dessert wines drunk during the past year would be Chateau d'Yquem 1970 Sauternes ($300) and Freemark Abbey 1991 Johannisberg Riesling Late Harvest Edelwein Gold Napa Valley ($25 for half bottle). I should confess that, despite the cachet of d'Yquem, the nectar of the gods, etc., I liked the Edelwein Gold better.
by CNB