THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702130034
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: WINE & SPIRITS
SOURCE: BY M.F. ONDERDONK, WINES & SPIRITS CRITIC
LENGTH: 72 lines
AND SO another Valentine's Day sashays away, and with it that yearly quandary - what to drink with chocolate?
One could manage very nicely with a robust blanc de noirs (Domaine Chandon makes a good one).
Whether champagne from France or sparkling wine from everywhere else, blanc de noirs is bubbly made from red grapes, traditionally pinot noir. (The skins, from which all red wine derives its color, are excluded from the fermentation loop - hence the ``blanc'' bit.)
Now, though, more wine enthusiasts are waking up to the startling taste sensations produced when red wine itself is mingled with chocolate. Fruity, soft cabernet sauvignons - those from Australia's Black Opal and Lindemans, for example, and Napa Ridge's budget-priced, exemplary California cab - can bring out new tones of taste when quaffed next to chocolate. The fruit in the wine complements the chocolate in much the same way that cherry and raspberry sauces do (only the people enjoying them have even more fun).
Then there are those connoisseurs who maintain that the most sensational wine with chocolate is a little-known variety called Banyuls, largely made from the grenache grape. Produced in Rousillon, in the up-and-coming Languedoc region of France, the 1994 Banyuls from Les Clos de Paulilles is sweet, smoky and hearty, and is available through local fine wine shops. At around $12 a half bottle, here's an excellent excuse to further one's tasting repertoire, while scarfing up the last of the Godivas that Cupid so thoughtfully dropped off Friday evening.
Yet more robust and fruit-forward, port is well known as an after-dinner favorite with chocolate. Most desirable (and expensive) are vintage ports - the '85 from Fonseca, Taylor and Warre are all drinking very nicely now. Also attractive (and less pricey) are single vineyard ports, like Dow's '92 Quinta Do Bomfim. In the under-$20 range, Taylor Fladgate makes a non-vintage first estate reserve that is a natural with chocolate, having chocolate tones itself. Despite the reputation of ports for longevity, be forewarned that ports can be almost as fragile as table wine and most should be consumed within 10 days (or so) of uncorking.
Set for The Max, on Portsmouth's waterfront, Virginia's Incredible Edibles will feature wines from the Old Dominion, and seminars on how to appreciate them, March 7 and 8. About a dozen Virginia wineries - including Horton, Oasis and Barboursville - will be pouring their products at the fourth annual made-in-Virginia food festival, alongside samplings from such restaurants and gourmet food companies as Brutti's, Beach Smokehouse and Rowena's.
There will be talks by Roy Williams of Old Dominion University, well known for his research on wine and health; John Keating, the area's leading authority on wine appreciation; Barbara Payton of The Virginia Wine Marketing Program; and Vicki Dickerson of West Side Wine Shop. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. March 7, and noon to 4 p.m. March 8. Tickets, which include wine glass, canvas shopping bag, seminars and, of course, samples are $15 in advance and $17 at the door. For details, phone Ports Events at 393-9933.
John Keating will also give the keynote address Feb. 28 at the sixth annual Wine by Design, a benefit for the Virginia Beach Center for the Arts, where it will be held. The event will showcase more than 30 wines for tasting, along with food, music and live entertainment. Tickets are $22 in advance ($18 for members of Art & Co., sponsor of the event) and $28 at the door. Phone 425-0000. MEMO: Send wine and spirits news along with your name, address and a
daytime phone number to Flavor, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton
Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
The 1994 Banyuls from Les Clos de Paulilles is sweet, smokey and
hearty.