TONIGHT'S WINE: 2006 CHAMPALOU VOUVRAY
K: Wow, i'm excited that my elbow isn't in the picture of the wine tonight. Just out of curiosity, what wines did you enjoy most from last night's Benz party?
J: The new French wine, the Chateau Carronne St. Gemme. It's a Cab, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Fun to say, and equally tasty. It was a textural wine for me; good on the tongue. Velvety.
K: I really liked the Oliver Hill Shiraz from Australia. It was so lush after it had been open for about 20 minutes. Just thick, fruity, and cedary. My tongue was overwhelmed after that, and I barely remember wines past it. Except the Greek Retsina--which I ordinarly like, but by that time in the night, all I could taste was Windex. I had to dump it.
J: Blasphemy.
K: It was just not doing it for me. But onto tonight's wine. Color?
J: It's an ordinary white wine color. Nothing notable. But it smells like a hybrid of Golden Delicious apples and Granny Smith Apples. Plus a little alcohol.
K: White peaches for me. And definately that tang of apples.
FIRST SIP
J: I pick up your white peaches, and finish with vanilla.
K: Oh man, that vanilla on the finish is lovely. Tart pear at first, slides into sweet mineral, and goes into vanilla. The vanilla is interesting, because this wine isn't aged in any sort of wood.
J: For those who don't anything about Vouvray, here's a quick lesson. Vouvray is not the grape, it's the village in France where it's grown.
K: That's pretty characteristic of French wines. They don't like to list on the label what the grape is. They assume that you'll just KNOW what grape it is if they give you the region or the village.
J: Yeah, like some sort of oenological game of Password.
K: Yup. The grape is actually Chenin blanc, which is about the most versitale grape i've ever encountered. Wines can range from thick, Sauternes-like dessert wines to dry, mineral-driven wine and even traditional Champagne.
J: I'm not sure what else to say about it, it's an easy wine that you should drink. It would be good for someone who is new to wine. Don't think you always have to start with Riesling--this has a nice combination of sweetness and tartness.
K: I'm really impressed with the fact that it can change so much by where it's produced. A cutting of Chenin blanc vines went along with the Dutch East India Company to South Africa, where it is now the most widely planted grape in the country. In South Africa, it is an almost neutral, crisp, palate cleansing white with some tropical hints--no sweetness involved.
J: So...we started out eating crocantini with the sweet red pepper cheese spread, but the spicy completely took over the flavors of the wine.
K: There is entirely too much jalapeno in that spread. "Sweet" is a misnomer.
J: But now i've moved onto graham crackers, and it is an excellent combination.
K: My god, we eat like pregnant women. The graham crackers enhance that vanilla, it kind of morphs into marzipan on the finish.
J: I say graham crackers and buttercream frosting make a perfect food pairing for this Vouvray.
K: Oooh. Or strawberry shortcake with real, homemade shortcake and fresh whipped cream.
J: Yes. Yes. But also grilled white meats; fish, chicken, pork.
K: Agreed. But i'm sticking to pairing this with dessert, especially for a wine under $20. Ben & Jerry make a limited-edition Key Lime Pie ice cream that actually has a fluffy meringue swirl, and I think the two need to meet.
