Sweet Bordeaux Placements 2020 by gregoryvine

PLACEMENTS // 2020

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Opinion: Don’t write off these four sweet wines Bennet Bodenstein Most wine aficionados, wine geeks and the pinky lifters look at sweet wines as “syrupy, sweet little nonentities that should not be taken seriously” and dismiss them as undrinkable trash. Unfortunately, in some cases, they happen to be right. This country, whose citizens are known to have a monstrous sweet tooth, has been subjected to some incredibly poor sweet wines that have nothing at all to recommend them except they are inexpensive, slightly alcoholic grape-flavored soda pop without the bubbles. Enter Bordeaux, France, the ancestral home of many of the world’s finest wines where some Bordeaux vintners also make sweet wines. These wines are so popular in Europe (specifically in Russia) that we rarely see them here. Often called dessert wines, these wines display all of the charm and character that made the classic Bordeaux wines famous, and are again appearing on our shores. Might I suggest that, in these days of political correctness, we drop our sweet wine prejudice and give these wines a fair trial. Just so you know, Château d’Yquem, a Bordeaux sweet wine, was awarded the highest rating a Bordeaux wine can achieve, premier cru supérieur. And it sells for $250 a bottle. Let’s start by dismissing one very important point: It is illegal in every wine producing country of the world to add sugar to a wine to sweeten it or to increase its alcohol content. In ancient Germany, the penalty was death. Wines are made sweet in Bordeaux by the growers taking the gamble of losing the entire crop to frost or disease and leaving the grapes on the vine longer to have the natural sugars enhanced by a good fungus called botrytis cinerea. The botrytis not only enhances the grape sugars, but also adds its desirable and distinctive flavor and aroma to the finished wine. Château Dauphiné Rondillon 2015 750 ml ($42) This wine, as do all of the Bordeaux sweet wines, displays a golden color that is almost hypnotizing in its shimmering beauty and definitely invites the first sip. The aroma is outstanding, displaying wild flowers, citrus and summer stone fruits. On the palate, the wine presents peaches, honey, creme brulee, tangerine and the unmistakable pleasant flavor from the botrytis. These all continue on to the finish where they seem to last indefinitely. This is a prime example of a Bordeaux sweetie and may change your mind about sweet wines forever. 2019 Château La Hargue 375 ml ($15) This wine presents a brilliant golden color and an attractive aroma of exotic fruit, citrus and vanilla.

The aroma precedes nonstop to the flavor where they are enhanced by the sweetness. The finish, I believe will impress you with its extraordinary length. If you believe that all sweet wines taste the same, the 2019 ChĂ˘teau La Hargue will change your mind. 2018 ChĂ˘teau de Palissades Tanesse 375 ml ($15) Another melody on a similar tune, but this one has incorporated the Muscadelle grape into the blend for added interest, depth and color. This is truly a summer wine as it very prominently displays the aromas of summer flowers and the light-colored summer fruits. There are also hints of citrus, such as tangerine and grapefruit, which carry onto the flavor and then to a fresh and fruity, almost overpowering finish. This wine could be considered the perfect ambassador for sweet Bordeaux wines. ChĂ˘teau la Rame 750 ml ($35) This wine is the most kaleidoscopic of this quartet presenting an ever-changing experience. Here, too, the wines share the similar flavors and aromas as do all Bordeaux sweet wines but present the flavors in a different order making for even greater interest. It is the summer fruits that take preference over the floral aromas. These carry through to the flavor and are even amplified in the finish. This wine, as are all of the others presented here, can prove to be the perfect end to a perfect meal.

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BEN ON WINE: Leave grapes on the vine for sweet wine Bennet Bodenstein Most wine aficionados, wine geeks and the pinky lifting set look at sweet wines as “syrupy sweet little nonentities that should not be taken seriously and dismiss them as undrinkable trash.” Unfortunately, in some cases, they happen to be right. This country, whose citizens are known to have a monstrous sweet tooth, has been subjected to some incredibly poor sweet wines that have nothing at all to recommend them except they are inexpensive, slightly alcoholic grape flavored soda pop without the bubbles. Enter Bordeaux, France, the ancestral home of many of the world’s finest wines where some Bordeaux vintners also make sweet wines. These wines are so popular in Europe (most specifically in Russia) that we rarely see them here. These wines, often called Desert Wines, display all of the charm and character that made the classical Bordeaux wines famous, and are again appearing on our shores. Might I suggest that, in these days of political correctness, we drop our sweet wine prejudice and give these wines a fair trial. Just FYI, Château d'Yquem, a Bordeaux sweet wine, was awarded the highest rating a Bordeaux wine can achieve Premier Cru Supérieur and sell for $250+ a bottle. Let’s start by dismissing one very important point: it is illegal in every wine producing country of the world to add sugar to a wine to sweeten it or to increase its alcohol content and in ancient Germany, the penalty was death. Wines are made sweet in Bordeaux by the growers taking the gamble of losing the entire crop to frost or disease and leaving the grapes on the vine longer to have the natural sugars enhanced by a good fungus called botrytis cinerea. The Botrytis not only enhances the grape sugars but also adds its desirable and distinctive flavor and aroma to the finished wine. Château Dauphiné Rondillon 2015 750 ml ($42) This wine, as do all of the Bordeaux sweet wines, displays a golden color that is almost hypnotizing in its shimmering beauty and definitely invites the first sip. The aroma is outstanding displaying wild flowers, citrus and summer stone fruits. On the palate the wine presents peaches honey, creme brulee, tangerine and the unmistakable pleasant flavor from the botrytis. These all continue on to the finish where they seem to last indefinitely.

This is a prime example of a Bordeaux sweetie and may change your mind about sweet wines forever. 2019 Ch창teau La Hargue 375 ml ($15) This wine presents a brilliant golden color and an attractive aroma of exotic fruit, citrus and vanilla. The aroma proceeds nonstop to the flavor where they are enhanced by the sweetness. The finish, I believe will impress you with its extraordinary length. If you believe that all sweet wines taste the same, the 2019 Ch창teau La Hargue will change your mind. 2018 Ch창teau de Palissades Tanesse 375 ml ($15) Another melody on a similar tune but this one has incorporated the Muscadelle grape into the blend for added interest, depth and color. This is truly a summer wine as it very prominently displays the aromas of summer flowers and the light colored summer fruits. There are also hints of citrus such as tangerine and grapefruit which carry onto the flavor and then to a fresh and fruity, almost overpowering finish. This wine could be considered the perfect ambassador for sweet Bordeaux wines. Ch창teau la Rame 750 ml ($35) This wine is the most kaleidoscopic of this quartet presenting an ever changing experience. Here too the wines share the similar flavors and aromas as do all Bordeaux sweet wines but present the flavors in a different order making for even greater interest. It is the summer fruits that take preference over the floral aromas. These carry through to the flavor and are even amplified in the finish. This wine, as are all of the others presented here, can prove to be the perfect end to a perfect meal.

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Pairing Bordeaux Wines & Cheese Amy Sherman The successful pairing of wine and cheese involves science, culture and tradition, but ultimately personal preference. As with any happy coupling, the right pairing can feel magical, elevating both parties to new heights but it can also be complicated. Wine, like cheese, is complex with aromas, flavors and textures to consider. Cheese can be fatty, rich, sweet, and creamy. It can have noticeable salinity, acidity or funk. It can be fruity. earthy, nutty, floral or herbal. So too can wine. Cheese can bring out the most desirable qualities in a wine and tone down some of the harsher aspects. For specific pairings we recently talked to members of winemaking families in Bordeaux, one of the most famous wine regions in the world, to get their picks. Château Dauphiné Rondillon Cuvée or 2015 ($24 375ml) & Blue cheese Another sweet wine from Bordeaux is Loupiac. Sandrine Froleon of Château Dauphiné Rondillon also likes blue cheese and noble late harvest wine Château Dauphiné Rondillon. “This is not a conventional pairing,” she says, as many French people are drinking red wine with cheese, but the pairing is a real success for several reasons. She explains, “Blue cheese has a bitter flavor dominant with acidity. Noble late harvest wines naturally have sugar and acidity. The sugar balances the bitterness perfectly for this pairing.” She also mentions the textures. “Cheese naturally has fatty acids. The natural fructose in the noble late harvest wines perfectly complements the fatty acids of the cheese giving roundness to the wine and a very soft pairing.” Last but not least, the incredible aromas. “Due to the botrytis process, noble late harvest wines are made from a noble fungus, botrytis, develops a high concentration of aromas, especially lactone and cetone molecules. The blue cheese is made also from a fungus, Penicillium roqueforti, developing similar cetone molecules. This is the scientific way to explain that blue cheese and noble late harvest wines have very strong aromatic links with similar aromas.” she explains.

Emmanuelle Miller (Raguenot) co-manages Vignobles Raguenot in Saint-Caprais-de-Blaye, in the BlayeCôtes de Bordeaux with sister Marie-Pierre Lallez. She is enthusiastic about 2020. “This is an elegant vintage with round and subtle tannins,” says Miller. “It is a wine that is easy to drink right away while having a nice freshness. A vintage not to be missed!” Vignobles Raguenot’s growing season started approximately three weeks early, and included a drought that extended from June to mid-August. “Thanks to an exceptional terroir of clay-limestone, we were able to avoid some inconveniences,” says Miller. “Once again the robustness of the vine has done its job and, thanks to a magnificent late season, the harvest was able to take place in the best conditions.” The family team at Vignobles Raguenot found opportunity for reflection in 2020. “This year in particular helped us find ourselves again and look to the future,” says Miller. “We put in place new strategies for our company and found new cuvées to bring to the market.” Froleon offers advice, a model from nature that applies to the vineyard and beyond: “The vine has an exceptional capacity for adaptation. We still learn from our terroir and vines. Nature is teaching us flexibility!”

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Get ready for the sweet side of Bordeaux (#Winophiles) Linda Whipple Bordeaux is more than red blends – Sweeeeet! The French Winophiles are sweetening up their tastings in November with some of the sweet white wines produced in Bordeaux, and you’re invited to join us! Check out the posting and chat instructions at the end of this post. Only 2% of the region’s overall wine production areas is sweet. But famous folks like Thomas Jefferson appreciated their special character during a time when sweet white wines were more popular than dry red wines. Maybe you’re familiar with Sauternes? While Sauternes make up 43% of the region’s sweet wine production, Bordeaux’s sweet side goes way beyond that. Bordeaux’s primary sweet wine region is located 20 miles south of the city of Bordeaux and spans both banks of the Garrone River. The only grapes used in Bordeaux’s sweet wines are Sémillon (80 percent), Sauvignon Blanc, and, to a lesser extent, Muscadelle. A total of 10 AOCs (place names of origin) produce sweet wines: • Barsac • Bordeaux Supérieur • Cadillac • Cérons • Côtes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire • Graves Supérieurs • Loupiac • Premières Côtes de Bordeaux • Sainte-Croix-du-Mont • Sauternes What do we mean by “sweet”? Riddle: When is rot good? Answer: When it’s noble rot, otherwise known as Botrytis. Botrytis cinerea, or “noble rot,” is a beneficial fungus that takes hold in wine grapes when conditions are just right – misty fall mornings in the Ciron River valley of Bordeaux, where cold water from the meandering Ciron meets the warm water of the Garonne, followed by dry, sunny afternoons with dry winds from the east. Under these ideal conditions, the Botrytis fungus breaks the grape skins – thin-skinned Sémillon, specifically – and traps moisture inside the grapes. These grapes slowly dehydrate over time. When these furry, mold-covered and shriveled grapes are finally picked in the late fall, they’re full of concentrated sweetness and complex flavors.

“Botrytis changes the anatomy of the grape. It creates a reaction inside the grape and molecules that are precursors of aromas.” – Bérénice Lurton, owner of Château Climens in Barsac. Not every Bordeaux harvest season is ideal for Botrytis – too much rain, for instance, can destroy the fungus – and not every Bordeaux sweet wine is “Botrytized.” Sweet Bordeaux wines are produced in two styles: • Liquoreux (“liqueur-like”) – Luscious and sweet wines typically produced from Botrytized grapes. Noted for their dried fruit, honey, honeysuckle, and nut characteristics. (Sauternes and Barsac are vins liquoreux but carry their AOC designations on their labels.) • Moelleux (“mellow”) – These semi-sweet wines are made by stopping fermentation at the desired level of sweetness, before the yeast consumes all of the grapes’ sugar. Characterized by more fruit and a smooth mouthfeel. What about pairing sweet Bordeaux with food? Go ahead, go crazy! Savory, yes. Spicy, yes. Or simply sip them on their own as an apéritif or dessert wine. Yum!

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Review: Semi-Sweet Wines of Bordeaux, 2020 Releases Christopher Null When one thinks of sweet wines from Bordeaux, a single region/style comes to mind: Sauternes, which are some of the most iconic and collectible wines produced anywhere. But it turns out that sweet wines — or semi-sweet wines, at least — are made throughout the region, with 8 different appellations of sweet white wines produced here outside of the usual Sauternes and Barsac. The grapes are the same as those used in Sauternes — Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Most of these wines are born on the Right Bank; check out the map on the Sweet Bordeaux website for details. Recently we checked out four bottlings from different appellations, all of which undergo “noble rot” botrytis but which are designed for everyday sipping and even for use in cocktails. I tried them all solo. Thoughts follow. 2014 Chateau du Cros Loupiac – From a tiny region in the heart of the Right Bank. Immediately earthy and a bit woody and nutty, considerably less sweet than a Sauternes, though notes of honey smolder as the wine develops in the glass. An orange peel and dried apricot note emerges toward the finish, which pairs nicely with the gentle honey character up front and gives the wine a lively acidity and balance. B+ / $13 (half bottle) 2016 Chateau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont – “The holy cross of the mount” is next door to Loupiac. There’s more fruit and more sweetness in this wine than the du Cros bottling, again showing heavy with apricots but also bold with peaches. It comes across as a considerably closer approximation of Sauternes with a more straightforward honey note — but it lacks the overbearing syrupy character that you can some of the bolder expressions. Nice spice kick on the finish. A- / $23 2016 Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet Loupiac – Perhaps the most Sauternes-like wine of the bunch. Lots of honey, quite floral, and with a significant orange peel note. That said, the finish is on the dry side, without the intense sweetness found in the typical Sauternes. This allows a vaguely nutty character to come to the fore, adding complexity. A- / $19 2019 Chateau La Hargue Moelleux Bordeaux Semi-Dry – This wine is from the broadest region in the area, which spans all of Bordeaux. (“Moelleux” means “soft.”) A harmless and indeed semi-dry/semi-sweet experience, it’s got a muscat-like character that runs to honey, applesauce, and finally sweet lemon curd on the finish. Gently floral at times, with a lingering but not overpowering sweetness on the finish. B / $22

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Bordeaux Winemaking Families Reflect On The 2020 Vintage Jill Barth Bordeaux is one of France’s iconic wine regions, recognized for quality and tradition. While enthusiasts know this source for some of the world’s most expensive collectibles and elegant châteaux, the region expresses dynamism and depth through many family wineries. The harvest brings a moment to reflect on all that has happened since spring, when the vineyards woke up for the 2020 vintage. The Bordeaux vines started their cycle as the pandemic took hold, causing everyone to change gears in their personal and professional routines. But the vines didn’t slow down. “In March and April, when our president wanted all French people to stay at home, the vines were growing very fast and we couldn’t stop them,” says Brigitte Destouet, vineyard and sales manager at Château Guibeau. Destouet needed her vineyard team, and like many wine families, she had concerns that staff would be unable to come to work. “If they didn’t, we couldn’t harvest vintage 2020. They did! They came!” says Destouet. “They were at the vineyard every day. They never stopped working while respecting the health rules. We are very grateful for them.” Dutch Bros Coffee: A Staple In The West And Growing Fast Despite The Pandemic Food Trends For 2021: Restaurants Helping Other Restaurants As Drive-Thrus Fuel Revenue Growth, Main Squeeze Juice Co. Is Spreading Its Wings Destouet says that tricky weather also complicated this year in the form of a rainy spring and dry summer on her property in Puisseguin Saint-Émilion and Castillon—Côtes de Bordeaux. But she says that she is thankful for her family and the time they shared during the lockdown and the less social summer while they worked together on their property. “Wine is emotion. Believe me, we feel in this new wine all the courage, all the energy of our whole team to reach this moment, despite this crazy situation,” says Destouet. “We also feel in vintage 2020 the love of our family. Grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, everyone helped with joy at the vineyard to do the work that had to be done while the economy was suspended.” Sandrine Froleon is the winemaker at Château Dauphiné-Rondillon in Loupiac, one of the best spots for sweet (or golden) Bordeaux wines. She echoes the appreciation for relationships this year: “I’m grateful for all the great people we have met thanks to our profession and for Mother Nature’s great generosity.” Froleon says that the Sémillon old vines adapted easily to the hot, dry summer, but the Sauvignon Blanc needed some extra care to stay balanced with the lack of water. Froelon and her neighbors have an interesting element that nature provides, the mold known as “noble rot” or Botrytis Cinerea. This organism forms on the grapes when moisture is followed by warmth and sun. Botrytis causes microscopic pores to form on the grape skins, draining tiny amounts of water resulting in a purely concentrated flavor of intense fruit and acidity. Because the impact of Botrytis is inconsistent—it doesn’t always happen to the whole bunch—harvest can take weeks and is always done by hand. Froleon says that they found Botrytis in the vineyard on October 5th—a bit later than they’d wanted because the grapes matured earlier than usual.

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BEVERAGEMEDIA M E T R O N E W Y O R K NOVEMBER 2020

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GREAT IDEAS FOR THE BUYING SEASON

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HUDSON WHISKEY PRESENTS WHISKEY AS BOLD AS NEW YORK

DIDIER MARIOTTI DISCUSSES LA GRANDE DAME 2012’S YAYOI KUSAMA LIMITED EDITION

On the heels of the new release of the Yayoi Kusama x La Grande Dame limited edition box, winemaker Didier Mariotti spoke about the La Grande Dame 2012 itself. Mariotti explained that since 2008, the house had re-established La Grande Dame as a showcase of the House’s excellence, driven by Pinot Noir. Since the 2008 vintage, Pinot Noir has represented at least 90% of the La Grande Dame blend. “I love the way it expresses itself and how the complexity shows through and how it’s expressed,” Mariotti said. He also spoke about upholding the Veuve Clicquot house style and the ability of the 2012 La Grande Dame to age. HOW SWEET IT WAS TO TALK SWEET BORDEAUX

Yannick Benjamin, Chasity Beasley, and Justin Kingsley led “How Sweet It Is” on September 23rd, showing the full range of possibilities with sweet Bordeaux. After Benjamin talked through the region and appellations of Bordeaux, Justin Kings-

62 BEVERAGE MEDIA NOVEMBER 2020

From September 14th through October 13th, Hudson Whiskey rolled out a New Yorkcentric campaign to highlight the brand's relaunch. Relishing the boldness of New York, and supporting bartenders and hospitality workers, Hudson Whiskey produced many events ranging from an art installation at the iconic Public Theatre to haircuts at swank salons. With a few events (@NewYorkNico) that took place in on-premise locations, Hudson Whiskey made specific effort to highlight small businesses and neighborhood bars. The brand also gave haircuts at Mildred and Love, Dunette salons for the trade and offered a speakeasy tasting with Jacob Tschetter from William Grant & Sons.

ley named some prime food pairings and showed some of the foods he made to pair with sweet Bordeaux wines. Then, Chastity Beasley demonstrated making cocktails with the wines, whose sweetness and viscosity make them great for mixing.

scribed sharing 3,000 bottles with Emmy-nominated actors as the official wine sponsor of the award show.

STERLING K. BROWN AND STERLING WINES

In preparation for the annual awards, Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown sipped Sterling Vineayards with winemaker Lauren Kopit for “double trouble Sterling” on September 14th. Brown drank Sterling Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and joked about how the party doesn’t really start until after the award show, when attendees can sip their Sterling. Sterling K. Brown said he was especially excited about being nominated twice this year. Kopit de-

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Château La Hargue Semi Dry Moelleux Bordeaux 91 Points JamesTheWineGuy

“This is Château La Hargue, this is Semi Dry 2019 vintage.” “Very inexpensive, it’s a special wine in my opinion to be tasting with an aperitif or digestive or tasting this with a dessert.” “You could definitely try things like Asian dishes, Vietnamese dishes, Indian food, you can try this with a variety of Mexican foods as well.” “I think it’s a really handsome, gorgeous wine.” “Such a lovely, complex wine and a really gorgeous experience. 91 points out of 100 points.”

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Château Loupiac-Gaudiet Loupiac '16 93 Points Episode #2980 JamesTheWineGuy

“So gorgeous wine. You know this is something that I think a lot of people reserve often for maybe a cheese course and sometimes specifically blue cheese. I think for me it’s just really glorious to enjoy this with a variety of desserts, enjoy this with a variety of cheeses.” “This to me is a really polished and beautiful wine.” “Now this one is 93 points out of 100 points.”

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Taking Sweet Bordeaux to Dinner, Again Jeff Kralik Almost three years ago now, Snooth.com published an article I wrote for them about Sweet Bordeaux, called “Experiments in Sweet Bordeaux.” While I will not go into depth about what I wrote in that article (if you have a minute or twelve, you should go check it out, I think it is fairly good, if I do say so myself), I was invited to the region by the Sweet Bordeaux Association, a subset of the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux or Bordeaux Wine Council). In brief, the Sweet Bordeaux Association has a fairly straight-forward charge: to convince the wine-drinking public that the sweet wines from Bordeaux (made in ten communes which include Barsac, Loupiac, Cadillac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, and the most widely known, Sauternes) are not just for dessert. The aim of that trip (and the over-arching goal of the Sweet Bordeaux Association) was to show that sweet wines should be on the dinner table throughout the meal, not just at the end. Since that trip, the fine people at the Sweet Bordeaux Association have sent me a few more bottles of the delectable wines from the region to pair with meals of my own creation, which I have been joyfully preparing over the last few weeks. Here are a few of the meals paired with a “typical” wine choice and a Sweet Bordeaux. Tacos Two-Ways for Taco Tuesday

As I mentioned last week, Taco Tuesday has become a mainstay and this past week I went old-school with the classic beef taco in a hard shell with fresh creamed corn (à la Thomas Keller) sautéed jalapeño and black olive. The other taco was my slow-braised red shrimp with tangy lime, Greek yogurt and buttermilk slaw, garlic guacamole, and homemade hot sauce. I paired it with one of my favorite domestic sparklers, Domaine Chandon Rosé, and perhaps the Sweet Bordeaux from Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Château La Rame. 2015 Château La Rame Sainte Croix du Mont, Bordeaux, France: Retail $30 (per 375 ml). 100% Sémillon. I first became aware of Château la Rame a few years ago upon a trip to “Sweet Bordeaux” when I visited a dozen or so wineries in the region that produce the traditional sweet wines from Bordeaux and its satellite appellations. This Château la Rame, pure Sémillon, is a beautiful wine: golden in the glass with honeyed apricot, and hints of marzipan, roasted marshmallow, and even ground coffee. Yowza. The palate is gorgeous: sweet, rich, and full but just short of unctuous, buoyed by an intense tartness. I was impressed with this winery on my visit there in 2018 and this wine only underscores that assessment. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

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How Sweet It Is; Bordeaux That Is! Lori Budd We are all familiar with Bordeaux. Those beautiful, big bold, red wines that are either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based. We immediately think of the Right and Left Banks. We find ourselves dreaming of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde Rivers meeting before continuing into the Atlantic Ocean. Pomerol and Saint Émilion jump into our thoughts, but there is another region that is full of diverse wines. A special region that is that is on the Right Bank of the Garonne River, just 25 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux. The Sauternes wine region is a compilation of five communes— Barsac, Sauternes, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac. Sauternes, although haunted by some poor weather such as frost and hail, generally sees a maritime climate that is influenced by the two rivers, the warmer Garonne River and its tributary, the cooler Ciron. These rivers produce a mist that encapsulate the vineyards overnight and promotes the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus. Since the mist dissipates by mid day, the grapes are able to dry. This allows for the desired Noble Rot to develop and not the less favorable gray rot. When the microscopic spores Botrytis cinerea finds their way into the grape, dehydration and evaporation occurs. As a result concentrated grape juice and high acidity remain in the shriveled grape leading to an extreme intense flavor. Since Noble Rot is not all inclusive to the bunch, the grapes must be hand harvested over a long period of time picking each berry. Sweet Bordeaux wines may be more on the expensive side, but when you consider what it takes to produce them, they are well worth it. The fruit is hand harvested, literally berry by berry. Much fruit is left behind as it may contain gray rot instead of the Noble Rot. It takes a trained eye and skilled harvester to go through the vineyard picking the ideal fruit. Multiple passes are required in order to fully harvest the vineyard. There are only three grape varieties allowed to be labeled as Sauternes. The thin skinned Sémillon, that is most susceptible to the fungal growth, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelles. Sauvignon Blanc, although not very susceptible to Noble Rot makes up approximately 15% of the plantings in the region, adds the acidity and freshness to the wine. Muscadelle, the smallest percentage of vineyards planted, adds to the beautiful aroma of these wines. In September, I attended a virtual tasting hosted by Gregory & Vine showing the diversity of these Sweet Bordeaux wines. Sommelier Yannick Benjamin led us through a lesson on Sweet Bordeaux as we sipped on four samples. After a deep dive into the region and what makes Sweet Bordeaux so special, spirit educator Chasity Beasley, showed us her take on some classic mixed drinks. I loved the idea of her Sweet Bond, which is a variation on the Vesper. The original recipe calls for

• • • •

3 ounces gin 1 ounce vodka 1/2 ounce Lillet blanc apéritif Garnish: lemon twist

Chasity replaced the Lillet, which is a blend of wines and macerations crafted in Podensac, Bordeaux, with the Sweet Bordeaux. Here is her recipe for this aperitif: • • • • •

1 ½ ounces of Sweet Bordeaux 1 ½ ounces Grey Goose Vodka 1 ounce white vermouth to add dryness ¼ ounce St-Germaine liquor Garnish: lemon twist

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice, stir (not shaken… it is an adaptation of a Bond martini, after all) and garnish with a lemon twist. According to Chasity, the sweet Bordeaux adds not only sugar to the cocktail, but also complexity. Typically, wine cocktails lack the flavors of stone fruits provided by the sweet Bordeaux. She mentioned that the sweet Bordeaux demonstrated the terroir and eliminates the taste of “alcohol” in the drink. Since the use of sweet Bordeaux lowers the overall alcohol content it is an easy sipping and elegant cocktail. After wetting our whistle on some incredible cocktail suggestions, we drooled all over our screens as Chef Justin Kingsley Hall showed us three incredible BBQ pairings. It has been said that sweet Bordeaux best are best enjoyed with salty cheese, spicy food, but his suggestions of New Orleans BBQ shrimp, smoked quail with rice and sausage stuffing with grilled blackberry jus and grilled 100% grass-fed, pasture raised beef tri-tip with chimichurri had us all packing our bags and heading to Las Vegas to try these meals for ourselves. Chef Justin loves contrasts in his food. He feels the heat an spiciness of New Orleans style Cajun creole cooking is ideal for sweet Bordeaux wines. Additionally, the age and complexity of the wines match nicely to the bold flavors, smoke and gaminess of the quail. As you can see, sweet Bordeaux is so much more than just an after dinner, dessert wine. In fact, keep in mind that Sauternes, due to its high sugar levels, does not pair well with dessert. They are complex wines that have so much to offer and can be enjoyed upon release or cellared for decades.

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Thanksgiving Wine Guide 2020! Sara Lehman Although it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is upon us, it’s nice to think also, we are in the holiday season. If you have the fortune to be able to see your friends and loved ones for Thanksgiving, you’re lucky! I spend every Thanksgiving with my mom and have been able to visit with her during this crazy year, so I am excited to bring some great wines to her house for us to enjoy. As we all well know, 2020 has been quite a year, good and bad. Wine brings people together, and I think these wines will pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving feast, no matter how you’re celebrating. 2018 Château Tanesse, Palissades Moelleux– A beauty from Côtes De Bordeaux, by Famille Gonfrier! This wine is full of perfume, flowers, and bright white peach notes. Made from 85% Muscadelle and 15% Sauvignon, this wine is just delicious! On the palate, it’s simply beautiful and makes for an ideal day time wine because it has a medium sweetness that’s almost addicting. I absolutely love this wine, it’s gorgeous and elegant, and I recommend grabbing a few bottles because it will be so popular with Thanksgiving appetizers or brunch! $20

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Why Sweet Bordeaux Is The Perfect Addition To Your Thanksgiving Meal Jillian Dara Red wine and turkey are a pairing as old as time, however, certain varieties may not stand up to the rest of the Thanksgiving dishes on your table. “Pairing wine with turkey along with cranberry, sweet potato, buttered rolls, and gravy is certainly a mosaic of different flavors and textures that can be challenging for many of us to find the right wine,” says Yannick Benjamin, head sommelier at the University Club in New York City. “A sweet wine is generally low in alcohol, has plenty of texture, is rich enough to stand up to all of their flavors, and most importantly it has acidity to keep you refreshed and to cut through the richness of the food.”

A sweet wine is classified as any bottle that has over 18 grams of residual sugar, which Benjamin adds shouldn’t be a deterrent: “We must not be afraid of sugar as it is an important component of food and pairing, and it can enhance the flavor of a dish.”

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Successful Pairings of Salty and Savory with Semi-Dry Sweet Bordeaux #Winophiles Gwendolyn Alley Who doesn’t love kettle corn, that salty and sweet combination? If you like me are a fan, then consider this: semi-dry Bordeaux white wines paired with savory and salty fare! We compared two completely different semi-dry wines, one that leads with apricot and citrus notes from Sauvignon Blanc, and the other that’s all tropical fruit and leads with Semillon. These are low-alcohol semi-dry wines with plenty of acid and structure that we think Americans would appreciate, but not necessarily know to order, when to drink them, and what to pair with them. WINES • •

2019 Lion De Tanesse L Amour Bordeaux Moelleux 2019 Chateau La Hargue “Moelleaux” Semi-Dry Bordeaux

yes these wines are wonderful with dessert but pair them with the meal too! MENU

• • • • • •

cheese board oysters sourdough batard by my Ventura neighbor Lauren Mosinka herbed brie and pear and pomegranate tart filet of cod and snapper poached in parchment with beurre blanc apple, persimmon, pomegranate gallette

2019 Lion De Tanesse L Amour Bordeaux Moelleux ABV 11%; SRP $15 85% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Color: Very, very pale, straw and gold, but still very pale Nose: Tropical fruit, banana, kiwi, I got petrol, where as Sue who always picks up on petrol, didn’t agree, We did agree on the tropical fruit, guava, fresh pineapple, Palate: Lots of tropical fruit, pineapple, guava, rich mouthfeel, luscious round mouthfeel. Caraway finish, Pairing: Herbed brie pear tart is so fantastic with the wine, an out of the ball park pairing. Salt and sweet were so fun together when sampling the wine with our oysters. A pairing almost like kettle corn, so satisfying — bold flavor meets bold flavor, with salt and sweet playing with each other. Fantastic with our white fish with beurre blanc. Asparagus also went great with the wine which is such a hard thing to pair with wine. Because the asparagus was roasted, it married very nicely with the wine, bringing out the fruit and sweet in the wine without it being too sweet.

2019 Chateau La Hargue “Moelleaux” Semi-Dry Bordeaux

ABV ; SRP $15 Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon 80k bottles produced Color: Pale platinum Nose: Apricot, as it opens more citrus notes like grapefruit, gooseberry, wet stone. Palate: Fresh apricot right from the tree, tart and sweet in all the right places. Pairing: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to have this with spiced Asian cuisine from Indian curries to Thai crab fried rice to spiced tuna sushi to Kung Pao shrimp. With the oysters the wine was quite nice, it brought out the salinity of the sea, while they oyster became very melon fresh and cut the sweetness of the wine. The rosemary herb brie and pear with pomegranate tart was such a fantastic combination with the wine. Sue wanted to keep going back for more. The tart was not very sweet, but still seemed sweeter than the wine. The wine went better with the savory pear brie tart than the fish. The bright tart pommegranate not only brought out a great flavor, but also a nice texture and crunch. Shelia did not find the wine to have much of a finish, but with food the finish is there and compliments each other. The dessert was like a sweet tart pairing, but the pie crust was a bit too sweet. If the purchased pastry crust (from Trader Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) was homemade without sugar, Sue thought it would have been better with the wine. The cooked fruit was perfectly sweet enough to go with the wine, however.

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A Look into the Sweeter Side of Bordeaux Wines Jennifer Martin I’m thrilled to finally join the French Winophiles group and gain some knowledge into the world of French wine. I’m so immersed typically in Italian wine that branching out here and there is important to get a better grasp on wine from around the world. This month the feature are the sweet wines of Bordeaux, which I’ve written about in the past. If you follow my blog you know I truly enjoy dessert wines so this was a treat. Sweet Bordeaux wines are primarily made of semillon, sauvignon blanc and/or muscadelle. They are sweeter because the grapes are typically harvested about a month or two after regular harvest of the other grapes. This dehydrates the grapes concentrating the sugars. What makes the sweet wines of Bordeaux special is the fungus known as botrytis cinerea or noble rot. I know it may sound unappealing a fungus growing on the grapes, but it transforms creates complexities in the flavors and aromatics of the grapes lending more toward honey notes. Noble rot develops due to the climate, which in Bordeaux develops from the misty mornings and the heat and humidity of the day.

The appellations I sampled four wines from 2 of the 8 AOC’s, appellations, in Bordeaux that make sweet wine, Loupiac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. Loupiac occupies about 865 acres that located about 18 miles southeast of Bordeaux on the right bank of the Garonne River. It’s hilly terrain made primarily of gravel and chalky clay soils. The appellation follows strict laws around density and even weight of the grapes harvested. Romans were the first that cultivated vines in this area and an ancient Roman villa still exists today that can be visited. Sainte-Croix-du-Mont is located on the right bank of the Gironde River as well south of Loupiac. The soils here are more limestone with clay on steep hillsides occuping 1,100 acres. The sweet wines of this area are known for being more powerful and intense.

The Wines 2014 Chateau du Cros Loupiac: Part of the wines of Famille Boyer. This wine is made of 90% semillon, 5% sauvignon blanc and 5% muscadet. It spends 12 months in barrique. The most golden in color of the 4 wines. An intense nose mostly of honey and apricot. Rather delicate on the palate, but with concentrated, complex flavors including apricot. A beautiful silkiness to this wine. ABV 13% SRP $15 2015 Chateau Dauphine Rondillon Loupiac: This winery is operated by 8 generations. These grapes are harvested from the oldest vineyards onsite planted in 1910 and are considered the best of their production. The wine is made of 80% semillon and 20% sauvignon blanc and aged for 1 year in barrels that are a year old. Light golden color with a nose lending more towards citrus compared to the previous wine. Elegant and balanced on the palate with the citrus (orange) showing up more on the palette. ABV 13% SRP $25

2016 Chateau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont: One of the oldest estates of the area. Made of 95% semillon and 5% sauvignon blanc. The grapes spend 2 years in stainless steel with 30% oak. My favorite wine of the group here. Light golden in color. Raisins, apricots and peach showing up on the aromatics. The palette is layered with flavors in harmony showing lots of vanilla with a hint of the raisins and apricot. ABV 13% SRP $34 2019 Chateau La Hargue Moelleux Semi Dry: These vineyards in Entre-Deux-Mers occupies all of the AOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and have been part of the family since 1954 acquired by Henri Ducourt. Made of sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and semillon and aged on lees in stainless steel. The only full sized 750ml bottle, while the rest are 375ml. Pale straw colored, almost colorless in the glass. The sauvignon blanc shines on the nose showing grassiness. Definitely semi-dry showing up crisp and clean with tropical notes and white peach. ABV 11% SRP $18

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SPICY HOT TACOS AND SWEET BORDEAUX #WINOPHILES Terri Steffes Typically I am not a fan of sweet wines of any kind. I was forced to reconsider my position when my husband suggested we try these Spicy Hot Tacos with the bottle of La Hargue we received to taste. La Hargue wine is a semi-dry Bordeaux from the Chateau La Hargue by Ducourt.

This bottle has a value of $15 which is well within our price range for a weekday meal. We decided to try it with a spicy dish and picked a Spicy Hot Taco recipe from the Food Network. The tacos were amazing, with a high spice level that hit you a bit later than when you taste! Sneak attack! We served the wine chilled. The nose was a balance of fruit, citrus and vanilla. It was crisp, delicate and elegant, light and fruity. The fruit of the wine, with the sweetness, took the rather surprising heat from the tacos and made them very enjoyable.

These wines have a signature golden color thanks to a "unique microclimate, diverse oil and meticulous craftsmanship." ref. myfullwineglass.com We loved the crisp wine and felt it held up to the spicy beef quite well. We highly recommend you to try this wine with your next spicy dish.

Take a look at what the winemaker does to get this lovely bottle: Harvest: Machine harvesting in the cool, early morning Maceration: Skin-contact and pressing

maceration

for

several

hours,

Fermentation: Beginning of the alcoholic fermentation (12°C) then an increase in temperature to finish the fermentation at 20°C

depending at

low

ripeness, temperature

Aging: Ageing on lees in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats Average annual production: 80,000 bottles Oenologist: Jérémy Ducourt If this wine interests you, as it should, go and read these other wonderful pairings and information on this wine.

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SWEET BORDEAUX MEETS THE SMOKE #WINOPHILES Jeff Burrows French #Winophiles Celebrate Sweet Bordeaux at the Table This month our French #Winophiles are collaborating with Sweet Bordeaux US, a group of wineries from a sub-region of Bordeaux who produce a variety of sweet wines. Our Winophiles will be exploring food pairings with these delicious wines – not just dessert! Scroll down to the bottom of this post for a list of links to all the great ideas from our bloggers and cooks! What’s Sweet Bordeaux? South of the city of Bordeaux, on the banks of the Garonne river, the conditions in the autumn are often right for “noble rot”, botrytis cinerea. Fog and mist overnight burns off into sunny afternoons creating the conditions for noble rot to shrivel grapes, concentrating their sugars and introducing citrus aromas and flavors. Sauternes is the the community most famous for these wines, but they are produced all around this area of Bordeaux. If you know about these less famous regions, you can find charming wines which are easier on the pocketbook! Not all the wines are concentrated and intensely sweet. There are wines which are just lightly sweet, medium sweet or “Moelleux” and concentrated and intensely sweet, “Liquoreux”. Thoughts on Sweet Bordeaux at the Dinner Table I had the opportunity to participate in a number of webinars this summer on the topic of Sweet Bordeaux being more than just a dessert wine. If you’re interested, here’s a link to a fun webinar. In fact, I wrote an article for Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux on the topic, available here. If you just don’t care for sweet wine, a good food pairing isn’t going to change your mind. However, if you are open to the thought, then give a try to sweet wines with seriously savory and spicy foods. You’ll be pleasantly surprised! Disclosure: The wines in this post were provided as samples. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine. Château Tanesse “Palissades” Moelleux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC 2018 (sample $16 SRP or online here) 12.5% abv. 85% Muscadelle 15% Sauvignon Blanc Eye: Clear, medium lemon Nose: Clean, medium intensity aromas of fresh white blossoms, chamomile, lemons, grapefruit Mouth: Medium sweet with medium plus acidity, medium alcohol, full body with a silky texture and a medium plus lingering finish. Medium intensity flavors of white flowers, chamomile, fresh lemons, a bit of grapefruit. Observations: Refreshing white wine which maintains a nice balance between sweetness and refreshing acidity. Château Dauphiné Rondillon Loupiac AOC 2015 (sample, $42 SRP or online here) 13% abv. residual sugar: 119 g/l 80% Semillon 20% Sauvignon Blanc Eye: Clear, deep gold Nose: Medium plus aromas of orange marmalade, orange creamsicle, lemon curd, a bit of musk,

Mouth: Sweet with medium plus acidity, medium alcohol, full body with luscious texture, long lingering fruity finish. Flavors of orange marmalade, orange creamsicle, lemon curd, musky savory notes. Observations: Not quite the level of intensity of Sauternes, however, a delicious balance of luscious texture, sweetness held up by a lively acidity. Also, delicious on ice with a twist of orange or lemon peel as an aperitif. Sweet Bordeaux Wines with Smoked & Braised Short Ribs I found the Chateau Tanesse “Palissades” Moelleux wine’s refreshing and lightly sweet nature to be a perfect balance for the smoky, spicy beef short rib. The recipe for both the dish and the rub is in Mary & Sean’s Fire and Wine cookbook. It’s also fully described on their website Vindulge.com. My only substitutions and changes are as follows: For the rub, I omit the salt. I prefer to salt my meats separately, usually first. Other spices don’t soak into the meat but the salt does, plus I can independently control the saltiness and the spiciness of the dish I substituted the Mouelleux Sweet Bordeaux wine for the red wines listed in the recipe since I was experimenting with Sweet Bordeaux pairing! Sweet Bordeaux Pairing Ideas from the French Winophiles Take a look below at all the great pairing ideas tried by our group! We love for you to join us in our chat on Saturday Nov. 21 at 10-11am CST. Just look for #Winophiles on Twitter!

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SWEET BORDEAUX WINES AND PAIRINGS FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GLOBE #WINOPHILES Robin Bell When I say Bordeaux you probably immediately think of big red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. It would be rarer, but perhaps you think of Sauternes, the sweet white wines from the southern part of Bordeaux. Well, we are heading that direction this month with the French #Winophiles. We are led this month by Linda Whipple of My Full Wine Glass and Jeff Burrows of Food, Wine, Click. You can read Linda’s Invitation post here. If you are reading this in time, you can join us on Twitter for a conversation on these wines and what each of the French #Winophiles chose to pair with them! Saturday, November 21st at 8 am PST (I know it’s early, but it’s fun!) on Twitter. Just follow and use #Winophiles to join in the conversation. HOW SWEET WINES BEGAN IN BORDEAUX Sweet wines find their start in Bordeaux in the 1600s when the Dutch arrived bringing with them a taste for sweet wines and a bit of knowledge from their travel through Hungary where you find Tokaji and Germany with their Rieslings. 43% of the sweet wine in Bordeaux comes from Sauternes, which is delicious, but we are digging deeper and we are talking about the other 57%.

THE GRAPES OF SWEET BORDEAUX White grapes of Bordeaux are primarily Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle with Sémillon being the shining star of the sweet wines. Sauvignon Blanc is added for its citrus notes and Muscadelle in smaller quantities for its floral aromas and smooth texture. You will find areas where Sauvignon Gris is included, a mutation of Sauvignon blanc.

BOTRYTIS CINEREA Botrytis Cinerea, the magical fungus that creates these sweet wines, is known as “Noble Rot”. It is actually the same fungus that eats up the oranges that you have left too long in the fridge. Here’s the deal. When Botrytis Cinerea is in a constantly humid environment, it is Grey Rot (like on that old orange in your fridge), but if, as in this region, you have humid mornings followed by dry afternoons, it becomes Noble Rot. Affecting grapes with thin skins, it grows in the morning humidity and is kept in check by the afternoon dryness. This shrivels the berries, concentrating the sugars and acids, and imparts its own flavors of honey and dried mushroom. THE REGIONS IN BORDEAUX FOR SWEET WINES Head south from Bordeaux on the Garonne River and you will find 8 AOCs with sweet white wines: • Bordeaux Supérieur, Cadillac, Cérons, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Loupiac, Moelleux, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. Head to SweetBordeaux.com for all sorts of wonderful details on the regions for sweet wines.

STYLES OF SWEET WINES IN BORDEAUX • Liquoreux – This is the sweeter style. They are more concentrated, sometimes (when the year is right) they are made from grapes with botrytis, that noble rot that concentrates and sweetens the berries. • Moelleux – These are semi-sweet wines. Here fermentation is stopped when the sweetness level desired is reached, killing off the yeast before it eats all the sugar so that some is left in the wine. This style is its own AOC and covers the entirety of the region. *We received 4 sample bottles of wine for this tasting. The wines were provided free of charge, all opinions are our own. CHÂTEAU LA HARGUE MOELLEUX BORDEAUX SEMIDRY 2019 DUCOURT In 1954 Henri DuCourt acquired this property with vineyards of white grapes planted on loamy soils, in the Entre-Deux-Mers. They have 26 hectares here at Château La Hargue planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Gris. Bottled under the Bordeaux AOC it is made in the Moelleux style. This wine is best enjoyed young and they suggested that it would pair with foie gras, grilled fish, desserts including chocolate desserts, and bleu cheese.

The Details:

• • • • • •

Moelleux style Blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon Aged in Stainless Steel Annual production 80,000 bottles ABV 11% SRP $15.00

Our Notes: This was the lightest of the 4 wines in color. It was almost clear in the glass with flecks of green. The nose had florals reminiscent of honeysuckle nectar, those tiny sips that we would drink like fairies as a child. There were rocks, and limestone, and pear. It is semi-sweet but very clean and refreshing.

CHÂTEAU TANESSE PALISADES MOELLEUX 2018 FAMILLE GONFRIER Within the AOC Premières-Côtes-de-Bordeaux Moelleux in the District of Langoiran you find Château Tanesse. This Château is owned by the Famille Gonfrier, who own 19 Chateaux. “Located on a high hillock among Langoiran’s sloping vineyards, this Bordeaux charterhouse was built during the second half of the 18th century by the Tanesse family. The property is surrounded by 30 hectares of vineyard atop very old foundations. Overlooking Langoiran’s medieval 13th-century castle, a magnificent panoramic view stretches from the edge of the Sauternais to the outskirts of Bordeaux while following the meanders of the Garonne River.” http://www.vignobles-gonfrier.fr/en/our-chateaux/chateau-tanesse.html The Details: • Late Harvest • Moelleux style • 85% Muscadelle, 15% Sauvignon • Grapes are destemmed, gently pressed. • Muscadelle vinified in Stainless Steel, then aged in barrels • Sauvignon, partially vinified in oak • Average Vine Age: 17 years • ABV 12.5% • SRP $16.00 Our Notes: This wine was a very light clear lemon color. Sweeter on the nose than the La Hargue, I got less floral and more dried apricot. On the palate I noticed vanilla and musky fruit (Muscadelle) with light spices. It reminded Michael of the sauce in a baked apple pie. It had enough acid to make my mouth water.

CHÂTEAU LA RAME SAINTE-CROIX-DU-MONT 2016 GRAND VIN DE BORDEAUX FROM Y. ARMAND & FILS Produced by Y. Armand & Fils. The Armand family owns Château La Rame and Château La Caussande. This is a family affair. Between the 2 Chateaux they have 50 hectares of vines over 6 AOCs, making sweet white wines from 2 AOC’s Cadillac and Sainte Croix du Mont. Our wine came from Sainte Croix du Mont. There are 8 hectares of vines in a clay-limestone soil that has a unique sub-soil with fossilize oyster beds dating back to the 1st tertiary era (22 million years ago). The Details: • Licoureux style • 95% Sémillon 5% Savignon Blanc • Aged in SS and 30% oak • Average vine age: 50 yrs • Production 24,000 bottles per year. • SRP $35 Our Notes: This wine was a golden yellow color with a nose of caramel, apple, sweet syrup with fruit, and concentrated honeysuckle. On the palate I got more of the spice notes like candied ginger droplets. It was warmer and toastier with fruit notes. Sweeter than the other two being in the liquoreux style, but still light on the palate.

CHÂTEAU DU CROS LOUPIAC 2014 Made by Famille Boyer who own Chateau du Cros in Loupiac, Chateau Haut Mayne in Cerons and Clos Bourbon in Paillet. The backstory…in 1196 Richard the Lionheart allow the construction of the “Vieux Chateau du Cros. During the Hundred Years’ War, it was partially destroyed. Built back over time it passed finally to Francois Thevenot in 1921. It was inhabited until 1940 when it was requisitioned by the German Army, it was damaged during the German occupation and fell to ruin. While the Chateau itself is ruined, the estate is thriving. 60 hectares of vineyards surround the medieval castle on the hill overlooking the Garonne. Francois Thevenot’s Great, great-granddaughter Catherine d’Hulluin Boyer now runs the vineyard, taking over from her father in 2004. The vineyard is just 80 meters from the Garonne on the right bank. The hill is 90% limestone. The Details:

• • • • • • • •

Liquoreux Style 90% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon, 5% Muscadelle Average age of vines 60 years Manual harvest with 5 successive sortings 12 months aging in barrels Production: 22,000 bottles per year ABV 13% SRP $30.00

Our Notes: This was the darkest of the wines, almost copper in the bottle, appearing more golden in the glass. It had deeper fruit notes of cooked nectarine with spices and vanilla, and poached pear notes. It was very well balanced. PAIRINGS FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GLOBE I spent quite a bit of time searching for pairings. Down the rabbit hole of the interwebs, I found all sorts of amazing things and spent hours and hours finding fascinating information. In the end, we settled on two meals. One featuring Asian flavors and the other leaning more French. Knowing that Thai food and Riesling are super compatible, I decided to venture to Asian flavors with our sweet wines.

We began with a Thai Pumpkin Soup. I found this recipe at “Dishing Out Health“. It all cooks in the dutch oven. The quick version: sauté carrots and onions, add tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes, add red curry paste, ginger, and garlic pumpkin spice, and then Pumpkin puree & vegetable broth. Finish with coconut milk and lime juice.

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Surprise! Pairing Spicy and Savory Dishes with Sweet Bordeaux #Winophiles #Sponsored Camilla Mann Sweet Bordeaux - Surprise! For this event, the sponsoring wineries sent examples of different appellations all of which undergo botrytis - or noble rot - which is a beneficial mold that grows on ripe grapes under specific conditions. Wines made from these grapes have a rich, honeyed character. About a year ago, I took part in a tasting of Sweet Bordeux wines. You can read my post Golden Bordeaux as 'Natural Cocktails' + Spiced Citrus Almonds. That experience completely debunked my assumption that sweet wines needed sweet pairings. So, for this event, I was determined to pair the samples I received with some spicy, savory dishes.

On the day that my wines arrived, we were leaving for a weekend trip to the redwoods. And we were picking up take-out Chinese food on the ways so we could set up camp and not worry about having to cook after set-up. So, I decided to pair the ChĂ˘teau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont 2016 with take-out Chinese. A single varietal wine, this is made from 100% SĂŠmillon grapes. The grapes are harvested completely by hand and are then fermented for three to six weeks before being aged for two years before being bottled. Suggested retail is $35. In the glass it pours a rich straw color and has notes of honey. On the palate there is a nice balance of tropical fruit and moderate acidity that offers both a freshness and a richness. While the wine was passable with the chow mein, broccoli beef, and moo shu chicken, the only dish that I would say really complemented the wine was the spicy Mandarin chicken wings. I will have to try to replicate that recipe at home soon.

I did pour the wine again with Spiced Cheese Wafers made with Cotwold cheese.

The second Sweet Bordeaux that I poured was the 2018 Château Tanesse Palissades Moelleux. That wine was a blend of 85% Muscadelle and 15% Sauvignon Blanc with a suggested retail $16. I opted to pair it with a vegetable curry because it was fairly fruity on the palate with a decent acidity. This pairing was not a favorite, unfortunately. Jake thought we should try the Château Tanesse with a seafood dish. So, you might see that soon, but I didn't have time to squeeze in that pairing before the French Winophiles event.

The Château du Cros 2014 Loupiac is one I've enjoyed before. It comes from a tiny region in the heart of the Right Bank and retails for $13 for a 375mL bottle. Though less sweet than what I think of as a Sauternes, this wine has the same honey character. But it's tempered with an earthiness that leans to the woodsy and nutty side. On the finish, I get a tinge of bitterness like orange peel with dried fruit sweetness. Remembering my Spiced Citrus Almonds from last year's Sweet Bordeaux pairing, I opted to make some spiced pecans and mixed in some dried cranberries. This was a nice after-dinner nibble. In the Glass

But the bottle I am pouring with the recipe I'm sharing is the 2019 Chateau La Hargue Moelleux Bordeaux Semi-Dry with a suggested retail of $15. The name 'moelleux' means 'soft' in French and this is definitely a mild wine that bridges that gap between semi-dry and semi-sweet. I get honey on the nose with a bit of floral. But it's the citrus on the finish that intrigued me the most. I decided to pair it with bouillabaisse. In the Bowl

Bouillabaisse is France's classic Mediterranean fisherman's stew. From what I read, to be considered a classic bouillabaise the fish needs to be fresh, local, and at least five different kinds included. I love that the broth has orange peel, saffron, and fennel. Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 Tablespoon butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 medium fennel bulb, diced with fronds reserved for garnish, approximately 2 C 2 leeks, white parts only, trimmed and diced, approximately 2 C 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed 2 cups diced tomatoes 5 cups vegetable stock 1 cup water 1 cup white wine (I used the leftover 2018 Château Tanesse Palissades Moelleux) 2 small bay leaves peel from 1 organic orange (I used a Cara Cara) pinch of saffron threads pinch of chili flakes or cayenne pepper 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 pound clams (I used Littleneck) 1 pound squid, cleaned

• • • •

3/4 pound salmon (I used wild Coho) 3/4 pound mussels 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice fresh herbs for garnish (I used parsley and the fronds from the fennel)

Procedure

In a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot, melt butter in olive oil. Add in the fennel and leeks. Sweat until they are tender, but not browned, approximately 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to lose their shape, approximately 5 minutes. Pour in the wine. And bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is reduced by half, then pour in the stock and water. Add in the orange peel, bay leaves, saffron, and chili flakes. Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Now, add in the seafood: first, the salmon; then the mussels and clams. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before adding in the squid and shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp is just cooked through at the shellfish is open. This took about 10 minutes total from adding the salmon till the clams opened. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste. You may think it needs more salt, pepper, and chili flakes.

Remove from heat and ladle into individual serving bowls. Garnish with parsley and fennel. Serve immediately.

November 20, 2020 Circulation: 29,490 Online

Hot Chocolate and Halva Pudding paired with Lion De Tanesse L'Amour #CakeSliceBakers #Winophiles Wendy Klik This delicious, chocolatey, gooey cake is so amazing. Paired with a glass of Sweet Bordeaux it was exactly the kind of comfort I needed as the holidays approach during this ongoing pandemic. Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The New Way To Cake by Benjamina Ebuehi. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes! Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details. The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book. I am so glad this cake was one of the choices and even happier that I chose it. If you love molten lava cakes you are going to love this easy and delicious version. And if you want to love it even more.....get yourself a bottle of this Lion de Tanesse L'Amour. Aptly named because.....as I keep saying.....you are going to love it!!! This bottle of Sweet Bordeaux is 85% Semillon and 15% Sauvignon. It is lightly sweet, not cloyingly sweet which was a very happy thing for me. Not only was it the perfect wine for this chocolatey dessert but it also was pleasant to sip all by itself.

November 20, 2020 Circulation: 3,690 Online

GOLDEN SWEET BORDEAUX WINES: TASTING AND PAIRINGS Jane Niemeyer

If you haven’t discovered the world of Golden Sweet Bordeaux wines, I urge you to try them for a sensory delight that will have you sipping them as an aperitif and pairing them with your main course, cheese course, and dessert. Sweet Bordeaux wines can be “moelleux” – medium sweet or “liquoreux” – very sweet. They are made from primarily three grape varieties; Sémillon brings color, finesse, and richness, Sauvignon Blanc adds fresh aromatic richness and acidity, and Muscadelle provides powerful floral aromas, low acidity, and roundness. The sensory thrill of sipping these wines comes from the balance between sweetness and fresh acidity. This month the French Winophiles take that sensory journey to the region in Bordeaux where sweet wines are produced. See what we learned, tasted, and paired with these golden sweet wines of Bordeaux. Join our Twitter chat Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 11:00 AM ET (using hashtag #winophiles to join and follow the conversation) and check out more articles on Sweet Bordeaux wines at the end of this post. FAST FACTS ABOUT SWEET BORDEAUX WINES

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Bordeaux’s sweet wine region is located 20 miles south of the city of Bordeaux on both sides of the Garonne River. Only 2% of Bordeaux’s wine production is sweet wines. There are eleven appellations of Sweet Bordeaux: Sauternes, Barsac, Bordeaux Supérieur, Cadillac, Cérons, Côtes de Bordeaux-Sainte-Macaire, Graves Supérieurs, Loupiac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, and Sainte Foy-Côte de Bordeaux The microclimate, especially along the Ciron River (a tributary of the Garonne River), misty autumn mornings, and warm, windy afternoons are the perfect conditions for botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot.

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The botrytis cinerea penetrates the grape’s skin, evaporates the water inside the grape, and concentrates the sugars, acids, and flavors that make Sweet Bordeaux wines taste so sublime. Sémillon is the Sweet Bordeaux wines’ primary grape followed by Sauvignon Blanc, usually making up less than 20% of the blend, and finally Muscadelle never more than 5%. The grapes for Sweet Bordeaux wines are harvested late, usually September -November. Moelleaux wines, also known as medium-sweet or semi-sweet are harvested with one pass using ripe, overripe, and botrytized grapes. These wines tend to be fruity with residual sugar of fewer than 45 grams per liter. Liquoruex wines are luscious sweet wines harvested with 3 to 6 passes through the vineyards, only selecting the most botrytized grapes and eliminating any damaged grapes. The harvest can last for up to 2 months. The residual sugar is more than 45 grams per liter. These wines will keep up to one month once opened in the refrigerator because the sugar and acidity act as a preservative and are slow to oxidize. The wines make for versatile food pairings because of their varying sugar levels and the balance of acidity.

MY WINE TASTING AND PAIRING NOTES Disclosure: The wines were provided to me as media samples. All opinions are my own.

VIN MOELLEUX BORDEAUX WINES 2019 Château La Hargue, Bordeaux Blanc Moelleux, Entre-Deux-Mers, France 11% abv | ~$18.00 (sample) | Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris Henri Ducourt acquired Château La Hargue in 1954. It is planted to only white varietals on loamy soils. The grapes are machine harvested; alcoholic fermentation starts at low temperatures (12 degrees C) and then increased to 20 degrees C to finish fermentation. Aging takes place on its lees in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats. Pale straw in color. Aromas of fresh apple, pear, and lime. On the palate, off-dry, medium(-) body, medium(+) acidity, and low alcohol. Flavor notes of lime, golden apple, and pear. A soft round texture balanced with refreshing acidity. Food Pairings: I paired the Château La Hargue with a Persian Saffron and Fennel Chicken Stew (recipe below). The pairing was spot on and one I look forward to having again soon. The wine’s lower alcohol matched the weight of the lighter, cleaner tasting components of the dish – a light broth with chicken breasts and fennel. The slight sweetness in the wine was echoed with sweeter flavors like saffron, cinnamon, honey, orange juice, raisins, and even the fennel. The acidity in the wine balanced the overall pairing, refreshing the palate with each sip. Other pairing suggestions: Fish with a natural hint of sweetness like crab, mildly spicy Indian and Asian dishes, Caribbean or tropical preparations. Cheeses that are not too salty. A fresh goat cheese, a creamy blue cheese like Point Reyes Blue, and Manchego.

2019 Lion de Tanesse, Bordeaux Blanc Moelleux, Bordeaux, France 11% abv | ~ $15.00 (sample) | 85% Sémillon and 15% Sauvignon Blanc Château Tanesse is located in the Langoiran district of Bordeaux. The vineyard soils are clayey-limestone on the slopes and gravelly on the plateau. The average vineyard age is 20 years. The grapes are vinified to a residual sugar of about 34 grams per liter. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks. Pale yellow in color. A slight hint of white flowers and apricot. On the palate, off-dry, medium(-) body, medium(-) acidity, and low alcohol. Flavor notes of apricot, honey, and pear. Food Pairings: Similar pairings that work with Château La Hargue could also work with Lion de Tanesse. I found the Lion de Tanesse to have a richer texture and mouthfeel because of the higher percentage of Sémillon. Pairings that would complement that round texture are dishes that also have buttery and creamy textures.

VIN LIQUOREAUX BORDEAUX WINES 2016 Château La Rame, Sainte-Croix du Mont, Bordeaux, France 13% abv | ~$24.00 375ml. (sample) | 95% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc Château La Rame is one of the oldest and most renowned estates in the Sainte Croix du Mont appellations. The south-facing hillside vineyards overlook the Garonne River. The soils are clay-limestone with some sand topsoils. The average vineyard age is 50 years. Fermentation starts with indigenous yeasts in 50% stainless steel tanks and 50% 225-l barrels (30% new). The wine is racked off its lees after fermentation, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 18-24 months in 80% stainless-steel and 30% 225-l oak barrels (30% new). Medium gold in color. Aromas of apricots, honey, honeysuckle, and marmalade. On the palate sweet, medium(+) body, medium (+) acidity, and medium (+) alcohol. Flavor notes of apricot, honey, peach, and a hint of vanilla. Fresh minerality with a soft texture and a lingering finish. 2015 Château Dauphiné Rondillon Loupiac, Bordeaux , France 13% abv | ~ $15.00 375ml. (sample) | 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc Château Dauphiné-Rondillon dates back to 1929 and is owned by the Darriet Family. The vineyards are planted in limestone, clay, and gravel soils. The gravel section of the vineyards is located at the top of the

slope and faces both west and south. The limestone sections are also at the top of the hill and face east. Grapes are harvested by hand, up to five times over a six week period. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with native yeasts. The finished wine reaches a residual sugar of 117 grams per liter (no chaptalization).

Medium(+) gold in color. Aromas of apricot, honey, and citrus. On the palate sweet, medium (+) body, acidity, and alcohol. The wine is nicely balanced with a round texture, luscious sweetness, and refreshing acidity – flavor notes of apricots, citrus, peach, and honey. Food Pairings: I paired the Château La Rame and the Château Dauphiné wines with Baked Apples (recipe below) stuffed with raisins, toasted hazelnuts, sugar, and a drizzle of the vin liquoreaux wine. The apples were then topped off with mascarpone infused with vin liquoreaux wine and honey. A heavenly pairing of complementary fruit flavors, acidity, and overall richness. Other pairing suggestions: Fruit desserts, crème brûlée, fruit and cheese platters with blue cheese, almonds, orange, and apricot, slightly spicy curries, tagines, and Colombo (I have a recipe for chicken Colombo here).

November 20, 2020 Circulation: 2,010 Online

Appetizers, entrées and yes, dessert please, with sweet Bordeaux (#Winophiles) Linda Whipple Who doesn’t need a little sweetness in their lives right now? We all do! For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been saying “heck, yeah” to sweetness while opening four gorgeous bottles of sweet Bordeaux and pairing up a storm – everything from appetizers to entrées and yes, dessert. Because when drinking sweet, there’s a world of possibility! The French Winophiles are delving into sweet Bordeaux wines for this month’s #Winophiles Twitter chat. Hope you can join the fun Saturday 11/21, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET. Simply follow the hashtag. Some 20 bloggers are offering reactions and pairing ideas. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post. Many of us were lucky enough to receive samples, thanks to Jeff at foodwineclick. Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own. For background on the region and its two styles of sweet wine – with and without Botrytis, the fungus (pictured above) that shrivels grapes and concentrates their sweetness – please read my preview post. Why sweetness counts Do you tend to binge on Oreo cookies? We’re predisposed from birth to prefer sweet foods. Human breast milk contains lactose, a sugar. Our bodies break down sugar into glucose and fructose. Scientists say fructose appears to activate processes that make humans hold on to fat, an evolutionary adaptation that was especially important during periods of food scarcity.

Nowadays most authorities agree on five taste sensations: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savoriness). But despite what some of us learned in school (remember that old map of the tongue?), it’s not actually true that certain areas are responsible for certain tastes. In some people, taste receptors are more concentrated in certain areas, but all of them are found everywhere on the tongue. Of course, as wine aficionados know, taste receptors alone don’t produce tastes; they have to be connected to taste centers in the brain. Only a small part of our experience of food and wine comes from our taste buds. When we chew, swallow, and exhale, volatile molecules are forced up behind our palate and into our nasal cavity from the back. The brain combines this retronasal smell with taste, creating what we call flavor.

Sources: Australian Academy of Science, Business Insider, National Geographic Magazine. Perception is everything So what about wine and food together? Generally, food has more impact on the way a wine will taste than the other way around, according to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Sweetness, chili heat, and umami in food increase the perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and alcohol heat, and decrease the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine. Solutions? • Pair dishes high in sugar (i.e., dessert) with a wine that has at least as much sugar. • Pair dishes high in umami with wines that are more fruity than tannic. • Pair foods high in chili heat with white wines or low-tannin reds, both with low alcohol, or with fruity or sweet wines.

Let’s dig into the wines 2018 Château La Hargue Moelleux Bordeaux AOC Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon Acquired in 1954 by Henri Ducourt, this 64-acre, Entre-Deux-Mers property benefits from proximity to running water and good sun exposure. Diurnal temperature shifts between hot days and cool nights intensifies flavor. Planted with only white varietals on loamy soils. Grapes are machine harvested, fermented at low temperatures, and aged in stainless steel. My tasting notes: Pale gold in color. Peach, nectarine, apple, and a hint of freshly mowed grass on the nose. Grapefruit, pineapple, lemon curd, and a dusting of toasted almonds on an off-dry palate. Medium acidity. Medium+ finish. Delicate, balanced, and refreshing. Alcohol: 11%. Price: $15. Excellent value for price.

Suggested pairing: This delicate, balanced, and refreshing wine was beautiful with Pad Thai. But the pairing that truly won us over was this savory winter vegetable cobbler with cheesy biscuits and a hint of hot pepper. (Thank you, Martin at ENOFYLZ, for sharing this recipe.) 2014 Château du Cros Loupiac AOC

90% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon, 5% Muscadelle The Boyer family’s 116-acre Château du Cros vineyard lies in Loupiac, a sweet white wine appellation covering wines made on the northern bank of the Garonne River, about 25 miles south of Bordeaux. This is the heartland of Bordeaux’s sweet white wine production area. Vineyards are located between Cadillac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, and just across the river from Sauternes and Barsac. The clay-limestone soil rests on an entirely limestone subsoil. Average age of the vines is 60 years. Grapes are manually harvested with five successive sortings. After slow and gradual pressing, the juices ferment separately in small vats. Barrel aging lasts a year (1/3 of the barrels are reused). My tasting notes: Amber in color. Nose is a perfumy blend of toffee and overripe peach. The palate is structured (having tannins), slightly pungent, and reminiscent of lemon-honey cough drops. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 13%. Price: $30.

Suggested pairings: These moist turkey meatballs have a secret ingredient: chopped mushrooms. I added the cooked meatballs to spicy marinara sauce and served on hamburger buns. Quite tasty with the Château du Cros. Here’s what surprised me: Though sour cream isn’t my favorite food, this super easy spicy green onion dip, courtesy of David at Cooking Chat, and this zingy, statement-making wine were perfect together. 2015 Cuvée d’Or du Château Dauphiné-Rondillon Loupiac AOC 80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc The producer considers this late-harvest wine its best. Made from the oldest vines, planted in 1910, from their approximately 10-acre château, this is a concentrated wine with intense Botrytis. Soils are clay and gravel. Grapes are hand-picked in successive harvests and gently pressed. The juice is racked into barrels where fermentation is completed and stopped naturally. The wine is aged one year in one-year-old barrels. After the wine is matured, the different barrels are blended together, and the wine is filtered. My tasting notes: Light gold in color. Heady aromas of honey, honeysuckle, and dried fruit, followed by a lemon-lime freshness on the palate. Medium+ acidity. Long finish. Balanced, mouthcoating and warm. Alcohol: 13%. Price: $42.

Suggested pairing: Socca flatbread with thinly sliced, carmelized red onions, feta (or goat) cheese, and wilted spinach. Salty, tangy cheese complements the honeyed sweetness of these wines. You’ll find directions for making Socca on the package of Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour. Flavor your flatbread however you wish – I used thyme and rosemary. Be sure to drain the spinach after sautéing. After adding your toppings, return the flatbread to the oven for 5 minutes. Château La Rame Sainte Croix du Mont AOC 95% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc Château La Rame is one of the oldest properties in the Sainte Croix du Mont appellation. Situated on a hill overlooking the Garonne River, the estate was lauded in the past for its outstanding wine (winning gold medals at exhibitions in Bordeaux in 1895 and in Paris in 1900). The property was purchased by Claude Armand, father of the current owner, Yves Armand, at a time when the appellation had fallen out of favor. The Armand family is working to re-establish the reputation of Sainte Croix du Mont as an equal to the Sauternes and Barsac estates directly across the river. The 20-acre Château La Rame vineyard is covered in clay-limestone soil and fossilized-oyster subsoil. Vines are an average of 50 years old. Grapes are harvested in successive passes, when they have a high degree of Botrytis. The undamaged grape is brought (without crushing) to the press, two hours after harvest at the latest. After slow pressing and settling, the must ferments for 2-3 weeks at a low temperature. Aged 70% in stainless steel and 30% in oak barrels (1/3 new) for two years. The wine is not fined and only lightly filtered before bottling. My tasting notes: Gold in color. Dried apricot, honey, and honeysuckle dominate the nose with faint aromas of slivered almonds and anise. On the palate, I get lemon and a hint of grapefruit. Medium+ acid. Long finish. Light, buttery, and delicious. Alcohol: 13%. Price: $35.

Suggested pairings: I went with chicken/cheddar cheese quesadillas and salsa this time around. For dessert, I served dark chocolate squares and broke open a bag of Milano cookies. Savory? Spicy? Sweet? Yes, yes, and yes.

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 1,770 Online

Golden Bordeaux Delights In Louisiana’s Cajun And Creole Cuisine – #Winophiles Katrina Rene As luck would have it, I was able to participate in dual sweet Bordeaux tastings in the last couple of weeks. One was part of an interactive Zoom tasting and info session led by the amazing Yannick Benjamin. Shoutout to A Life Well Drunk for the invite! The other was part of my November French #Winophiles Twitter chat that happens the 3rd Saturday of each month. After really being exposed to these wines a couple of years ago from the folks at Snooth Media, I didn’t hesitate at the chance to drink and pair them again. Now I know some of the sweet wine haters will instantly try to dismiss me but hear me out. And honestly, given the levels of sugar consumption by folks around the world (really looking at you America!) I’m always baffled when people staunchly insist that they will not drink sweet wines. I’ve hosted tastings as well as wine and food pairing events and have had people just flat out refuse to even try any of the sweet wines. Like seriously?! And I always wonder if these are the same folks that drink an over-extracted, overly fruity red wine with more residual sugar than they even know. OK, so I’m not trying to make folks feel bad about what they like (well, maybe a little). But I do ask folks to be open-minded. Particularly if your reason for not drinking sweet wines is that you think you’ll be perceived as an unsophisticated wine drinker. Give these wines a chance as part of a savory meal, rather than dessert, and you might be pleasantly surprised. Some Background What is Sweet Golden Bordeaux? Sweet Bordeaux, or “Golden Bordeaux” as some like to refer to it, refers to the sweet wines from the appellations south of the city of Bordeaux whose grapes are cultivated along the Garonne river. These wines get their sweetness from a fungus called “noble rot” or botrytis cinerea. Yes, the French even know how to make great things out of fungus! The moist conditions along the Garonne river is ideal for the creation of botrytis. Continuous days of morning mist followed by afternoon sunshine creates the favorable humid conditions for the fungus to form. The fungus attacks the grapes which eventually causes them to dry out and shrivel up and become raisined. The resulting juice is rich and complex. And concentrated. It takes an entire vine to create a single glass of wine. These wines are also quite labor intensive to make. The entire winemaking process is manual and requires producers to make multiple passes through the vineyards and literally harvest cluster by cluster and grape by grape. Golden Bordeaux is very much a labor of love. The Grapes Golden Bordeaux wines are made with Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Semillon, with its thinskin and tight clusters, which creates a favorable environment for botrytis, is the most critical of the three.

Sauvignon Blanc provides the wines with acid backbone and freshness, while Muscadelle (which isn’t as widely used) provides floral aromatics. Typical blends feature around 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.

The Sweet Bordeaux Designations When we step away from the red wines of the region and think about Bordeaux’s sweet wines, most instantly think of Sauternes or Barsac. But there is so much more to the region’s sweet wines than these two regions. Outside of Sauternes and Barsac, there are 8 sweet Bordeaux designations that are absolutely worth checking out. The wines from these regions tend to be much more affordable (most come in between $20-40) as well as offer great drinking accessibility. Premières Côtes de Bordeaux – With clay and limestone soils, the wines from the region are fresh, floral, and fruity and tend to show their best when drunk within the first few years. Cérons – Named after the river tributary, the wine are highly complex and tend to be more full-bodied and structured than some of the other regions. The use of new French oak preferred by many of the winemakers in the region. Cadillac – The region has a complex soil composition of gravel and chalk which leads to wines that are sharp and angular with high levels of acidity. Additionally these are wines that can age nicely. Some of wines can rival Sauternes, but at a fraction of the price.

Loupiac – The wines are quite concentrated and provide some smoky and woody characteristics. The soils are similar to Cadillac, but due to its proximity to the river, there is also more sandy soil. These wines tend to be full-bodied with pronounced weight to the wines. Sainte-Croix-du-Mont – Situated on the right bank across from Sauternes, these wines provide complexity, structure, and even power. Round and full bodied, they have great aging potential, even up to ten years. Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire – These extremely approachable wines aren’t trying to be more than they are and beckon you to take them as they are. The wines tend to be more medium bodied than the wines from some of the other region and often provide orange blossom and mandarin characteristics. Bordeaux Supérieur and Moelleux can come from anywhere within the larger Bordeaux appellation. Moelleux wines are sweet wines from the greater Bordeaux AOC, but as they are sweet white wines, they can forego the Bordeaux AOC designation and can instead be labeled as Bordeaux Moelleux. Moelleux is typically semi-sweet with the sweetness in the wine coming from arresting fermentation rather than botrytis. The Mad ‘Food Pairing’ Scientist at Work While some may relegate these wines to dessert status, the French drink them as apertifs as well as with meals. And make no mistake, these wines do have a place on the dinner table. Because these wines have acid, they are not cloyingly sweet. They are versatile pairing partners and love to be paired with cheese, salt, fat, and spice. When I was first introduced to these wines a few years ago, we were provided with a

selection of savory snacks to show their versatility. I also tried the wines with spicy fried chicken and Oh. My. Gawd! It was a party in my mouth! But I wanted to take it a step further this time. I’ve always been intrigued by the connection of the French to the state of Louisiana. I still remember the first time I visited Mr. Corkscrew’s family back in Louisiana when we first started dating. I was surprised to find family members (generally elderly) that spoke no, or very little English. Instead they spoke a local dialect of French. Français de la Louisiane aka Louisiana French is the legacy of early settlers, including the Acadians who were exiles from Nova Scotia who became known as Cajuns. So I thought I’d pair some classic Cajun and Creole foods to see how they paired. At the end of the day, a good wine pairing is all about balance. And with their significant levels of acidity, these are natural food wines. Here’s what I paired. 2019 Château La Hargue Semi-Dry Moelleux ($15) + Cajun Spicy Fried Chicken

The semi-dry Moelleux was less sweet than all the other “liquoreux” wines. Instead of botrytis affected fruit, this one is made from fruit that saw extended hang time as well as the winemaker’s decision to leave a little residual sugar. And kudos to them for letting us know that it was “semi-dry” so I knew what to expect. Beautiful floral notes, baked apples, ripe peach and apricot, it is great as an aperitif, but we paired with Cajun spiced fried chicken. The wine’s acidity cut through the decadent fried chicken and the hint of sweetness was nice to tame the spice. 2016 Château La Rame, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont ($35) + Smoked Boudin

As one of the oldest properties in the region Château La Rame is also one of the most renowned. The fruit for this particular wine come from vines with an average age of 45 years. Lots of concertation and power made it a great paring with some smoked boudin. Foie gras is a classic paring with sweet Bordeaux, so I thought I’d pair the Cajun version. The Acadians bought their boudin recipes with them when they fled from eastern Canada to Louisiana. For those not in the know, boudin is rice mixed with pork, liver, and other herbs and spices and stuffed into a sausage casing. The richness of boudin reminds me of the richness of

foie gras, but with a little kick. I loved this pairing. This is a wine that could be laid down in the cellar to age, but it was drinking quite nicely now. 2015 Château Dauphiné-Rondillon Cuvee, Loupiac ($42) + Shrimp Remoulade Salad

This chateau was founded in 1927 and has vines that are well over 100 years old. The wine is an 80/20 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend and offers up a delicious balance of power and elegance. Cream, vanilla, honeysuckle, apricots abound as well as a slight hint of oxidation. We paired this wine with a shrimp remoulade salad. With origins in France, remoulade is everywhere in Louisiana – with their own spin of course. I’ve had it with alligator, French fries, fried pickles, and of course shrimp in New Orleans, Lafayette, and beyond. Remoulade sauce is an intense flavor and it was matched by the richness and intensity of the wine. 2016 Château Loupiac Gaudiet ($20) + Cajun Spiced Crispy Chicken & Okra

Okra is a true staple in Louisiana Creole cooking and all of my Louisiana in-laws grow okra in their gardens and routinely hook us up! We paired Creole stewed okra, tomatoes (sadly we didn’t have any of the famous Creole tomatoes), & smoked tasso and Cajun spiced spatchcock chicken with the Château Loupiac Gaudiet. The crispy, spicy, salty chicken as well as the spice of the stewed okra (we sauté fresh peppers from the garden) were tamed by the luscious apricot and honeyed characteristics of the wine. The smokiness of the tasso ham also played nicely with the wine. Every time the spice crept up, the wine acted to keep it in check. An absolute delicious balance of sweet and salty as well as sweet and spicy.

2014 Château du Cross Loupiac ($30) + Crawfish Bisque

Last, but certainly not least, I had to include some crawfish. You can’t drive through the swamps of southern Louisiana and not see references to crawfish everywhere. One of my all-time favorite soups, I knew immediately that one of the dishes I’d pair would be crawfish bisque. Sweet Bordeaux pairs well with seafood so I thought the seafood stock and the crawfish would pair nicely. Dating back to 1917, Château du Cross has a long and distinguished history. This wine had pronounced acidity and given how rich and creamy the bisque was, the acidity was a welcome foil. And does it pair with crawfish etouffee? Umm, heck yeah it does! Other Cajun and Creole dishes I didn’t get to try this time, but that would pair well with golden Bordeaux wines include Oysters Bienville which originated at Arnaud’s in New Orleans, oyster dressing which is a classic for Thanksgiving, duck gumbo, and jambalaya. Outside of Cajun and Creole, these wines also play nicely with Tex-Mex, Thai, Chinese, Indian, and even BBQ. So expand your palate and give these wines a try.

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 2,970 Online

Sweet Bordeaux Is A Sweet Delight – Enjoy These Perfect Food Pairings Rupal Shankar

When you think Bordeaux, immediately your imagination takes you to big bold red wines, and when you think Sweet Bordeaux you most likely think of Sauternes. You would not be wrong in these presumptions, but there is more to sweet Bordeaux than just Sauternes. There are ten appellations that produce sweet Bordeaux wines that have varying degrees of sweetness. This makes it ideal for food pairings from savory, to spicy to sweet desserts. In Bordeaux along the Garonne River, you will find a microclimate so distinct that it is one of the few places in the world that can produce the most illustrious and luscious sweet wines. The terroir is so unique that these sweet wines can only be made here. Sweet Bordeaux wines can enhance and liven a holiday party. These wines can be served as a cocktail, an aperitif or paired with dinner and enjoyed all the way through dessert. These sweet wines are elegant luxurious wines that are a perfect compliment for the holidays and can be drunk year-round. Sweet Bordeaux Appellations Some of the greatest wines of the world are sweet wines and many are from the Bordeaux region. Bordeaux has been making some of the greatest sweet wines for centuries(think Chateau d’Yquem). Bordeaux’s major sweet wine-producing sites are along both sides of the Garonne River. Most widely known are the wines from Sauternes and Barsac but high-quality sweet wines are made in surrounding regions as well. 10 appellations make sweet wines, which include Sauternes, Barsac, Graves Superior, Sainte-Croix-duMont, Loupiac, Cadillac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Cérons, and Bordeaux Supérieur. These AOCs share one common goal and that is to produce the highest quality wines in a range of styles and price points. Sweet Bordeaux Grapes Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle are the three main grape varietals used to produce sweet Bordeaux wines. Sémillon is the key grape as it is particularly susceptible to Botrytis. Sémillon provides power and richness on the palate with its honey and apricot notes. Sauvignon Blanc adds exotic fruit flavors and acidity and the rare grape Muscadelle adds floral and fruit aromas to the blend.

Sweet Bordeaux â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Terroir/Climate/Harvest The Garrone and Ciron Rivers provide a very unique and special terroir that is exclusively found in the southern region of Bordeaux. The difference in the temperature of these two rivers creates a climate where there is a cool morning mist and fog, and then as the day progresses there is a transition to sunny warm afternoons. This microclimate is extremely conducive for Botrytis. Botrytis, also known as Noble Rot is a fungus that infects the grapes and causes the grapes to shrivel and dry, leaving behind deeply concentrated grapes. Noble rot not only concentrates sweetness but also increases the complexity of flavor of grapes. What makes these wines so special is the care, the hand selection, and the attention to detail that goes into harvesting the grapes. During harvest, each grape(yes each grape not cluster) is picked one at a time. Only those grapes that are ready for picking are harvested. There are several passes made in the vineyards, picking only the best most perfectly shriveled, concentrated grape. Harvest can last several weeks, as there are several passes being made in the fields. If there is such a thing as custom, handcrafted wines, sweet Bordeauxs are it. Sweet Bordeaux Food Pairings The traditional food pairings that go with Sweet Bordeaux are cheeses, foie gras, chicken or desserts(my favorite pairing is chocolate souffle). Yet over the years, as I drink more and more sweet Bordeaux, I have been thinking outside the box when it comes to food pairings. Here are four pairings that I enjoy with sweet Bordeaux. Firstly my favorite sweet Bordeaux pairing is blue cheese and sweet Bordeaux. The sweet Bordeaux softens the flavors of the blue cheese, especially the ChĂ˘teau La Rame 2016 from Sainte Croix du Mont. The nutty, spicy and floral notes in the wine are quite alluring. The palate has great harmony and elegance. The high salt content of Roquefort cheese tempers the smooth sweetness of the Chateau La Rame; a combination that will both surprise and delight.

Spicy Singapore noodles with chicken and shrimp pairs delightfully with a glass of Chateau La Hargue Moelleux Semi-Dry 2019. The wine is delicate, elegant, perfectly balanced, light and fruity. The sugar, fruity flavors, and high acidity of the Chateau La Hargue balance the aromatic and spicy qualities of the noodles.

Château Loupiac-Gaudiet 2016 is an alchemy between fruit, sugar, and acidity. The presence of fruit and a lot of freshness in the mouth complements spicy fried chicken wings. The sweetness in the wine gives a delicious contrast to the crispy skin on the chicken. The wonderful flavors of dried stone fruits, honey, baked apple and the hint of spice from the noble rot take the palate to a new level.

Like most people, I have been baking a lot during these past few months in quarantine. One cake that I have made repeatedly and have perfected is the “Persian Love Cake”. The Persian Love Cake is a fragrant rose cake flavored with freshly ground cardamom and almond flour, and topped with crushed pistachios and rose petals. It reminds me of a lot of different Indian sweets my mom used to make while I was growing up. My mom used a lot of cardamon and rose when she made Indian desserts, which is why this cake grabs my heart. Click here for the recipe. Chateau Du Cros Loupiac 2014 is an aromatic and perfumed wine, with notes of honey, toffee, lemon and orange zest. The citrus notes of wine is perfectly balanced with the lemon zest that is the base of the Persian Love Cake. This was a match made in heaven.

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 5,190 Online

Sweet Bordeaux Wines Get Savory Pairings #Winophiles Lynn Gowdy

Bordeaux wines with sweetness extend far beyond the famous appellations of Sauternes and its neighbor Barsac. Although together they grab 48% of the spotlight, there are eight other areas in Bordeaux delivering super wines with varying levels of sweetness. Also referred to as golden wines, you may not know they all pair particularly well with a variety of savory foods. An important reason for that fact is this: their styles are as diverse as their amounts of residual sugar. Even though all the styles- from semi-dry to sticky sweet- are indeed nice with dessert, their spectrum of acidity and rainbow of flavors give us many food choices. Have I piqued your interest?!? If yes, you’re just in time! If no, I hope we convince you, we being the French #Winophiles group who are tasting and talking sweet Bordeaux wines this month. Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares a nice overview of the ten appellations in her preview article here. And scroll down for a list of November articles from the group. We’ve had a lot of fun thinking out of the pairing box this month thus recipes and ideas galore! Before I get to the wines and savory food examples let’s talk about what makes these wines sweet. Golden Wines are a consequence of noble rot, also known as botrytis. It thrives under certain conditions: moist and humid autumn mornings where mist develops followed by warm and dry afternoons. This phenomenon often occurs near creeks, streams and rivers in or next to valleys where fog accumulates. It’s essential the afternoons warm up enough to dissipate the mist which limits fungus grown and warms up the grapes. If it remains too moist, botrytis turns into the undesirable gray rot and the harvest is lost. Botrytis attacks grapes by sinking through the grape skin drawing water out. As the grapes shrivel, their sugar content is concentrated. The process is dependent upon the weather and level of botrytis that develops in the vineyards from August to October or November in the northern hemisphere. The quality of the vintage depends on what happens in the vineyard during this time. These wines are a consequence of botrytis. The primary grapes used to make them are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, and depending on the appellation, other white grapes too.

Above I mentioned these wines come in a variety of sweetness levels from semi-dry to sweet. They fall into two styles: Moelleux (m’wah-lou) – From the French word meaning soft and mellow, these are a combination of ripe, over ripe and some noble rot grapes. The wines contain less than 45 g/L of residual sugar. Expect fruitier, lighter and less sweet wines. Sometimes they are labeled semi-dry. Liquoreux – Harvesting botrytized grapes is an arduous process with several passes to ensure only grapes with ultimate noble rot are harvested. Grapes always contain more than 45 g/L of residual sugar. As a comparison, Coke has about 108 g/L of sugar per can. Depending on the location of the vineyard, some grapes have higher acidity that makes the wine seem less sweet. All liquoreux wines tend to be more complex with overall sweetness depending on the level of botrytis in a given vintage. The winemaker’s goal with both styles is balancing acidity and residual sugar such that flavors seamlessly sing. This doesn’t always happen but when it does, it makes them favorably versatile food wines. Pairing Golden Wines With Food – Complementing and Contrasting Sauternes and salty, blue-vein cheeses like Roquefort are a classic contrast of flavors that works with every level of golden Bordeaux. If the blues aren’t your thing, stronger washed-rind cheese like Tallegio or Époisses work as long as you don’t mind the stink. Others that play well with include Manchego, Parmegiano Regianno, Brie and aged Gouda. Savory cheesecake or flan made small and served as pop in your mouth appetizers are super. Adding flavors that echo those in the wine (coconut, vanilla, lemongrass and dates, to name a few) combined with the soft mouth feel of both the wine and food works well. Or contrasting flavors like the cheeses mentioned above, or some found in Asian cuisine. Here, the cauliflower cheesecakes are set on wheat toast rounds, topped with whipped Gorgonzola and egg whites then finished with caramelized shallot sauce and crispy fried shallots. My idea came from this flan recipe which would also be super with these wines too! Beyond the above mentioned foods, those having an inherently sweet edge work well and complement flavors in the wines. Think scallops, crab and lobster… especially grilled. And tropical fruits like mango and papaya with meats such as duck, pork, quail and chicken, the later two are nice roasted and basted with the wine while cooking. Finally vegetables with sweetness or that develop sweetness while cooking. Think corn, carrots, fennel, parsnips, sweet potatoes and winter squash. Preparing these as confit or as sweet relish and including in dishes can help bridge a pairing.

Keep in mind most foods with a caramelized quality work well. An absolutely delicious, easy to make pairing is Duck a l’Orange (photo above left) where the meat is seared resulting in a crusty surface. When you cut into it you get that slightly caramelized crust in every bite with the savory, orange sauce to bring it all together. A Variety of Bordeaux Sweet Wines Disclosure: These wines were provided as media samples. All thoughts are my own and I received no compensation.

Château La Hargue 2019 | AOC Bordeaux Blanc They take the environment and their footprint seriously undertaking both High Environmental Value (HEV) and ISO certification at Ducourt, the family that owns La Hargue. The Château is located in a small village in the heart of Entre-Deux-Mers, southeast of Bordeaux city and produces just this wine, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (57%), Sauvignon Gris (29%) and Semillon (14%) bottled as Bordeaux AOC Moelleux. Chatting with Jonathan Ducourt he shared they “…voluntarily keep lower residual sugar (25.1g/l) than the usual Bordeaux moelleux. This is reason why on the label we indicate “Semi Dry” and not “Semi Sweet.” Pale straw in color, it made me think of dreamsicle (remember those ice cream bars?) with creamy mixed citrus, passion fruit and floral hints. In addition, the palate has peach, papaya, orange hints and a mild steely, citrus character. A nice level of acidity keeps the body spunky in a soft way as the finish lingers. Such a delight it pairs seamlessly with lentil and sweet potato red curry with broccoli and crispy garbanzos. Price: from $11 to $18 – Alcohol: 11% – Website

Chateau Tanesse Palissades| AOC Premières Côtes de Bordeaux Moelleux 2018

The Gonfrier family owns several wineries including Tanesse in the Entre-Deux-Mers. They hold Terra Vitis (from the vintage 2018) and HVE certifications. This wine, made from 85% Muscadelle and 15% Sauvignon Blanc, is darker than the La Hargue pouring pale gold. The aromas started with ripe stone fruit and light floral notes then moved to honey and slightly burnt orange as it warmed in the glass. On the palate it’s medium-bodied and off-sweet with very mellow acidity and a supple, round texture. It shows flavors of ripe peach, apricot, pineapple, and honey with a hint of spice. Medium finish. Price: $16 – Alcohol: 12.5% – Website

Chateau La Rame | AOC Sainte-Croix-du-Mont 2016 |Vin Liquoreux This is one of two wineries owned by the Armand family, members of Vignerons Independent. This wine is 100% Sémillon from 16 hectares of vines averaging 50 years of age. Gold in color with pronounced aromas of ripe stone and tropical fruits, honeyed character with floral notes and spicy vanilla. A concentrated, almost full bodied palate with ample acidity and length. Lighter on its feet than I expected and delicious with pear and gorgonzola topped pancakes. Price: $35 – Alcohol: 13.2% – Website

Château du Cros | AOC Loupiac 2014|Vin Liquoreux Château du Cros vineyards spread over the slopes of the right bank of the Garonne in Loupiac, 40 km south of Bordeaux. Established in 1917, the average age of their vineyards are sixty years. The fourth generation of the Boyer family produces fourteen wines on their HEV (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certified estate. This wine is a blend of 90% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon, and 5% Muscadelle. Medium gold in color, intense aromas are complex and ripe (citrus, candied stone fruits, caramel, and chamomile). Palate flavors reflect those on the nose. Mouthfeel is velvety soft, concentrated and wellbalanced. The wine lingers with dried apricot notes surfacing.

We enjoyed this wine with smoky grilled chicken topped with mango peach relish (see photo above). And also buckwheat soba noodles with caramelized shiitake and cremini mushrooms, and sesame sauce. The wine had ample acidity to cut through the rich, earthiness of the dish. The dish made the wine seem less sweet. Historic Side Note! A twelfth century castle on the property was inhabited until 1940 when partly destroyed in World War II. The remains, perched atop a hill, are a great place to take in the Garonne River. Price: $30 (top value!) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alcohol: 14% â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Website

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 15,750 Online

FOOD PAIRINGS FOR SWEET BORDEAUX WINE David Crowley Sweet wines might intuitively suggest sweet food pairings. Today we share a variety of creative Food Pairings for Sweet Bordeaux Wine that show a wide range of foods can be enjoyed with this special category of French sweet wine. Disclosure: The wines described here were sent as complimentary samples for the French Winophiles event.

My first instinct is definitely to pair dessert foods with Sweet Bordeaux wines. Yes, a Sweet Bordeaux wine with cheesecake is something I might still have from time to time. But after a Sweet Bordeaux tasting event last year with Snooth, followed by the opportunity to do some more tasting and pairing this month with the French Winophiles, I can see now that there is a much wider range of pairings that work with Sweet Bordeaux wine. Yes, these wines are good choices for dessert, but we have now seen that they are also excellent paired with your favorite spicy, savory and salty foods, too! In a moment, I will break down some of the pairings we tested out and others we have learned about through our research. First, we will provide a little bit of background information on this type of wine. ABOUT SWEET BORDEAUX Before we get into the pairings, let me clarify that “Sweet Bordeaux” is not an appellation (AOC) or other such formal term. Rather, it is a term used along with “Golden Bordeaux” to reference sweet white wines produced in Southern Bordeaux.

There are actually 8 AOCs producing Sweet Bordeaux wine, located on both sides of the Garonne River. The AOCs are: Bordeaux Supérior, Cérons, Loupiac, Premierès Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Cadillac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont and Bordeaux Moelleux. More information about this category of wine and the AOCs that produce it can be found on the Sweet Bordeaux website. We will use the Sweet Bordeaux term to refer to this general category. Of course, the wines take on flavor profiles based on the specific region they are from. The common theme is a sweetness in the flavor profile that might have you at first think of sweet foods for the pairing. Our experimenting shows there are many more pairing options that work well with Sweet Bordeaux wines! PAIRINGS FOR SWEET BORDEAUX WINE So, these wines are sweet as we know. You can go for a sweet to sweet pairing, but we saw through this tasting that the sweetness of the wine can also set up a nice contrast with spicy, salty foods, savory and umami. Of course some of the foods we tried cross these categories, but I will group them by their dominant flavor. After covering the pairings, we’ve got some more details on the wines we tried. SPICY

Chili: Recalling that Indian food worked well last year in our experiment, I decided to try the Sweet Bordeaux / spicy pairing idea with some of our Black Bean Turkey Chili. We paired the 2014 Chateau du Cros Loupiac ($30, 13% ABV) with the chili, and were very pleased with this spicy / Sweet Bordeaux combo. Indian Food: Last time around with a Sweet Bordeaux lineup, we enjoyed the wines with some vegetable samosas that had a nice kick. A younger version of the 2016 version of the Chateau du Cros Loupiac was delicious with a quick meal made by simmering some leftover chicken and chickpeas in a jarred Madras curry sauce (great way to use leftover chicken BTW!).Sweet Bordeaux wines paired with Indian food.

Empanadas: We brought several Sweet Bordeaux wines to a friend’s wine dinner party back in 2019 (ah, wine dinners in 2019…). We started to enjoy them with dessert; then a late arriving friend came bearing empanadas with a spicy sauce. The empanadas were delicious with the Sweet Bordeaux! With that pairing in mind, I think I’m going to have to get a couple more bottles of Sweet Bordeaux to try with a batch of our Turkey Enchiladas!

Sushi: Well, I guess sushi is more in the spicy category if you like it with wasabi, which is definitely part of sushi eating for me! Jodi isn’t into seafood, so we picked up some vegetarian avocado sushi rolls to enjoy with the sweet wines. The Château la Rame Sainte Croix du Mont was the wine we chose to go with our sushi, and it was a delicious pairing! Savory Tzatziki Dip with pita chips has been one of our go to pre-dinner snacks lately, which made it a natural to test out with one of the Sweet Bordeaux wines. I’m considering it savory based on the Greek yogurt and dill flavors, although we did eat it with salty chips. This turned out to be a winning pairing for the Chateau La Hargue Moelleux. The lightness of the wine and subtle sweetness made it a great partner for the dip!Bottle of Sweet Bordeaux wine served with tzatziki dip and pita chips.

Foie Gras: Of course, foie gras and Sauternes is a classic pairing! So foie gras is also a good choice when you have some Sweet Bordeaux on hand. We didn’t test this classic pairing recently but would like to soon! Sausage: During our 2019 tasting, savory sausage with a little spice worked nicely with the 2017 Segur Du Cros Loupiac along with some mashed potatoes and salad.Sweet Bordeaux wine with sausage and mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes: The sausage mentioned above had both the savory and spice to make it pair well with the Sweet Bordeaux, the mashed potatoes on the side shows that this type of wine goes well with straight savory foods, too. Poultry: Many of the golden Bordeaux labels suggested poultry as a possible pairing. I did test that out with the Chateau La Hargue, but I found that the wine was a bit too light for our Thanksgiving style meal. I suspect one of the richer wines we sampled, perhaps the Chateau du Cros Loupiac, might work for the Thanksgiving feast. Salty Gorgonzola Crackers: We got to try the 2016 Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet again this year after sampling a bottle in 2019. I noted last year that this wine, which has a bit of funkiness along with the sweet, worked well with some gorgonzola crackers that we had. Cured Meats go with many different types of wines. During the 2019 tasting, soppresseta was mentioned as a particularly good pairing option, and that was spot on! This cured meat has the salty and spicy kick going for it. I’m sure prosciutto would work nicely, too. Popcorn: I haven’t had a chance to test this pairing, but have seen several people note they liked the pairing, and it certainly is a wine friendly snack! SWEET BORDEAUX WINE TASTING LINEUP

Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet 2016 – ($20, 13% ABV) I get a bit of funkiness –in a good way– on this one along with the sweetness. Good with the gorgonzola crackers, also tasty with sopresetta.

Château la Rame Sainte Croix du Mont 2016 – ($35, 13% ABV) Well-balanced. Pineapple fruit with notes of honey. More weight to it than some that I’ve sampled. You can see from the photo above why these wines are also referred to as “Golden Bordeaux”! I mentioned that we enjoy La Rame with the sushi; but we did manage to save enough to also enjoy it with some pumpkin cheesecake. That was reminder that we should broaden the range of foods we pair with Sweet Bordeaux, it is also still a classic choice for dessert! This wine had the heft to go with the cheesecake, and the pineapple fruit notes were good with the pumpkin spice flavors.

Chateau du Cros Loupiac 2014 – ($30, 13%) I get notes of almond on the nose. Rich layers of flavor — honey and hazelnut. Excellent with chili and Indian food!

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 4,110 Online

Delightful Sweet Wines from Bordeaux Susannah Gold Sweet Wines

These wonderful wines showed up at my home some weeks ago and it seemed a gift from heaven during these hard times. I love wines made from these three grapes – Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, in all of their forms in Bordeaux and these four are such exceptional examples. Sweet Bordeaux is often thought to work only as dessert wines but in my view that is selling them short. Yes they can pair with sweet foods but they also work with spicy ones, complex dishes that need to have some offset of sweetness, cheese plates or as an aperitif. Off dry wines or those with higer levels of residual sugar can do wonders at your table. Check out hosts Linda Whipple’s Preview post here and Jeff Burrow’s coverage of the topic here.

Sweet Bordeaux come from an area of Bordeaux between two rivers, the Garonne and the Citron, the Entre-Deux-Mer appellaton among others There are eight AOCs: Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac, Cadillac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Cérons and Bordeaux Moelleux. Chateau Tanesse – Lion de Tanesse – Bordeaux AOC 2019 SRP $15 This wine comes from vineyards in Langoiran on clay-limestone slopes with gravel. The wine is made from 85% Sémillon and 15% Sauvignon. Aged in stainless steel, it had a lovely bouquet and mouthfeel.

Tasting Note: Beautiful clear well balanced semi sweet wine that had floral and white fruit that works as an aperitivo. Pairing: With cheese or with Asian cuisines. I think it would be perfect with Indian food, a delicious Chicken Tika Masala or Tandoori Chicken. Chateau La Hargue – Bordeaux Moelleux 2019 $15 This winery has been in the same family since 1954 and has always been planted to white varieties. The soils are loam and favored by their proximity to water. Thanks to a sunny microclimate with good diurnal temperature changes, these white varieties develop beautiful floral and fruit aromas and reach their potential. Tasting note: Lovely white wine with loads of texture thanks to skin contact maturation for several hours as well as lees stirring. Pairing: This wine made me want to have Sushi and Sashimi. I thought it would be perfect with these clean foods and offset the flavors while not overwhelming them.

Chateau Dauphine Rondillon – Loupiac 2015 $42 This wine was a delicate and special wine made from the oldest vines of Chateau Dauphine Rondillon which were planted in 1910. A late harvest wine, The “Cuvée d’Or du Château Dauphiné-Rondillon” comes from vines 100 year old vines grown on clay and gravel soils. The grapes here are impacted by Botrytis cinerea. It is aged for one year in one year old barrels which then are blended together. Tasting note: Delicate gold with intense and complex aromas of dried nuts, citrus and dried fruits together with wood undertones. Pairing: Would be lovely with a dry dessert such as Brisolona, or a fruit tart. Chateau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC 2016 $35 This blend is 95% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon which comes from 50 year old vines affected by Botrytis Cinerea. The grapes are pressed within two hours after harvest. The must ferments for 2-3 weeks at controlled temperatures and then ages in stainless steel vats + 30% in oak barrels. Tasting Note: Golden in color with honeysuckle and sweet fruit notes come from the bouquet. On the palate the wine was rich and intense with more honey and a touch of oak but also mineral notes and sapidity. Pairing: This one would be fantastic with shellfish such as lobster and with fish.

November 21, 2020 Circulation: 29,490 Online

Sweet Bordeaux Paired with Asian Carbs - Chinese Sticky Rice and Korean Japchae #Winophiles Pinny Tam French #Winophiles bloggers have been invited by Linda Wipple from My Full Wine Glass to taste sweet Bordeaux wines in November. We are so luck to receive multiple #Sample of sweet Bordeaux, organized by Jeff Burrows of Food Wine Click. When most food and wine pairing 101 would recommend pairing sweet wines with desserts or cheese, I think about sipping these sweet Bordeaux wines with a couple of hearty Asian carb-loaded dishes – sticky rice with Chinese sausage and Korean Japchae. Let’s learn some facts about these sweet wines from Bordeaux.

WINE FACTS TO KNOW

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The dominant sweet wine region in Bordeaux is located 20 miles south of the city of Bordeaux, reaching both banks of the famed Garrone River and stretching into the beginning section of the Ciron River. The rivers provide the perfect condition for a misty morning microclimate that grows Botrytis, also called Noble Rot. Botrytis grows on the grape clusters late in the harvest, bolstered by cool morning fogs that envelop the entire vineyards as well as the hot dry afternoons that evaporate the moisture and concentrate the flavors on the grapes.

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The grapes to make sweet Bordeaux are mostly Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, plus a bit of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris. Sauternes and Barsac are the most famous sweet wine regions in Bordeaux, producing the more expensive sweet wines. There are many other AOCs, such as Loupiac and Sainte Croix du Monts, in Bordeaux that produce much more affordable sweet wines. Loupiac AOC, which is located between Cadillac and Sainte Croix du Monts, requires by laws to make wines of greater ripeness than those of Sauterne, yielding slightly sweeter wines. Sainte Croix du Monts AOC, which looks across the river to Sauternes, is a hilly area with chalk and limestone soil made from decomposing oyster shells. Entre-Deux-Mers is the largest appellation within Bordeaux, but doesn’t appear on the wine labels that often. By law, the Entre-Deux-Mers designation is given only to dry white wines made there from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.

SWEET BORDEAUX TO SIP

Château La Hargue Bordeaux Blanc Moelleux Semi-Dry 2019 (SRP$15) This Château, which was acquired in 1954 by Henri Ducourt, has been known for producing quality sweet white wines. Planted with only white varieties on loamy soils, it is blessed with its proximity to the running water and amble exposure to the sun. The fluctuation between hot days and cool nights intensifies the aromatic expression of the grapes, forming the winning terroir for white-wine producing in this part of EntreDeux-Mers.

Château La Rame Sainte Croix du Mont 2016 (SRP$35) Château La Rame, which is currently under the direction of the family’s seventh generation winemaker, Yves Armand, is a well-sized estate, with fifty hectares of vineyards planted, of which over one third of the hectares are dedicated exclusively to Sémillon and the production of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont.

Ch창teau du Cros AOC Loupiac Vin Liquoreux 2014 (SRP$30) Under the leadership of Catherine Boyer, the vineyard of Ch창teau du Cros lies on the hill-slopes at the right bank of the Garonne River, 40 km South of Bordeaux on argilo-calcareous soil. The limestone subsoil and chalky clay topsoil bring the freshness to the sweet wines.

Ch창teau Loupiac-Gaudiet Loupiac Vintage: 2016 (SRP$20) At the Ch창teau Loupiac-Gaudiet, their wines are built around the delicate balance between fruit, sugar and acidity, allowing each vintage to be able to reveal at its freshness and best aroma.

ASIAN CARBS TO EAT

Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage Sticky rice with Chinese sausage is a hearty meal for the winter. The rice is also called “sweet” rice, which is glutinous rice that releases a lot of starch when cooked. In addition to the rice, the other main ingredients are finely chopped Chinese sausage (like salami), dried shrimps and dried shiitake mushrooms. I typically cook the rice, according to the cooking direction, in the non-stick pressure cooker or rice cooker first, and let it sit in the cooker and dry up a little bit before transferring it to the frying pan. In the frying pan, sauté all the chopped ingredients with sesame oil, use two spatulas to mix the sausage into the cooked rice, drizzle with dark soya sauce for the color and regular soya sauce for the taste. The starchy sticky rice is slightly sweet with rich umami flavors like dried shrimp and mushrooms, a perfect accompaniment to the sweet Bordeaux.

Korean Japchae Japchae is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried glass noodles, minced beef and vegetables that is a signature carb dish in Korean. It is typically prepared with dangmyeon, a type of cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch. The noodles are mixed with assorted vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and seasoned with sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Japchae is a fun party dish as it looks very colorful and is affordable to make. It goes well with the sweet Bordeaux as the sugar and soya sauce is seasoned through the noodles.

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Pairing Sweet Bordeaux with Southern Fare #Winophiles Martin Redmond This month our French #Winophiles group of wine and food bloggers are collaborating with Sweet Bordeaux US, a group of wineries from a sub-region of Bordeaux that produce a variety of sweet wines. We explored food pairings beyond the last course these delicious wines. This was not my first experience with the Sweet Bordeaux wines. My initial exposure to the wine was courtesy of the Snooth Media’s Go Golden Bordeaux campaign a couple of years ago. It was a such a great experience I was inspired to write “It’s Time To Go Beyond The Last Course with Sweet Bordeaux Wines“

Disclosure: These wines were provided to me as media samples. I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions presented are my own. The Sweet Bordeaux wine region is situated south of the city of Bordeaux. There, crafted by ancient forces, a serendipitous combination of soils and cool morning fog and warm, dry afternoons along the banks of the Garonne River, the beneficial fungus Botrytis (a.k.a.”noble rot”) grows on Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes bunches. Noble rot is an alchemy that happens inside each berry concentrating, and dramatically increasing the flavors, sugars and acids in the grapes. The result? Sweet Bordeaux! While the most famous of wines are intensely sweet, the wines are crafted in a variety of styles depending on the combination of overripe grapes and botrytized grapes uses to make the wines. Wines classified as “Moelleux” are off-dry or medium sweet. Wines classified as “Liquoreux” are intensely sweet. The Wines and Pairings I sampled four wines – two Vin Moelleux and two Vin Liquoreux and paired them with Southern fare. 2019 Château la Hargue Moelleux When I first received these samples, the first dish that came to mind was Shrimp Étouffée, a classic Creole stew is made with shrimp, the Holy Trinity of onion, celery, and green pepper, and a simple roux. Étouffée is a French word that means “smothered” or “suffocated.” It’s been years since I’ve made it, and so I decided to give it a try. This wine was a wonderful partner for my dish!

Tasting note: Very pale gold color with passion fruit, lime zest, golden apple, apricot aromas with a hint of yellow flowers.On the palate it’s medium-bodied and off-dry with bright acidity. It shows passion fruit, ripe peach, apricot, golden apple, and lime curd flavors with a medium finish. Blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris planted on clay and limestone soils in Entre-Deux-Mers. Vin Moelleux 11% abv|SRP ~ $18 We particularly enjoyed this wine as an aperitif. I think it would be hit a party (remember those) or until then, an outdoor gather of your pod! 2018 Château Tanesse Moelleux Any Chicken and Waffle fans here? It’s typically brunch item for me, but inspired by my friend Michelle Williams of Rockin Red Blog, we paired this wine with take-out Chicken and Waffle. Whoa! She was right, it’s a great pairing. The sweetness of the wines is a wonderful counterpoint to the spiciness of the fried chicken and the wine’s acidity cuts through the buttery, maple-y goodness of the waffle!

Tasting note: Pale gold color with ripe stone and tropical fruit aromas with hints of lemon zest and white flowers. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, and off-dry with lively acidity and a supple texture. It shows with ripe peach, apricot, pineapple, lychee, and honey flavors with a hint of spice. Medium finish. Blend of 85% Muscadelle and 15% Sauvignon Blanc grown on silty and clay and gravelly slopes. Vin Moelleux. 12.5% abv|SRP – $16 2014 Château du Cros This wine was wonderful paired with a classic Southern dessert Sweet Potato Pies.

Tasting note: Deep gold color with aromatic ripe peach, apricot, guava, mandarin orange marmalade aromas and mushroom aromas. On the palate it’s full-bodied with vibrant acidity and ripe yellow peach, apricot, mandarin orange marmalade, and guava flavors beautifully accented with appealing savory and mineral notes with a long clean finish. Blend of 90% Sémillon; 5% Sauvignon Blanc; and 5% Muscadelle grown in chalky clay with limestone subsoil. Vin liquoreux. 13% abv| SRP – $30|500ml. Fantastic value here! While researching the versatility of Sweet Bordeaux wines, I came across a few recommendations for using the wines in cocktails. Since I had a bottle of Amara Amaro d’Arancia Rossa (my favorite Amaro), I decided to create a cocktail. Inspired by the Aperol Spritz, I mixed(roughly) 2oz of the Chateau du Cros Loupiac, 1 oz of the Amara, filled a glass with ice and topped it with Fever-Tree Tonic water. My wife and I both loved it. There’s a nice interplay between the sweetness of the Louipiac and the herbal slightly bitter notes in the Amaro and the tonic water lightens it up and adds to its freshness. I call it Amareaux and Tonic!

No fancy twist of citrus, but damn this was refreshing and tasty! 2016 Château La Rame Sainte Croix du Mont We paired this wine another classic Southern dessert – Peach Cobbler. Another fabulous pairing! 2016 Chateau Château La Rame paired with a quintessential Southern dessert Peach Cobbler Tasting note: Brilliant medium-gold color with exuberant ripe peach, apricot, mandarin orange marmalade. On the palate, it’s full-bodied with a supple texture and vibrant acidity with ripe peach, apricot, honey, and citrus jam flavors and a long finish. Blend of 95% Sémillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc from 50 y.o. vines grown on clay-limestone soil with fossilized oysters subsoil. Vin liquoreux. 13% abv|SRP – $34

The wines and the pairings were a hit in our house! The wines of Sweet Bordeaux have definitely inspired me to try more savory pairings, serve the wines as aperitifs and maybe even a cocktail or three!

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ChĂ˘teau Loupiac Gaudiet with Cinnamon Apple CrĂ¨me BrĂťlĂŠe (#Winophiles) Nicole Ruiz Hudson DWS

I â?¤ dessert wines. I know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not terribly fashionable these days, but I love them. I would love to have more people join me on this bandwagon, but if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just not your bag, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool. More for me! đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x2030; Southern Bordeaux is home to some of the most celebrated and complex dessert wines around. The most famous of their sweet wine appellations is Sauternes, followed by Barsac. These wines are certainly worthy of their reputations, making particularly complex and harmonious wines, but famous names also come with high price tags. Luckily, there are several surrounding appellations that also make wines in the same style, but with prices that are more friendly to everyday enjoyment: Loupiac, Cadillac, Sainte-Crox-du-Mont, CĂŠrons, as well the broader appellations of PremiĂ¨res CĂ´tes de Bordeaux and CĂ´tes de Bordeaux SaintMacaire. Today weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to look at wine from Loupiac.

Wines from all of the regions make wonderful pairings for cheeses and fruit desserts. They’re also famously good matches for foie gras. NOBLE ROT But what makes the wines of this region so compelling? First up, the grapes for these wines are harvested about two months after the grapes for still table wines. During this time, the grapes start to dry out on the vine, which concentrates the sugar in the grapes. The real secret ingredient in the sauce, though, is rot. You read that right. Rot. Specifically, the rot in question is Botrytis cinerea. Under typical conditions, when this fungus attacks the grapes on a vine, it takes over, ruins the grapes, and it’s just as nasty as you would expect rot to be. However, when the conditions are just right so that the rot grows at a slow and steady pace, and if you have certain types of grapes, something completely magical happens and heavenly flavors emerge.

This cluster of appellations in southern Bordeaux has all the right elements to pretty regularly create the magic. This is quite special as it only happens with a degree of reliability in a few places in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily happen every year either. That said, the climate here has certain important elements that lend themselves to the creation of botrytis. It tends to be foggy and misty in the mornings thanks to the Garonne River and its Ciron tributary. However, it turns sunny and warm in the afternoons, allowing the moisture on the grapes to dry a bit, slowing down the progress of the rot. The botrytis drys out the grapes, concentrating the sugars in the juice. It also changes the flavors in the grapes as well, making them more complex. The alchemy in the grapes under these conditions is so celebrated that when botrytis happens in this way, we call it “Noble Rot.”

The same key grapes are used in all of Bordeaux’s sweet appellations. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc are the star players. Sémillon is very skinned and so particularly susceptible to botrytis. Sauvignon Blanc is also pretty susceptible to the fungus, but it has more acidity than Sémillon and adds brightness to the blend. Muscadelle is also permitted, but rarer than the others. It brings floral notes to the party. Sauvignon Gris is also allowed in some of the appellations.

The combo of the grapes, the late-harvests, and the botrytis create all kinds of wonderful flavors. You can expect a mix of stone, citrus, and tropical fruit notes along with ginger, marmalade, honeysuckle, baking spices, along with sweeter notes like butterscotch and caramel.

LOUPIAC Today we’re specifically looking at Loupiac, which is located just across the Garonne river from Sauternes and Barsac. Although on the opposite bank from the more famous appellations, the conditions are still good for noble root. Loupiac’s best wines come from grapes grown on the slopes just above the banks of the river. The wines from these sections get a nice mineral character from the clay and limestone soils in these hillsides. Loupiac is a small appellation , but they’re particularly strict in some of their quality controls. They specify higher planting densities (2024 plants per acre), and also require that grape have higher must weights before picking (245 grams per liter for Semillon and 229g/L for Sauvignon Blanc or other grapes). Higher must weights enable higher potential sweetness levels in the final wines. All in all, the area makes wines of excellent value, if somewhat simpler in style than Sauternes. The wines tend to be full-bodied and show finesse on the palate. They can easily age for 2 to 5 years, and much longer for great vintages. They are best served well-chilled (8-9°C). CHÂTEAU LOUPIAC-GAUDIET

The history of Château Loupiac-Gaudiet dates back to the 18th century, and it has been in the ownership of Ducau family since 1919. Marc Ducau began helping his father around the property at the age of 14 and he became the third generation of the family to own it in 1964. It continues to be a full family affair today. In 1986, he invited his nephew, Daniel Sanfourche, to come join and he has been managing the company since 1995. His wife Marie-Laurence has been in charge of the commercial and administrative parts of the company since 1991, and their son Nicolas also joined the family business in 2014.

They’re very committed to the production of sweet wines, and 26 out of their 30 hecatores are dedicated to growing grapes for this purpose, although they also make a red wine under the label Château Pontac. Sémillon is the main variety for their dessert wines, with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Grapes are handharvested, usually in two to three passes through the vineyards to give the grapes a chance to develop to optimal conditions.

I received the Château Loupiac-Gaudiet Loupiac 2016 as a media sample (please note, no other compensation was received and all opinions are my own) for participation in this month’s French Winophiles (#Winophiles) blogging event. On the nose, it shows notes of orange blossoms, orange creamsicle, apricots, a spritz of lemon, a hint of ginger, and touch of candied mango and pineapple. All of these notes continue on the palate, along with light hints of candy cap mushroom and almond. The wine has a delicately creamy mouthfeel, and is silky with little punch at the end where a bit of tang blends with the wines minerality.

Quick aside, the winery makes half the of the château available for guests to stay at. It looks quite lovely and I'm definitely making note of this for future, post-Covid travel. See more details here. GEEKY DETAILS Blend: 90% Sémillion, 10% Sauvignon | SRP: $17 | Alc: 13% Average VineAge: 45 years old Soil: Clay and limestone Vineyards and Harvest : Vineyards face southward on hill that overlook the Garonne river. As best I can tell, the vineyards are farmed sustainably via lutte raisonnée practices. Grapes are harvested by hand as soon as the botrytis appears, through several passes through the vineyard. Winemaking and Maturation: Traditional with temperature control. Careful pressing with a pneumatic press (slow in order to minimise the risk of damage) slow fermentation to conserve aromas.Matured on fine lees for a minimum of 12 months. Regular, delicate rackings in perfect hygienic conditions.

Ageing Recommendations: 2-5 years if you want it fresh and fruity, 5- 10 if you prefer more richness, 10 – 30 years if you prefer more candied nut notes. Wine and Food Pairing: Aperitif, white meats, cheeses, fruit and chocolate desserts, foie gras, lightly spicy meals. Details taken from the tech sheet. You can find a version here. THE PAIRING

The creamy sweetness of the dessert wines of Bordeaux often remind me a bit of crème brûlée, so I thought I’d try to pair them together. I first made a version of this Cinnamon Apple version a couple of years ago, loved it, and thought it a good time to try it out again. It’s essentially a classic crème brûlée but with a little hint of cinnamon. Then when crack through the sugar crust, there’s a cinnamon apple surprise hidden below the custard. It has a delightfully autumnal feel!

I’ve taken to making custards like this one using my sous vide cooker because it pretty much takes all the guesswork out of it. I used Lisa Q. Fetterman’s recipe for Vanilla Crème Brûlée in Sous Vide at Home as the basis for mine. It maybe has a slightly little thicker consistency than some versions of crème brûlée, but it’s just so easy and no-stress. You can certainly (and I have) make a crème brûlée via the traditional method and just put a layer of cinnamon apples at the base. On this particular occasion, I happened to have apple butter I made on hand and decided to intensify the apple flavor by adding a thin layer at the very base of the ramekin. This is completely optional, and in the past I only made it with the apple filling. The flavors of the wine and these crème brûlée worked together very well. However, the custard was a little sweeter than the wine and it tamped down the fruitiness in the wine a little bit. Next time I would just reduce

the quantity of the sugar a little bit (as noted in the recipe) if I was planning to serve it in this pairing. It’s delightful as it is if you’re planning to enjoy the crème brûlée on its own.

I also received samples of Château du Cros Loupiac , Chateau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont , and Chateau La Hargue Moelleux Bordeaux which I'll be getting to know over the next few months. Stay tuned – there's definitley more to come!

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FOUR SWEET #WINOPHILES

BORDEAUX

WINES

WITH

FOUR

COURSES

Payal Vora

Every now and then we come across something in life that blows us away. An experience, a place, a feeling, words we hear or read, a new discovery... something truly sensational and special. For me, most recently, it was sweet wine from Bordeaux. A gorgeous tipple in various equally gorgeous shades of gold. Indian or Byzantine jewellery gold - warm, rich, exotic gold that makes you want to have some. Most of us might be familiar with Sauternes, the prized sweet wine from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. The Sauternes that is Chateau d'Yquem. But few know that there are 9 other appellations in Bordeaux that make sweet wines as well. This month the French #winophiles are exploring those other sweet Bordeaux appellations. Many of us were fortunate to receive four wine samples thanks to Jeff. Read the preview by Linda to know more and then join us on 21 Nov. 2020 at 8 AM PST on Twitter under #winophiles to hear what everyone is saying and pairing with these versatile wines! Don't forget to check out all the blog entries for pairing ideas, recipes, tasting notes, and photos: SWEET BORDEAUX The sweet wines of Bordeaux are rare and selective white wines that pair with sweet and savoury foods alike. As the map from the official Sweet Bordeaux website shows, the wines are made in southern Bordeaux on both sides of the Garonne river in diverse terrain, soil, and microclimates that yield diverse wines. Amongst the 10 Appellations d'Origine Controlée (AOC) you are sure to find an estate that makes wine that pairs splendidly with whatever you're putting on the table that day. But there is unity in diversity and these wines have a few things in common: • • • • • • • • • •

Grapes are left on the vine to get infected by noble rot (Bortytis Cinerea fungus) Slow gentle harvest by hand often done in several passes to select the ripest grapes Slow vinification, gentle maturation in vats or oak barrels Unfortified (no additional spirit is added to the wine after it reaches a certain sugar level) 1% of total Bordeaux wine volume 2% of total Bordeaux wine area Approx. 9M bottles across 350 estates ~1 grape vine = 1 glass of wine 3 main grape varieties: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle Two categories based on residual sugar (RS) in the wine: molleux (12-45 g/L) and liquoreux (>45 g/L)

• •

The wines offer tremendous variety in aroma and tasting notes and price points. This makes for a very rich selection available for pairing with a vast number of foods, cuisines, and cooking methods Both molleux and liquoreux wines are excellent in cocktails. In this day and age where cocktail making ranges from mixing soda water with whiskey to total alchemy, sweet Bordeaux wines invite creative cocktails.

SWEET BORDEAUX AND FOOD PAIRINGS I received four bottles of sweet Bordeaux wine and the one way to do justice to a diverse array of wines all from one general area was to pair them with a diverse array of food at dinner. We paired each wine with four courses over dinner: starter, entrée, main, dessert. STARTER For our starter we went with oysters dressed with nothing but a spritz of lemon. Back in the day in Bordeaux no dinner party began without a palate opener of briny Bordelaise oyters and sweet wine. In the US, west coast oysters are abundant but not briny enough to walk with the semi-dry or sweet wines of Bordeaux. I happened to see fresh east coast oysters at the market and I just had to. So I got three different varieties, in decreasing brininess: Cotuit, Wellfleet, and Moondancer. And my kind fishmonger graciously shucked and arranged them on a tray of crushed ice, so it was a snap to get this starter ready to enjoy with two sweet Bordeaux wines - one liquoreux and one molleux. The molleux was certainly the lighter match of the two and paired splendidly with the Cotuits but the liquoreux was right there to complement the Wellfleets and Moondancers. The lemon rounded everything up quite nicely. The acidity of the wines and lemon was perfect with the seafoam brininess of the oysters. I suspect that both wines would have overpowered west coast oysters but were indeed superb with east coast oysters. 2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30) 90/5/5 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Muscadelle 14% ABV | Sample Notes: Beautiful gold colour with white flowers, citrus blossoms, apricots, honey, tropical fruits, candied citrus on the nose and palate. A supple silky mouthfeel but light at the same time. A medium+ finish with a slight hint of baking spice on the taper. 2019 Château La Hargue Bordeaux Blanc Molleux (SRP $15) 50/50 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 11% ABV | Sample Notes: Brilliant pale gold colour with lemon curd, vanilla, tropical fruit, on the nose and palate. Overall a not too complex but balanced, light, wine with a faint hint of stony minerality to end the medium finish. ENTRÉE

As our appetiser or entrée, we had a couple of different street food snacks typical to northern and western India. We've finally found two quick service places that come close to the authentic flavours of their respective cuisines. This time we settled on two snacks typical to New Delhi/Punjab and Mumbai. Two places that are polar opposites in language, food, culture, clothing, weather, and everything else. Street food in India, as in all of Asia and somewhat Central America too, is endless and different as night and day from region to region. Even town to town. So it is really fun to make a meal entirely of street food. And because the flavours are complex and fresh, coming up with wine and cocktail pairings is just as much fun as is drinking them! We had bread pakoras (Delhi) and vada pãu (Mumbai). Bread pakoras are two slices of bread slathered with mint-cilantro chutney, stuffed with seasoned mashed peas and potatoes, dipped in a chickpea flour batter, deep fried, and served with a couple of different chutneys on the side. Vada pãu is a roll split and seasoned with garlic chutney and stuffed with a fried mashed potato cutlet/fritter/vada. Generally served with fried green chillies on the side - I skipped those because in the US they use Thai chillies which just do not go well with vada pãu - it is not supposed to have heat, just flavours of the spices used in it. Incidentally, this street food dish came about after the Portuguese introduced leavened bread to western India. The bread pakora and vada pãu are both very flavourful and have just enough spices to pair superbly with the Château du Cros. The bright acidity, residual sugar, and floral-citrus notes of the wine balance out the complex flavours of the herbs and spices in the food. 2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30) Notes: see above MAIN Next we had Kerala egg curry with homemade layered wholewheat flatbread/parantha and plantain chips on the side. Kerala is a coastal state and heaven if you love seafood, meat, and coconut in all forms. It is also one of the few states in India where the literacy rate is very high and beef is freely eaten - much of the rest of India is too busy making beef a political/religious agenda so they're freely arguing about beef and religion. In any case this egg curry is an Indian-Jewish dish adapted from Spice & Kosher - Exotic Cuisine of the Cochin Jews. Jews came to southern India, particularly Kerala, hundreds of years ago for trade and to escape persecution in Spain and Portugal. They made Kerala their home and as the Jewish diaspora always does, adapted local cuisine to meet Kosher needs. This egg curry is flavourful and balanced - coconut milk, Asian shallots, garlic, turmeric, and other spices cook into a silky sauce that is perfect for equally benign boiled eggs and the paranthas are light with the slight nuttiness of Indian sharbati wheat. I also added some peas to the curry because we're getting into pea season and I couldn't resist. Indian food has lots of complex spice combinations but it is generally not spicy - extra heat is never the norm, always a matter of preference. The layered flavours of the velvety sauce were perfect with the minerality and bright notes of the Château La Rame. The Château La Hargue was an ok pairing - wouldn't be my first choice for this dish the next time. The velvety texture of the sauce was a bit too contrasted with the light mouthfeel of the La Hargue. 2016 Château La Rame, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC (SRP $35) 95/5 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 13% ABV | Sample

Notes: Medium gold colour with an appealing bouquet of faint spice, candied citrus peel, white flowers, and vanilla in the background. Same on the palate along with a racy acidity and minerality. Overall a delightfully balanced and elegant wine with a medium-long finish. 2019 Château La Hargue Bordeaux Blanc Molleux (SRP $15) DESSERT Since it was just past Diwali, the Hindu New Year and festival of lights and levity, we had a great selection of sweets from northern and eastern India at home. So dessert was a nibble of two of those with two utterly delicious Loupiac AOC wines. Both desserts are milk-based: one is a fudgy confection of milk cooked down into solids, mixed with sugar, ground cashews, saffron (and maybe a few other things, not sure) then topped with silver foil. The other is a light ricotta-based dumpling soaked in a light sugar syrup then squeezed to remove the extra syrup. In this case it was also stuffed with a saffron cream. In my opinion pairing dessert with sweet wines is tricky. Those with an intense sweet-tooth might love the pairing but I've generally found it cloying. So milk-based desserts that are not overly sugary are a great match. The acidity of the wines matches the creaminess of the milk and makes the pairing quite a delight. And of course, most Indian sweets are generally just 2-3 bite servings and redolent with saffron, cashews, almonds, pistachios, rose water, orange water, and other flowers so bright liquoreux wines like these from Loupiac AOC are a lovely combination. A perfect way to end a meal, really. 2015 Château Dauphiné Rondillon "Cuvée d'Or", Loupiac AOC (SRP $42) 80/20 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 13% ABV | Sample Notes: Gorgeous rich gold colour with a fragrant nose and palate full of bright citrus juice, marmalade, candied citrus, and orange blossoms with a light woodiness at the end. Medium+ acidity, rich mouthfeel, overall a very balanced wine. Juicy medium bodied wine with a long elegant finish. 2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30)

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SWEET BORDEAUX

GREGORY+VINE

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AWS News

ISSN 1543-205X

Promoting Appreciation of Wine through Education Volume 34, No. 6

www.americanwinesociety.org

President’s Message

In This Issue 2020 Amateur Competition Done

Amateur Wine Competition Awards 12 AWS Educational Foundation

Chapter Events

Editor’s Farewell

From the Back Room

Golden Wines of Bordeaux

Government Affairs

Member Service News

Obituaries National Tasting Project

December 2020

10 3

Wine Judge Kelly-Make Better Wine 5

For me, the last two years as AWS President have absolutely flown by! I came into the role with a two-page list of goals that I hoped to accomplish and am proud to say that most were either completed or worked on. This in spite of a 2020 that was stymied by COVID and threw hurdles that nobody could have predicted. Some of these projects are ongoing and the results will be shown in the future. In my role as President, I was not just the “conductor of the orchestra” but also the “first violin,” the lead and main contributor. Our organization’s success cannot be attributed to just Joe Broski, as most credit lies with the Board members, paid staff and volunteers who met every challenge head on. I can confidently say that the American Wine Society will be in competent hands under Vice President Mike Wangbickler when he assumes office on January 1. He brings the leadership style of a businessman with attributes that are very different from my experiences in a public sector career. In addition to the benefit of three returning Board members, he will have three new members who bring new ideas, new vision and new skills. As the longest continuous serving Board member in AWS history (11 years), I witnessed an evolution under four other society presidents and their leadership, which resulted in organizational growth and improvement. I hope eleven years from now, the then-serving president will realize benefit in my vision to prepare the AWS for the future. In Vino Veritas!

Joe Broski

President@AmericanWineSociety.org

chek took on the task of promoting it with a series of e-mail campaigns; Katie Kearney helped on the tech side with registration and slides. So once again the team was back together.

2020 Virtual Conference Thank you so much to everyone who joined us during the 53rd annual AWS Conference. When we decided to postpone the Bellevue conference to 2022 I was heartbroken. We knew it was the right decision but I, along with many people in this world who had to cancel events, felt a sense of loss. Then the idea of a virtual conference was proposed. This was a new concept to everyone, but one that is the reality of our times. Once this new direction settled into our heads, we were off and running. We contacted John Hames about finding some speakers and he jumped on board with excitement. I think it reenergized all of us. The new logo was created, and the Zoom learning began. We still weren't sure how it would go off to the members and there was a new sense of uncertainty because we didn’t want to screw it up. Anxiety was taking over our heads. David Fal-

Going live was nerve wracking, I'm not going to lie. But then we started seeing everyone logging in. Next we started seeing everyone saying HI to each other in the chat and announcing where they were from. The AWS members were there and they were excited! I want to give a HUGE shout out to Katie Kearney for being there through all of it. She was my rock. Thanks to everyone I was texting during the events to see how it was looking from the attendee side. Thank you to all the speakers—we had some fun with them on the back end of the program and then they shared their wealth of knowledge to the AWS membership. And last, but not least, thank you to all the AWS members for your support, words of encouragement, participation and then the kind words of thanks after the event. YOU are the reason we do this and I love it. Cheers!

Diane Meyer

Diane@AmericanWineSociety.org

Golden Wines of Bordeaux When someone mentions a Bordeaux sweet wine, what is the first thing you think of? If you are like me, your mind probably goes to Sauternes or Barzac. However, there are eight more AOPs (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) in Bordeaux that produce delicious golden wines and these are generally much more affordable. The eight AOPs (Bordeaux Moelleux, Cérons, Sainte-Croix-duMont, Cadillac, Loupiac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire) are situated on the slopes of the Garonne river, southeast of the town of Bordeaux. On these slopes, a unique combination of micro-climates, well-draining soils, and quality fruit affected by noble rot occurs, and these golden wines can be found.

Golden wines are blended from three grapes: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Sémillon, the primary grape, is highly susceptible to noble rot due to being thin-skinned, and provides rich fruit flavors to the wines. Sauvignon Blanc adds acidity for structure and brightness. While not present in all golden wines, small amounts of Muscadelle can add floral aromas. In the fall, morning mist rises up from the Garonne and envelops the sloping vineyards. The humidity and afternoon sun work together to support the development of a beneficial fungus—Botrytis cinerea (commonly known as noble rot)—that infects the grapes. The fungus pierces through the skin of the grapes and dehydrates the fruit, causing them to shrivel, thus concentrating the flavors and sugar. While noble rot does not form every year, when the conditions are right, you will find wines produced with deep concentration, bright acidity and Botrytis notes (marmalade, honey, butterscotch, nectarine and apricot developing over time into dried figs, chocolate and dried orange peel). The grapes are picked by hand (often taking several passes through the vineyard to collect the best bunches) and gently pressed. Given the high sugar content, the juice sees a slow fermentation (over a month) in a vat or barrel. The new wine is aged gently, by carefully alternating aeration and storage in a vat or oak barrel. While they make great dessert wines, it is possible to serve these Golden Wines throughout a meal (be sure and chill to around 52-56°F). For instance, the lighter sweet wines can make a delicious aperitif and pair well with Foie gras or a salty salad. Savory dishes with rich, powCont. on Page 7 erful flavors (like salty blue cheeses,

AWS News December 2020

From the Back Room I’ll admit, when Director of Competitions Rex Bambling suggested using the Coravin to pour wines for the competition, I was rather unsure of the whole idea. That’s putting it nicely. It’s going to be slow, I thought. It’s going to back things up. Why do we need to change? We have a great system. But… that was in 2019. Fast forward to 2020, when nothing is the same. The pandemic forced us to make many changes. This year we minimized the number of judges and volunteers in the back room. Thanks to the generosity of Chris Pearmund and Effingham Manor Winery, we had their event space for midweek judging. The barrel room served as the back room. The “normal” back room has 30 or 40 banquet tables set up, and cases of wine are stacked all around the edges of a vast banquet hall. This would not work in the barrel room, so we came up with a new plan. Only the wines would be in the back room. Eliminating all the glasses made the space requirements in the back room go down. Six-foot social distancing made the spacing requirements for the judges go way up, but that was easily managed in the large event space. Coravin saved the day when it came to wine management. We had to come up with all sorts of different ways of doing things and keeping everyone safe, and without the Coravin, it would have been difficult at best. We were able to decant the wines in the back room and carry them out to the judge’s tables. Each team of judges had a two table setup so we could pour into the judge’s glasses at the empty one while the judges judged at the other, avoiding as much contact as possible. Gone were the array of banquet tables in the back room full of flights of glasses. Gone were the noisy carts bringing out the flight glasses for each judge. There were compromises. Also gone were fresh glasses for every flight. Coravin made it easy to revisit a previous flight, even if it was the next day or the next week. The wine was still the same as it was for the original tasting. Coravin also kept lots of good wine from going down the drain at the end of the day (which was our normal procedure). The methods we came up with this year work really well! They need some tweaking, but both judges and Somms loved the two tables per judge team. Wines were easily poured, and there was no downtime with judges waiting for wines. The opportunity for errors in pouring was much lower. Every time a bottle or glass is touched, there’s an opportunity to make an error. We didn’t have to pour out a single flight due to uncertainty, which we did at least once a day under the old system. It would have been more fun to have the competition in conjunction with conference, but the virtual conference was great, with more of our chapter members participating than would have in person. I think everyone learned a lot on how to do things differently, and maybe we will continue to see more virtual and in-person sharing of great wines. In our chapter, using Coravin allowed us to pour a greater variety of banquet wines since our small group didn’t have to worry about finishing a full bottle. Hopefully the world will be back to normal by fall, and we will see you in Atlantic City!

Margy Natalie Page 6

Government Affairs

-classified, it would force them to be sold through state approved wholesalers. Wine distributors lose and the wholesalers win.

Washington, DC

Michigan SB 1138 is meant to preclude an internet only retailer from shipping into the state. It would require “qualified retailers” to hold and maintain a retail food establishment license under Michigan law, which is pretty much impossible for out-of-state retailers to do. This Bill could be unconstitutional if it becomes law. All of these Bills could be challenged if outof-state wine retailer shipping becomes federal law.

Congress has a lot on its plate and not much of an appetite to get anything done before the end of the year. Their top priority is to approve a temporary funding bill before funding runs out at midnight on December 11th. This would extend spending at previously agreed upon rates. The reason for the temporary bill is because Congress has failed to agree on a spending budget for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2021. Columbus, OH Don’t look for any agreement on the budget until sometime after the anticipated Presidential Inauguration, whenever that The Ohio Attorney General has settled with one of the seven will be. defendants from their 21st Amendment Enforcement Act lawsuit. This lawsuit was issued to stop illegal sales of alcoholic The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act beverages by out-of-state retailers. Defendant Ace Spirits will (CBMTRA) has reduced federal excise tax rates for every winery in the country. The bigger the winery, the greater the per- not be fined but must agree to pay a $150 fine for each future shipment of wine or spirits into the state of Ohio. They also centage of savings. A 10,000 gallon per year winery only agreed to warn their customers that they are not able to ship saves $1000 a year over the “old” tax rate. A 100,000 gallon alcoholic beverages into Ohio. Defendants Wine.com and Winc winery saves $3000 a year. A 200,000 gallon winery saves have asked for extensions to prepare their responses or to $112,450! work out settlements with the state of Ohio. Both Wine.com and Winc have previously claimed that they have not broken The CBMTRA now has almost no chance of being extended before it expires at the end of 2020. There are too many other any laws. issues of greater importance, like some additional COVID stimulus funding, that need to be done before the end of the New York year. At a time when the government is looking for more ways to enhance their sources of revenue, Congress may not want to extend the reduced excise tax rates on alcoholic beverages. Constellation Brands, Inc and E. & J. Gallo Winery have asked Again, don’t look for any serious discussions on the CBMTRA the Bureau of Competition of the U.S. Federal Trade Commisuntil sometime after the anticipated Presidential Inauguration, sion (FTC) to approve of Gallo’s pending acquisition of a porwhenever that will be. tion of Constellation’s wine and spirits portfolio principally priced at $11 retail and below, including cerCongress has done so little with so much for so long, that now tain related facilities located in California, they can’t do anything with everything. New York and Washington State. If approved by the FTC, Constellation anticipates closing in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The Washington, DC & Brussels, Belgium transaction price is just over $1 billion.

Tom Cobett

So, what does aircraft manufacturing have to do with wine? The wine industries in both the US and the EU would like to tcobett@tcobettandassociates.com know. Both the US and the EU have instituted tariffs on all sorts of goods, including wine from certain EU countries, in the hopes that it will force both governments to stop subsidizing Airbus and Boeing Aircraft. The EU list of tariffs does not include U.S. wine. Wine industries on both sides of the Atlantic have financially suffered due to the tariffs. Governments seem to make less sense every day.

Golden Wines of Bordeaux Cont. from Pg. 6

With apologies to Lord Tennyson, “Ours is not to reason why. Ours is just to do or die.”

Lansing, MI SB 934 would allow a winery manufacturing less than 50,000 gallons a year, or an out-of-state entity that is equivalent to a small winemaker, to self-distribute their product to retailers. However, the proposed legislation requires any winery selfdistributing to utilize their own employees and deliver the wine in company owned vehicles.

or fatty foods such as pork terrine and chicken liver pâté) work great with these wines. And if you are having takeaway Asian foods (especially spicy dishes), the sweetness and acidity in these wines balance well and make an exciting and interesting pairing. Of course you can also serve these wines with dessert—just make sure that the wine is sweeter than the food. Poached pears or apricots can be a good choice as the fruit highlights flavors in the wine.

Although this Bill does not appear to discriminate between in and out-of-state wineries, the law would likely violate the federal Commerce Clause. It would be very difficult for small wineries in states far away from Michigan to comply with the delivery requirements. Yet it is relatively easy for Michigan wineries to comply. Small out-of-state winemakers cannot take advantage of the law’s benefit and must go through an instate distributor. This raises the cost of the out-of-state small winemaker’s wine versus the Michigan winemaker. Look for a Commerce Clause Constitutional challenge against the state of Michigan.

You can use these golden wines in cocktails. They add natural sugar and lots of complexity, lots of fruit notes and a layer of complexity you would not normally find in wine cocktails.

Michigan SB 1139 would redefine alcoholic seltzers and mixed drinks in order to exclude them from being direct shipped to consumers. In Michigan, these products are currently considered to be wines. As such, they can be shipped direct to the consumer with a wine shipping permit. If the beverages are re

Stay safe and drink wine.

AWS News December 2020

So as the holidays approach, pick up a couple of Sweet Bordeauxs from these eight AOPs and start with a cocktail, enjoy during dinner and finish with dessert. Be bold and inventive with your pairings and you may well surprise yourself!

John Sporing

john@alifewelldrunk.com

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