Chateauneuf du Pape, a style of wine

"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world"
Ernest Hemingway

Grape du Jour:
Chateauneuf du Pape [shah-to-nuhf-doo-PAHP] This is not a grape but more a style of wine, named after the town, that's made with a variety of grapes. These are blended wines and each grape has its place in the blend. They can be red or white blends, but the Pape (POPE) of the region are the red blends. So, let's talk about the grapes. The town of Chateauneuf du Pape is in the southern Rhone Valley in France. They have the unique rule in France where up to 13 grapes can be used to make a wine from that town. The two main grapes that are prevalent in all wines from this region are Grenache and Syrah. Cinsault and Mourvedre are the main additions. There are up to 20 different other varietals that are grown in the southern Rhone Valley, and any of them can end up in the blend. These wines are medium to full-bodied and have flavors galore. The Rhone is Provence and all the great foods and flavors the make Provencal food the best in France. Fresh herbs such as marjoram, sage, oregano, and tarragon grow wild all over the hills. Lavender and mustard greens are staples of Provencal cuisine. Red, ripe tomatoes, zucchini's of all kinds and eggplant are grown in abundance. Pork, game and poultry are the main proteins. Slow roasted and quick fired are the methods of preparation. Chateauneuf du Papes are at their best when enjoying food of this nature. The red blends all have a white pepper, lavender, red raspberry and red currant notes. The white blends have a floral, spicy and nutty quality to them. These are food wines and should be enjoyed out on the patio with friends. Enjoy!!

Recommendations:
The 2007 vintage enjoyed a late harvest and had perfect balance of fruit notes with silky tannins.
The 2008 vintage has a strong, supple terrior driven backbone with lavender, sage and dried fruit on the nose.

Vieux Telegraphe
Chateau La Nerth
Clos des Papes

Come visit The Wine Lover soon. We have a great tasting with Tolosa Winery on Saturday the 16th and Nick Z and Friends on Sunday the 17th. Check out the website for more info and make reservations. Seats are filling up fast!


 

My life is horrible! Had to go to another killer wine tasting today. Not to mention, my favorite wines of all time. Guess what wines and what region? I will leave that for you to decide. The tasting left me with a lot of questions.

There is something about the Provencal way of life that leaves you wondering, should I stay or should I go? Let me explain, everyone has gone on vacation to some beauty spot in the world, the Tropics, Safari, Europe, Wine Country (anywhere) and said "I want to retire and get old here!" I lived in Hawaii for 8 years and I still want to live my end years out there. We as a society, are always looking for a better life, right? We watch Bourdain and others and want to do what they're doing. We always feel we are missing out on something. What is it that we are missing that makes us crave that X factor of life? A lot of questions but no answers. Is it the job, family, friends? Who knows. My answer to all of that is live life like a Frenchy from Provence. Eat the best food everyday, Drink Good Wine, and hang out with people that make you happy. This doesn't mean hitting the best French food spots twice a month with what might be friends and popping a bottle of French red wine and calling it a day. All it takes is for you enjoy the time you have with people that are important to you, making some really simple food and a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. Trust me, it works!
I had the pleasure of enjoying the afternoon with a brand new friend. We got to talking during lunch about my French roots and she ask me a very simple question, "what's better here than Provence?" I couldn't come up with an answer! I live in San Diego, not a bad place to call home. We have the same weather, most of the time, we enjoy a free spirit, and we have good food. I guess we are missing a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Cheers and Drink Good Wine!!
Serge