| If you are looking for fine French wine and food, | | | | dessert indulge yourself with Ile Flottante (Floating |
| consider the Maconnais area of the Burgundy | | | | Island, a Meringue Island in a Custard Sea.) |
| region in eastern France. You may find a bargain, | | | | OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we |
| and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled | | | | taste and review are purchased at the full retail |
| wine education tour in which we review a local | | | | price. |
| white Chardonnay. | | | | Wine Reviewed Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC 'En Paradis' |
| Among France's eleven wine-growing regions | | | | 2003 Louis Latour 12.6% about $18.50 |
| Burgundy (with its neighbor Beaujolais) is fourth in | | | | Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. |
| vineyard acreage. Partisans, and they are many, | | | | This pretty wine from the Maconnais is pale |
| claim that Burgundy is really the number one or | | | | yellow in color and has a beautiful nose of lemon, |
| number two wine-producing region in France, if | | | | honey, apple, and tropical fruit. It is elegant and |
| not in the world. The wine reviewed below comes | | | | pleasing revealing hazelnut and fruit flavors on |
| from the Maconnais area of southern Burgundy, | | | | tasting. This wine is perfect for drinking now. |
| whose wine production is almost 90% white, | | | | This Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel |
| almost exclusively Chardonnay. While this area | | | | tanks and never saw the inside of an oak barrel. |
| produces three times as much white wine as the | | | | The Pouilly-Vinzelles is a fairly unknown neighbor |
| other areas of Burgundy, is not very well known. | | | | to the pricey Pouilly-Fuisse. And now for the |
| If you are visiting the Maconnais area, and you | | | | review. |
| really should, make sure to stop by the village of | | | | My first meal was a Poulet Chasseur (Chicken |
| Cluny and its medieval abbey, once the largest | | | | Cacciatore) that I was particularly proud of. The |
| church in all Europe. Today the site lies in ruins, as | | | | wine was very delicate and yet not weak. Its |
| it has been since the French Revolution, but what | | | | apple flavor expressed itself well. I really liked how |
| ruins. The site contains a horse-breeding center | | | | the wine's acid handled the meat's grease, which |
| founded by Napoleon using stone from the abbey. | | | | was relatively absent as I removed most of the |
| You'll also want to see the Musee Ochier, a | | | | skin before cooking the chicken. |
| Romanesque lapidary museum. Don't forget to | | | | The next meal was more pedestrian. It consisted |
| tour the town of Autun once called | | | | of chicken legs in a soy, onion, and garlic sauce. |
| Augustodonum, city of Augustus. The original | | | | The wine was refreshing and pleasant but fairly |
| name refers to Augustus Caesar who modestly | | | | short. |
| described it as "the sister and rival of Rome itself." | | | | Continuing to work my way down the food scale, |
| Avoid disappointment, don't expect Rome II. But | | | | the next pairing involved a baked noodle dish, a |
| do visit Autun's Portes (Archways) and the | | | | cheese-less lasagna with tomatoes, onions, peas, |
| Theatre Romain, once the largest arena in Gaul | | | | and chicken hamburger. The wine was appley and |
| (Roman France) with room for 15,000 spectators. | | | | floral and went very well with the meal, but |
| Every August (could that be a coincidence?) | | | | seemed a bit wasted. |
| traditionally costumed locals put on a period piece. | | | | The final meal was disappointing. It consisted of an |
| Talking about Napoleon, he and his brother studied | | | | omelet with brown mushrooms, local provolone |
| at the local military academy, where at age nine | | | | cheese, and the fixings. The wine was pleasant |
| the future Emperor first learnt French. | | | | but not the least bit special, in fact you could say |
| Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported | | | | that it was barely present. |
| cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase | | | | The wine and cheese tastings were more |
| at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, | | | | successful than usual. The first pairing was with a |
| here are a few suggestions of what to eat with | | | | soft, buttery northern Italian Bel Paese cow's milk |
| indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. | | | | cheese. This cheese seemed to intensify the |
| Start with Pate en Croute de Grenouilles au Bleu | | | | wine's flavor. Then I tried the wine with a French |
| de Bresse (Frog and Bresse Blue-Cheese Pie). For | | | | Saint-Aubin, also a soft cow's milk cheese. In its |
| your second course savor Poulet de Bresse | | | | presence the wine became softer. |
| Ã la Creme-Trompettes de la Mort | | | | Final verdict. I'm not sure. This wine was |
| (Free-Range Bresse Chicken in Creamy Sauce | | | | sometimes quite good, but I think it was too |
| with Horns of Plenty Mushrooms). Read more | | | | expensive. What do you expect from a |
| about Bresse chickens in our article I Love French | | | | Burgundy? By the way, the label's term En Paradis |
| Wine and Food - A Red Beaujolais. And as | | | | was not the least bit justified. |