Gesundheit.

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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

"You Can Be a Bourgeois, Too"

I like wine. I like it a lot. Coincidentally, I drink it a lot. I like to try new wines, especially inexpensive ones, to make my wine-drinking as rewarding as possible. I would like to announce that I have found what I think is one of the most amazing vineyards, across the board. Check out Henri Bourgeois wines. My favorite in the under-$15 range: Petit Bourgeois.


Made from Loire grapes which are fermented in stainless steel, this is a very clean and pleasant white table wine that goes with just about anything, except maybe red meats. One of two wines I've found that red-drinkers will like. Scored an 84/100 from Wine Spectator in 2003. My first choice in the liquor store - I always like to have a bottle in the house.


For a little bit more money, try the Menetou-Salon or the Haute Victoire. The Menetou is a Sauvignon Blanc grown in a chalky-clay terroir and tastes very fresh. A little more citrus in the nose than the Petit Bourgeois, and fermented longer than the PB as well.


Haute Victoire is also a Sauvignon Blanc, grown in a sandy gravel terroir. HV is fermented longer than the PB as well, and bottled in April. Recommended for seafood, the HV is citrusy and perhaps the liveliest of the three whites.
Now, I would be remiss if I did not include a red suggestion for my red-drinking friends, and here it is:


Les Bonnes Bouches Rouge is a pinot noir grown in the chalky-clay terroir. Aged in oak barrels, the grapes are previously pumped over twice daily for maximum color and tannin extraction. Suitable for both white and red meats, you will taste hints of cherries in a nice round finish.
Now its time for me to go home and raise a toast to you, dear reader.