2007 ~ No. 6    

Fire Up the Grill!

Summer is all about ballpark franks and beer…a day at the beach and beer…the backyard barbeque and…wine?

You didn’t read that wrong. With beer and wine running neck and neck for most popular among American drinkers, you’re likely to see bottles of Merlot or Pinot Gris hanging out next to the keg at the neighborhood barbeque.

This is a testament to the increasing approachability of wine, and indeed, this is not the time to show off that prized Bordeaux. In fact, for grilling in the backyard, a good $10 bottle of vino is your best bet. Look for medium-bodied reds that offer savory flavors and enough oomph to stand up to the zesty, smoky flavors of food that’s fresh off the grill.

Zinfandel – the quintessential American grape –thus makes the quintessential barbeque wine. Chianti also offers a nice piquancy that plays nicely with barbeque flavors, while Merlot is an easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing choice. Some of the best barbeque wines come from France, in the form of “country wines” from the regions of Languedoc, Roussillon and Provence.

Red wine in summer can be a little hot, so here’s a tip: put the wine in the fridge for about 30 minutes before popping the cork. That will give it just enough chill to take the edge off and bring out the best flavors of the wine.

However, if red wine in summer is beyond your ken, fret not. There are plenty of white wines to choose from as well. With its lively, fresh character, Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the best wine for the backyard festivities or, really, any summer occasion. Other good bets are Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc (two versions of essentially the same grape) or an off-dry Riesling from Alsace, which adds a touch of sweetness that parries the full, lusty flavors of barbeque. Or, go the other way and complement the grill’s spicy flavor with a Gewürztraminer, known for its pungent character.

And, hey, this is summer so it’s perfectly okay to forgo stemmed glassware in favor of stemless, or even a simple glass tumbler, in the Italian tradition. So kick back, pour some wine, and see if it just doesn’t add a little thrill to your grill!

Experiencing Bandol

On a recent trip to France, I suggested to my husband that we head to Bandol for some Mediterranean sunshine and wine tasting. Turns out, we were one-half for two - it was an overcast day, and only some wineries were open, despite printed hours to the contrary. C’est la vie.

Bandol is a seaside town in Provence, with a natural harbor that’s home to some 1,500 boats and a long promenade that is a smaller, more sedate version of Venice Beach. (In lieu of performance art, a man wheeling a basket was delivering fresh eggs to customers.)

The first vines were planted here over 2,500 years ago and, over the years, the town’s proximity to Marseille was very good for exporting. According to Andre Domine’s book Wine, demand for Bandol’s wine was so great during the 18th century that more than 1.5 million gallons of it were exported annually – a production level significantly higher than today’s.

Mourvedre is the pride of this vinous community, making up roughly half the grapes planted here. Other red grapes, including Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, are allowed in the blend. Fresh, fragrant white wines are produced from a variety of native grapes, including Clairette, Bourboulenc and Ugni Blanc. Bandol is also known for producing some pretty kicky rose wines.

For those of us in the US, perhaps the most famous - to use the term loosely - Bandol wine is Domaine Tempier (seen in photo), which was, as advertised, open. This estate has been around since the reign of Louis XV, and in the Tempier family since 1834. Roughly 68% of production is red wine, including a blended cuvee as well as vineyard-designates, 30% rose, and just 2% white wine. These wines are some of Bandol’s best, with good character and quality, and we were able to sample some of their current releases:

Rouge 2003: A great table wine with lovely aromas of dark fruits and earth that fairly leap out of the glass. It is made with fruit from the domaine’s various vineyards and is typically 70% Mourvedre, with Grenache, Cinsault and a touch of Carignan in the final cuvee.

Rose 2006: Its depth of color echoes the medium-bodied character of this wine, a blend of 50% Mourvedre, with the balance Grenache and Cinsault. Its flavors are a refreshing combination of fruit and spice.

Cuvee Miguoa 2002: From their vineyard in Beausset, this wine is primarily Mourvedre with Cinsault playing a supporting role. Slightly tannic with wonderful tones of damp earth and dark, ripe fruits, this is definitely a food wine!

We also had an interesting stop at Domaines Bunan, which is up the unlikeliest road off the unlikeliest turnoff you ever will find. (The tourist wine-route map helpfully offers many road names, but not for this one. Not that there was a road sign anyway. Thankfully, the winery’s marketing staff is savvy enough to post their own directional signs!)

There was less enthusiasm for these wines. While all technically good, they all came across as average, at least to my palate. A French gentleman also in the tasting room clearly disagreed: He was purchasing four cases to take home. However, when the woman staffing the room (one of the many family members in the business) found out we were from New York, she told us about Bandol, a restaurant on the Upper East Side owned by still more family members. This bistro is dedicated to regional cuisine and serves wine imported from the estate. (It’s located at 181 E. 78th, for the curious.)

After this, we attempted to visit several other domaines listed on the wine trail, all claiming to be ouvert. Unfortunately, these places actually were ferme. Though the doors were unlocked, the lights were off with no one inside.

It may be different on a weekend or during high tourist season, but based on our experience, anyone wanting to taste an array of Bandol wines may want to stay in town and hit one of two tasting rooms along the main drag. Accompanied by a lovely lunch at one of the many cafes and bistros along the sea, it’s not a bad way to wile away an afternoon.

A Word (or Several) About Rose

This is the time of year when wine stores fill their windows with bottles of pink wine and hang signs declaring, “Rose Season Is Here!” Rose wines were touted last year as the latest trend, written up in many articles and garnering much praise as the perfect wine for summer.

Is there something to this, or is it all a bunch of hype?

Luckily, rose has come a long way since the days of white zinfandel (which is generally considered a blush wine, not a true rose.) Today, it is a much more urbane drink – though it hasn’t lost its youthful exuberance, which is key to its charm.

Good quality rose is basically red wine that has been crafted with minimal skin contact. (Contact with the grape skins is a key element of fermentation that helps give red wines their color, extraction, flavor, and much more.)

Today, rose is all about diversity. It is made from a wide variety of dark-skinned grapes, can be the most delicate pink shade or so deep and dusky it is almost red, and has flavors ranging from fresh-berry fruity to exotically spicy to slightly earthy and everything in between.

The commonality is a crisp, refreshing feel that does, indeed, make rose an ideal summertime wine. It is lovely as an aperitif, sipped on its own as you watch the sunset. It also pairs well with lighter foods, and shines with fish, particularly salmon. It is perfect for picnics in the park, alfresco dinners, or sitting with your feet in the kiddie pool!