One thing the French excel at, apart from food and wine, is giving other nations inferiority complexes. Somehow they have persuaded most of the world’s educated classes that France represents the summit of human sophistication, and that by comparison the rest of us are clodhopping peasants. This delusion is particularly deep-rooted in France’s former colonies.  These countries’ middle classes are convinced that the French version is always best and their own inferior.

A friend of mine once visited the Lebanon. Before leaving, he asked me what wines to look out for. At the time the only wine worth talking about was Château Musar. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever tried Virginia wine? When it is good, it is very good indeed. And scarcely anyone has heard of it yet, which means there are some real bargains to be had.

In 2003 the state of Virginia grew 3,600 tons of grapes, producing 576,000 gallons of wine. By US standards that is not very much, and by no means of all of it has resulted in serious wine. Nevertheless, of the 80 wineries that have started up here over the past quarter-century, at least a dozen deserve close attention. And of these, the most impressive I have so far come across is Linden vineyards, an hour’s drive west of Washington, D.C.

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Above all else I am a lover of the Pinot Noir grape. If I were compelled to drink only one wine for the rest of my life, that wine would undoubtedly be a Burgundy, the grape’s highest expression. (Ah, but which one?)

But I am not a millionaire. And each year, like all non-millionaire Pinot Noir lovers, I greet the rising price of Burgundy with sighs of despair. In my household Chambertin is a wine for birthdays and occasions, not for everyday drinking. On present trends it will soon be too costly even for that. Facing such a prospect the Merry Drinker struggles to remain merry.

The one consolation is that outside France good Pinot Noir is getting easier to find. Read the rest of this entry »

I read all the time that Viognier is a highly fashionable grape. Perhaps it is, but not among anyone I know. When it is time to serve white wines, most of my friends still pour out oaky Chardonnays, citric Sauvignon Blancs and the occasional Pinot Grigio.

Nothing wrong with any of that, of course. But if you are looking for a change, Viognier is definitely a white to consider. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in the early 1990s I came across a newspaper review of a wine from Lazio, the Central Italian province surrounding Rome. The wine was a 100% Merlot. It was produced by a house called Falesco near the provincial town of Viterbo, fifty miles north of the capital. The reviewer praised it, though cautiously.

I had moved to Rome only recently, and was curious to know what a good local red tasted like. Then as now, the most prized wines were from Piedmont and Tuscany. Information about Lazio and the other regions was harder to come by. Read the rest of this entry »

I am always suspicious when the word ‘chocolate’ is used to describe wines. The same goes for cigar boxes, leather, and all the other strange things to which wines are routinely compared. But “chocolate” seems especially dubious. If a wine really did taste of chocolate, we would surely not think this a point in its favour. We would make choking noises and call for an ambulance. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of people steer clear of Gewürztraminer. They say it tastes medicinal, that it isn’t dry enough, that it is hard to match with food. To all that I say “phooey”. At its best, Gewürz offers a magnificent cavalcade of tastes and aromas, luscious and varied enough to be drunk on its own. If your wine must accompany a meal, try Gewürztraminer with foie gras, veal or any cold meat. (Some even suggest drinking it with Indian food, a proposal that makes my flesh creep.) Read the rest of this entry »

The best South American wines are still from Chile, whatever claims people make for Argentina. Of course there are some very good Argentine wines, and their numbers are growing. But a few excitable commentators are telling us that the Argentine industry will soon equal Chile’s and may even surpass it. Well, perhaps. I will take the claims seriously as soon as I taste an Argentine red on a par with Chile’s Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not expecting this to happen soon. Read the rest of this entry »