| If you are looking for fine French wine and food, | | | | Beaujolais. And as dessert indulge yourself with Ile |
| consider the Maconnais area of the Burgundy region | | | | Flottante (Floating Island, a Meringue Island in a |
| in eastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope | | | | Custard Sea.) |
| that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education | | | | OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste |
| tour in which we review a local white Chardonnay. | | | | and review are purchased at the full retail price. |
| Among France's eleven wine-growing regions | | | | Wine Reviewed Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC 'En Paradis' 2003 |
| Burgundy (with its neighbor Beaujolais) is fourth in | | | | Louis Latour 12.6% about $18.50 |
| vineyard acreage. Partisans, and they are many, claim | | | | Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. This |
| that Burgundy is really the number one or number | | | | pretty wine from the Maconnais is pale yellow in color |
| two wine-producing region in France, if not in the | | | | and has a beautiful nose of lemon, honey, apple, and |
| world. The wine reviewed below comes from the | | | | tropical fruit. It is elegant and pleasing revealing |
| Maconnais area of southern Burgundy, whose wine | | | | hazelnut and fruit flavors on tasting. This wine is |
| production is almost 90% white, almost exclusively | | | | perfect for drinking now. |
| Chardonnay. While this area produces three times as | | | | This Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel |
| much white wine as the other areas of Burgundy, is | | | | tanks and never saw the inside of an oak barrel. The |
| not very well known. | | | | Pouilly-Vinzelles is a not very well-known neighbor of |
| If you are visiting the Maconnais area, and you really | | | | the more expensive Pouilly-Fuisse. And now for the |
| should, make sure to stop by the village of Cluny and | | | | review. |
| its medieval abbey, once the largest church in all | | | | My first meal was a Poulet Chasseur (Chicken |
| Europe. Today the site lies in ruins, as it has been | | | | Cacciatore) that I was particularly proud of. The wine |
| since the French Revolution, but what ruins. This site | | | | was very delicate and yet not weak. Its apple flavor |
| includes a horse-breeding center which was founded | | | | expressed itself well. I enjoyed how the wine's acid |
| by Napoleon using stone from the abbey. You'll also | | | | dealt with the meat's grease, which was relatively |
| want to see the Musee Ochier, a Romanesque | | | | low because I cooked the chicken without its skin. |
| lapidary museum. Don't forget to tour the town of | | | | The next meal was more pedestrian. It consisted of |
| Autun once called Augustodonum, city of Augustus. | | | | chicken legs in a soy, onion, and garlic sauce. The |
| The original name refers to Augustus Caesar who | | | | wine was refreshing and pleasant but fairly short. |
| modestly described it as "the sister and rival of Rome | | | | Continuing to work my way down the food scale, |
| itself." Avoid disappointment, don't expect Rome II. | | | | the next pairing involved a baked noodle dish, a |
| But do visit Autun's Portes (Archways) and the | | | | cheese-less lasagna with tomatoes, onions, peas, and |
| Theatre Romain, once the largest arena in Gaul | | | | chicken hamburger. The wine was appley and floral |
| (Roman France) with room for 15,000 spectators. | | | | and went very well with the meal, but seemed a bit |
| Every August (could that be a coincidence?) | | | | 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 at | | | | omelet with brown mushrooms, local provolone |
| the local military academy, where at age nine the | | | | cheese, and the fixings. The wine was pleasant but |
| future Emperor first learnt French. | | | | not at all special, in fact it was not particularly |
| Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported | | | | present. |
| cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at | | | | The wine and cheese tastings were more successful |
| a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here | | | | than usual. The first pairing was with a soft, buttery |
| are a few suggestions of what to eat with | | | | northern Italian Bel Paese cow's milk cheese. This |
| indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. | | | | cheese seemed to intensify the wine's flavor. Then I |
| Start with Pate en Croute de Grenouilles au Bleu de | | | | tried the wine with a French Saint-Aubin, also a soft |
| Bresse (Frog and Bresse Blue-Cheese Pie). For your | | | | cow's milk cheese. In its presence the wine became |
| second course savor Poulet de Bresse à la | | | | softer. |
| Creme-Trompettes de la Mort (Free-Range Bresse | | | | Final verdict. I'm not sure. This wine was sometimes |
| Chicken in Creamy Sauce with Horns of Plenty | | | | quite good, but I think it was too expensive. What |
| Mushrooms). Read more about Bresse chickens in our | | | | do you expect from a Burgundy? By the way, the |
| article I Love French Wine and Food - A Red | | | | label's term En Paradis was not the least bit justified. |