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Three for Three! Along with writer/chef Matthew Wexler of www.roodeloo.com and writer/photographer (her pics above) Carly Caryn of  EyeforStyle.cc we took on a tasting of three wines from the Gerard Bertrand collection. All from the South of France, these wines were bargains and delightful to sip on a summer night with friends. We started with the 2010 Cremant de Limoux. It was light, clear, nice bubbles, crisp with a hint of toastiness. This type of bubbly along with Blanquette de Limoux (similar in style, with a different makeup of grapes)  seem to always give good bang for the buck. Especially if you want a wine that resembles a true Champagne, CdL is made in the same method of second fermentation in bottle, but without the price of the stuff from up north. Next up was the Gris Blanc. Just looking at the bottle (and not closely a the label) I believed this wine to be a white wine, but when you look at the label it says it a rose. Made from Grenache Gris, which is a grape that is grayish, yet does have some color to impart. The must must’ve spent barely a moment in contact with the skins, because it is very light for a rose, more of a peach color. It was very easy to drink, with it’s simple, light, nice fruit. You could sip this at a summer picnic all day and night. Last up was the Muscat. The label proudly heralds it’s 10% abv, which lets the drinker know right away that this might be an off-dry or sweet wine. Best served with dessert, maybe fresh berries, this blend of two Muscats (Alexandria and Petit Grains), had a robust lychee, coconut and tropical fruit nose.  In general, I really love the IGPs (new French labeling designation which stands for Indication Geographique Protegee) of the Sud de France. They are coming up strong in the US market as good value wines that are perfect for everyday drinking. Gerard Bertrand does a great job proudly representing the region.  Simple, approachable and refreshing! A votre sante! Check out my friends’ take on these wines at: Eye for Style Roo de Loo
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Three for Three!

Along with writer/chef Matthew Wexler of www.roodeloo.com and writer/photographer (her pics above) Carly Caryn of  EyeforStyle.cc we took on a tasting of three wines from the Gerard Bertrand collection. All from the South of France, these wines were bargains and delightful to sip on a summer night with friends.

We started with the 2010 Cremant de Limoux. It was light, clear, nice bubbles, crisp with a hint of toastiness. This type of bubbly along with Blanquette de Limoux (similar in style, with a different makeup of grapes)  seem to always give good bang for the buck. Especially if you want a wine that resembles a true Champagne, CdL is made in the same method of second fermentation in bottle, but without the price of the stuff from up north.

Next up was the Gris Blanc. Just looking at the bottle (and not closely a the label) I believed this wine to be a white wine, but when you look at the label it says it a rose. Made from Grenache Gris, which is a grape that is grayish, yet does have some color to impart. The must must’ve spent barely a moment in contact with the skins, because it is very light for a rose, more of a peach color. It was very easy to drink, with it’s simple, light, nice fruit. You could sip this at a summer picnic all day and night.

Last up was the Muscat. The label proudly heralds it’s 10% abv, which lets the drinker know right away that this might be an off-dry or sweet wine. Best served with dessert, maybe fresh berries, this blend of two Muscats (Alexandria and Petit Grains), had a robust lychee, coconut and tropical fruit nose. 

In general, I really love the IGPs (new French labeling designation which stands for Indication Geographique Protegee) of the Sud de France. They are coming up strong in the US market as good value wines that are perfect for everyday drinking. Gerard Bertrand does a great job proudly representing the region.  Simple, approachable and refreshing! A votre sante!

Check out my friends’ take on these wines at:

Eye for Style

Roo de Loo

Thanks to my British Buddies for this great article about chilling reds in the summer… which works for this side of the pond as well! Chilled Red is the New White by Mark Andrew When the sun rears its seldom seen head, you will find many a wine drinker reaching into the fridge for their ice cold Sauvignon Blanc or crisp and fresh rosé. And why not? An invigorating dry white or refreshing pink may just fit the bill….. …..but if you come to my house during the great British summer, there will be something different waiting in the fridge to have its cork pulled – red wine. Chillable reds are all the rage and thanks to the increase in popularity of lighter style red wines, there is a wide choice of perfect candidates for a spell in the ice box before they are opened. The questions I get asked when presenting my befuddled drinking partners with something cold and purple (ahem..), usually involve why and what? For many people the thought of a cold red wine has never crossed their mind. The answer to ‘why?’ is usually found in the first revelatory sip from the glass, but the basic premise is that whereas whites and rosés do the refreshing part really well, they rarely satisfy the palate in the same way that a red wine can. Chilled reds can reach the parts that other cold wines cannot reach, thanks to their bright succulent fruit and a fuller body than their white and pink counterparts. Why Chilling Works for Some Reds, and Not for Others But what should you look for in a wine to know that it will be right for chilling? The main thing to remember is that as the wine’s temperature drops, certain characteristics will become magnified (acidity, tannin, fruit) and other things will become more difficult to discern (nuance, complexity, alcohol and residual sugar).  As tannin becomes more pronounced the wine gets more bitter and astringent, but a heightened perception of acidity will make the wine seem fresher and more vibrant (up to a point). The primary aromas and flavours of fresh fruit will have their volume turned up as the temperature drops, while the secondary and tertiary notes that bring complexity will be locked up as the molecular activity in the wine slows down in the cold. For both red and white wines, cold termperatures are the enemy of complexity – but then who needed complexity when its 33°C by the swimming pool? OK, OK, in the UK its more likely to be 23°C and cloudy by the fish pond. Either way, this is not the time or the place to be wowed by the nuances of a mature fine wine – what we want is refreshment! Choosing a Chillable Red So, on that basis, we are looking for a young and fruity wine with low tannin. Grapes like Gamay, Tempranillo, Barbera, and young examples of Pinot Noir can all work really well. Increasingly, there are winemakers treating varieties like Syrah and Grenache in a gentle enough way that they can make for great chillable reds. Regions that provide fertile hunting grounds for this style of wine include Beaujolais (perfect for chilling), Loire Valley, Northern Rhone Valley, Jura and Savoie, Piedmont (for Barbera) and Veneto (like Valpolicella – but not Amarone!). Avoid tannic wines like the plague for this purpose – they will become even more chewy and astringent. So varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Merlot, Mourvedre, Sangiovese and Malbec are to be kept out of the fridge. And stick to brightly fruited young wines rather than your grandfather’s 1961 Clarets…. Next time the sun is out, give it a try – especially if you’ve got some red meat sizzling on the barbeque! Author Bio Mark Andrew has worked in the industry with wine merchants for the past 5 years and has a particular interest in French wine. When he’s not online or at a tasting he enjoys football and wandering the vineyards of his beloved Burgundy.
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Thanks to my British Buddies for this great article about chilling reds in the summer… which works for this side of the pond as well!

Chilled Red is the New White

by Mark Andrew

When the sun rears its seldom seen head, you will find many a wine drinker reaching into the fridge for their ice cold Sauvignon Blanc or crisp and fresh rosé. And why not? An invigorating dry white or refreshing pink may just fit the bill…..

…..but if you come to my house during the great British summer, there will be something different waiting in the fridge to have its cork pulled – red wine. Chillable reds are all the rage and thanks to the increase in popularity of lighter style red wines, there is a wide choice of perfect candidates for a spell in the ice box before they are opened.

The questions I get asked when presenting my befuddled drinking partners with something cold and purple (ahem..), usually involve why and what? For many people the thought of a cold red wine has never crossed their mind. The answer to ‘why?’ is usually found in the first revelatory sip from the glass, but the basic premise is that whereas whites and rosés do the refreshing part really well, they rarely satisfy the palate in the same way that a red wine can. Chilled reds can reach the parts that other cold wines cannot reach, thanks to their bright succulent fruit and a fuller body than their white and pink counterparts.

Why Chilling Works for Some Reds, and Not for Others

But what should you look for in a wine to know that it will be right for chilling? The main thing to remember is that as the wine’s temperature drops, certain characteristics will become magnified (acidity, tannin, fruit) and other things will become more difficult to discern (nuance, complexity, alcohol and residual sugar).  As tannin becomes more pronounced the wine gets more bitter and astringent, but a heightened perception of acidity will make the wine seem fresher and more vibrant (up to a point). The primary aromas and flavours of fresh fruit will have their volume turned up as the temperature drops, while the secondary and tertiary notes that bring complexity will be locked up as the molecular activity in the wine slows down in the cold. For both red and white wines, cold termperatures are the enemy of complexity – but then who needed complexity when its 33°C by the swimming pool? OK, OK, in the UK its more likely to be 23°C and cloudy by the fish pond. Either way, this is not the time or the place to be wowed by the nuances of a mature fine wine – what we want is refreshment!

Choosing a Chillable Red

So, on that basis, we are looking for a young and fruity wine with low tannin. Grapes like Gamay, Tempranillo, Barbera, and young examples of Pinot Noir can all work really well. Increasingly, there are winemakers treating varieties like Syrah and Grenache in a gentle enough way that they can make for great chillable reds. Regions that provide fertile hunting grounds for this style of wine include Beaujolais (perfect for chilling), Loire Valley, Northern Rhone Valley, Jura and Savoie, Piedmont (for Barbera) and Veneto (like Valpolicella – but not Amarone!).

Avoid tannic wines like the plague for this purpose – they will become even more chewy and astringent. So varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Merlot, Mourvedre, Sangiovese and Malbec are to be kept out of the fridge. And stick to brightly fruited young wines rather than your grandfather’s 1961 Clarets….

Next time the sun is out, give it a try – especially if you’ve got some red meat sizzling on the barbeque!

Author Bio

Mark Andrew has worked in the industry with wine merchants for the past 5 years and has a particular interest in French wine. When he’s not online or at a tasting he enjoys football and wandering the vineyards of his beloved Burgundy.

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