Aiyaz Crystal Wine Glasses

Finish Wine

I Love French Wine and Food - A White Cote de Beaune

If you are hankering for fine French wine and food, why not consider the world famous Burgundy region in eastern France? Although it's fairly rare, you may even find a bargain. I hope you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a Chardonnay white wine coming from the Cote de Beaune region fairly close to the city of Dijon in northeastern France. Burgundy ranks fourth in acreage of France's eleven wine-growing regions if you include the Beaujolais region, even though strictly speaking Beaujolais wines aren't Burgundy wines; they don't even use the same red grapes. A lot of people will tell you that Burgundy wine is the best in France, if not in the entire world. Perhaps one day we will review a really expensive Burgundy wine. Here we review a medium-priced Burgundy that comes from the oldest negociant (wine seller) in Burgundy.

The city of Beaune is about two hundred miles southeast of Paris. It is right in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, with Cote de Beaune to the south and Cote de Nuits to the north. Stop by the Twelfth Century church called Collegiale Notre-Dame that hosts a series of tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. You'll enjoy the Marche aux Vins (Wine Market) where wine tasting is encouraged. And make sure to visit the famous Hospices de Beaune founded as a hospital for veterans of the Hundred Year's War. The Grand' Salle is truly grand, it is more than 150 feet (about 50 meters) long and still has some of the original furniture. In late November the Hospice hosts a world-class wine auction and fete.

Before reviewing the Burgundy wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and local imported food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Gougere (Grated Cheese Pastry). For your second course savor Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stewed in Red Wine). And for dessert indulge yourself with Pain d'Epices (Gingerbread).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Maison Champy Pernand-Vergelesses 2004 13% about $20.00

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: The complex set of aromas includes apricot, lemon zest, pear, mineral, oak, and a hint of butter. This dry, youthful wine is good now and will become very impressive with a few years of maturation (2-4 years). This long finishing wine will work nicely with grilled trout or Chicken Kiev.

My first meal consisted of chicken hamburgers with harissa (a Tunisian hot pepper sauce), roasted potatoes cooked in chicken fat, and spicy pickle slices. The wine was quite round and sweet. (I might have guessed it to be a Riesling.) It tasted of lime and was somewhat unctuous with a great length. Frankly, it was too good for this simple meal.

The next meal involved stove-top chicken cooked in a soy-honey sauce with rice and green beans. This Burgundy was refreshingly acidic, it tasted of white grapefruit and lemon. It was feathery and yet powerful. I fail to understand why it was sweet with the first meal, and certainly not sweet here.

The final meal was a packaged Eggplant Parmagiana to which I added lots of grated Parmesan cheese. The wine was quite long, nice and fruity, with good acidity.

The first cheese pairing was with an Emmenthaler (Swiss) cheese that actually came from Germany. The wine was multilayered and nicely acidic but not sweet. I then tried this Chardonnay with goat cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region of central western France. The wine was muted but not flattened.

Final verdict. I would buy this wine again but not waste it on plebian food pairing. I really think that it could hold its own with gourmet meals.

About the Author

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but really prefers drink fine German, Italian, or other wine. He teaches various computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. Visit his wine, nutrition, and health website www.wineinyourdiet.com .

Cherry Finish Wine Table $29.99 Traditional cherry finish wine table features a 15 1/2" top and easy, no-tools assembly. 15.5x24.75.

Beechwood Finish Wine Rack & Wine Glass Holder $144.99 Beechwood Finish Wine Rack & Wine Glass Holder is available from bedbathstore.com for only $95.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

Buffet and Hutch with Wine Rack in Warm Oak Finish $2265 Buffet and Hutch with Wine Rack in Warm Oak Finish

Baker's Rack with Wine Storage Bronze Finish $754.35 Baker's Rack with Wine Storage Bronze Finish

Wine Table with French Design in Champagne Grey Finish $303 Wine Table with French Design in Champagne Grey Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Dark Walnut Finish $1105.95 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Dark Walnut Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Dark Brown Finish $1130.55 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Dark Brown Finish

Bar Table with Wine Rack Dark Bronze Finish $397.5 Bar Table with Wine Rack Dark Bronze Finish

Wine Storage Shelf in Brushed Copper Finish $300.16 Wine Storage Shelf in Brushed Copper Finish

Wine Rack with Steamware Rack in Mahogany Finish $318 Wine Rack with Steamware Rack in Mahogany Finish

Wine Rack with Eco-Friendly Bamboo in Natural Finish $47.55 Wine Rack with Eco-Friendly Bamboo in Natural Finish

Server with Wine Rack Rich Cappuccino Finish $812.1 Server with Wine Rack Rich Cappuccino Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Rich Walnut Finish $1095.3 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Rich Walnut Finish

Server with Wine Glass Rack Distress Walnut Finish $1325.4 Server with Wine Glass Rack Distress Walnut Finish

Server with Wine Rack Contemporary Style Walnut Finish $1189.8 Server with Wine Rack Contemporary Style Walnut Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Cherry Finish $1074.6 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Cherry Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Chocolate Brown Finish $1021.8 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Chocolate Brown Finish

Sideboard Server with Wine Bottle Storage in Black Finish $1164.15 Sideboard Server with Wine Bottle Storage in Black Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Deep Cappuccino Finish $1074.6 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Deep Cappuccino Finish

Baker's Rack with Wine Rack Dark Bronze Finish $295.05 Baker's Rack with Wine Rack Dark Bronze Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Black Finish $1029.15 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack Black Finish

Floor Standing Wine Cooler in Black and Copper Finish $247.2 Floor Standing Wine Cooler in Black and Copper Finish

Server with Wine Rack Checker Design Walnut Finish $1072.2 Server with Wine Rack Checker Design Walnut Finish

Home Bar Unit with Wine Rack in Cherry Finish $2430 Home Bar Unit with Wine Rack in Cherry Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Natural Finish $739.36 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Natural Finish

Walnut Finish Wine Bar $149.99 Includes drawer for wine accessory storage. Storage area for glasses and 12 bottles. Walnut finish. Dimensions: 22.5X14X38. Assembly required. This item requires Boscov's Home Delivery Service (within a 40 mile radius of any Boscov's store). For further information, click on Alternate View.

Wine $29.95 Wine

Padmas Plantation MODWINEDK Modulare Modulare Wine Unit Dark Finish $3269.7 The perfect wine unit for wine lovers on a smaller scale The Modulare Wine Unit is the perfect size for the casual wine collector and entertainer. The wine holder will accomodate 18 bottles of wine and contains further storage for your stemware and other entertainment essentials. This unit is made out of mahogany wood and veneers in a rich and elegant dark finish.

Buffet with Wine Rack and Slate Inlay in Warm Oak Finish $1418.85 Buffet with Wine Rack and Slate Inlay in Warm Oak Finish

Kitchen Island Cart with Wine Storage in Antique Oak Finish $1141.8 Kitchen Island Cart with Wine Storage in Antique Oak Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Dark Brown Mahogany Finish $886.5 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Dark Brown Mahogany Finish

Loveseat Sofa with Cherry Finish Legs in Wine Eco Leather $850.8 Loveseat Sofa with Cherry Finish Legs in Wine Eco Leather

Wine Rack with Eco-Friendly Bamboo in Dark Espresso Finish $48.6 Wine Rack with Eco-Friendly Bamboo in Dark Espresso Finish

Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Warm Medium Oak Finish $1096.95 Server Sideboard with Wine Rack in Warm Medium Oak Finish

Counter Height Dining Table with Wine Rack Antique Brass Finish $640.35 Counter Height Dining Table with Wine Rack Antique Brass Finish

Classic Brown Finish Home Bar Unit with Wine Storage & Drawers $1449.9 Classic Brown Finish Home Bar Unit with Wine Storage & Drawers

Curio China Cabinet with Wine Glass Holders Warm Oak Finish $1159.65 Curio China Cabinet with Wine Glass Holders Warm Oak Finish

Wall Mount Metal Wine Storage Rack in Multi Finish $94.5 Wall Mount Metal Wine Storage Rack in Multi Finish

Wine Cooler with Floor Stand in Antique Copper and Gold Finish $223.2 Wine Cooler with Floor Stand in Antique Copper and Gold Finish

Wall-Mounted Wine Rack in Antique Gold and Copper Finish $167.85 Wall-Mounted Wine Rack in Antique Gold and Copper Finish