Wine Cellar Review

There are five other regions in France where VIN de pays is grown but this attractive area of the South East is the most prolific producer. VIN de Pays wines do not aspire to greatness but many of them are pleasing wines, often light and fruity.

Today’s selection include two red Vins de Pays and an Argentinean white, which to my taste offer excellent value for money.

Baron d’Arignac, 2005 (red) France. (Bt. 379 at Villa Supermarket and others)

This is familiar item in local supermarkets with its characteristic label portrait of a bewigged aristocrat, presumably the Baron himself, if he ever existed. It’s a VIN de Pays that hails from an area known as the Aude, a vast rambling hilly region that’s not far from the splendid medieval walled city of Carcassonne.

The wine is a bright clear red, plenty of fruit in the taste with a fresh and soft strawberry-like finish. Although there is the tiniest hint of spiciness, the wine has a light and sweetish aftertaste. “Mellow” it says on the label and I tend to agree. There are no heavy tannins either and a non-threatening 11% alcohol content, which is only 1% higher than the minimum officially required by French well with most meats, pastas or especially with cheese. If you normally chill your reds, go easy on this one. If it has served too cold the delicate fruity flavors could be masked.

“Sediento” Torrontes-Chardonnay, (white) Argentina. (Bt. 349 at Wine Connection, the Avenue)

Two hours by plane from Buenos Aires lays the province of Mendoza, the home of the Argentinean wine industry and the only place where the Torrontes grape is cultivated. It is unclear how this grape found its way to Argentina. It may have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean and was brought to the Argentine by Spanish colonists. No one knows for sure. Nevertheless, the Torrontes, along with the Malbec has become a specialty of that country.

Sediento is a Torrontes-Chardonnay blend and comes from the vineyards of the Lanzarini family who arrived from Italy at the turn of the 20th century. With a pale lemon colour, this wine has a sweetish, flowery and fruity aroma with a reminder of pears and pineapples.

It has a full-bodied flavor and an almost creamy texture, with a satisfying balance of acidity. The strength comes through assertively too, which is hardly surprising for this wine has a generous 13% of alcohol, quite high for table wines. Some people might find this wine a bit too heady to knock back on its own and would prefer it with food. I would suggest lightly cooked chicken or the kinds of fish that have a flaky dry texture, such as hoki. The wine has a very satisfying lingering, slightly spicy finish with a hint of vanilla.

If you want to taste this wine at its best, serve it cold. About 35 minutes in the freezer should do the trick.

Tour de Floradice 2006 (red) France. (Bt. 319, Villa Supermarket)

Back to the Midi for this one, made from a single grape variety: the Merlot. This grape was (and still is) traditionally used to “soften” the fine red wines of Bordeaux, whose primary grape is the assertive and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Merlot is a versatile plant and has become one of the world’s most planted grape varieties. The name “Merlot” by the way, comes from the old southern

French word for “a young blackbird.” Not many people know that.

Some Merlots, including a well-known brand from South America, are so soft and bland that they have little character and eventually become too boring to drink. The makers of Tour de Floradice have successfully avoided this problem and produced a very pleasing and balanced wine with a fruity aroma. (If you cannot smell the fruit, slosh the wine around in the glass for a few moments to help release the smell.)

This is a pleasingly light-bodied wine with a nice light touch of acidity to “cut” the characteristic softness of the Merlot. It comes in at a hefty 13% alcohol, although you would never guess, at least not until you are half way through the bottle. It has a pleasant finish too, with hints of tropical fruit. You can enjoy this with meat that is more assertive or pasta dishes and of course, with French-style cheese. It really does benefit from half an hour or so in the fridge to tighten up the body.