Wine Cellar Review

So, on to this week’s selection, two whites and a red which are available in local supermarkets and, to my taste-buds anyway, offer good value for money.

VIN de Pays des Bouches du Rhone, 2003 (white) France. (Bt. 385, Food mart, Jomtien).

The Bouches du Rhone (mouths of the Rhone) is a huge wine growing area down in the South East corner of France where the great River Rhone joins the Mediterranean Sea. The grapes come from the many vineyards between the old and picturesque French towns of Arles and  Aix-en-Provence. This pleasant “Vin de Pays” (Country Wine) doesn’t pretend to be anything terribly special, but has a lovely golden colour and the aroma of fruit and flowers. It has a fresh, delicate taste, and would probably go well with most kinds of lightly-favored fish or seafood al-though I’d be happy to drink a glass or two of this on its own, served very cold as an aperitif before dinner.

Bushman’s Gully, Semillon Chardonnay 2006 (white) Australia. (BT 395, Friendship Supermarket, South Pattaya).

“Proudly Australian” proclaims the label and they have every reason to be pleased with this Semillon Chardonnay blend. Some Chardonnays can taste a bit flabby but the addition of Semillon gives the wine a bit of body and a pleasing lemony edge. It comes from the highly respected Warburn Estate in New South Wales and I have noticed it on sale at several Pattaya restaurants - often a good sign that it is a reliable product, despite the unattractive name. At 12.5% alcohol this wine has character, with a lovely fruit and herb aroma and taste. They’ve gone easy on the oak too and the citrus hints would make this an ideal cool partner for most fish, seafood or chicken.

Cuvee Le Villiers, Vin de Table (red) France (Bt. 295, Foodland, Pattaya Klang).

Being a simple table wine, this doesn’t even have a year on the label and is therefore a blend of various wines from unspecified places. It turns out to be light, pleasant little glugger and at Bt 295 could be a decent everyday drink. I have enjoyed many bottles of this wine though not, of course on the same occasion. Incidentally, I have seen the exactly the same wine at one of the Jomtien restaurants marked up to over Bt 600. Ideally, drink this one with food, for it would go well with most meat, even chicken. And don’t believe people who tell you that you must drink white wine with chicken: often it’s the method of cooking that matters. This wine, with a quite decent 12% of alcohol would be fine with grilled chicken or a rich coq au vin and it certainly seems to improve when it is served slightly chilled.