(WINE) VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Do high brow connoisseurs ever get tired of their daily diet of First Growth Bordeaux, California Trophy Cabs or Grand Crus Burgundies? I would. How about the financially challenged drinker who has found a refuge inside the House of Two Buck Chuck? How long can s/he last in this Cabzinchardonnay triangle? Sooner or later you turn, heaven forbid, to beer or to my blog.

There is more good wine from obscure varieties and areas out there than ever before. Fashions come and go. Today's "go-to-wine" (please, help me banish this expression!), is tomorrow's old hat. But quality endures, no matter what fashion dictates. One caveat. We are dealing here with some odd birds. Still, tracking them down is worth your while.

ALTO ADIGE (ITALY): Land of the Dolomites with a hybrid Italian/Tyrolian culture.

     LAGREIN: Indigenous red variety, once only thought to be suitable for Rose. The beast has been tamed and in the right hands now yields delicious red wines.
Recommendation: Cantina Convento Muri-Gries - This monastery's Lagrein vineyards are considered of "grand cru" quality. Check winesearcher.com - "Lagrein." Entry level $15. I tasted their outstanding "Riserva" at the recent Gambero Rosso "Tre Bicchieri" tasting.

     TRAMINER: The slightly less pungent progenitor of Gewuerztraminer, hailing from the village of Tramin/Tramino in Alto Adige.
Recommendation: Kellerei Tramin/Cantina Tramino (winesearcher.com)

CAMPANIA (ITALY): We are moving from the extreme North of Italy to the very South of the boot.

     GRECO: Noble, indigenous white variety, likely of Greek origin by way of Greek colonists who settled in the South of Italy during antiquity.
Recommendation: Cantina Leonardi Taurasi "Grecomusc'." Tasted at Biondivino, San Francisco's premier purveyor of Italian wines (biondivino.com) or check with the importer (omwines.com). Straight out delicious! Not that cheap, but a real treat.

BURGUNDY (FRANCE): The really exalted stuff, White (Chardonnay) and Red (Pinot Noir), is now the privilege of those who hide their money in offshore accounts or Swiss banks.

     ALIGOTE: Indigenous white grape, junior to the ubiquitous Chardonnay, higher in acidity than the latter, yielding delicious wines if the weather plays along.
Recommendation: K&L Wines (KLWines.com)  usually carries two different Aligotes -around $15

LOIRE (FRANCE): This is the black hole of the French winescape that deserves a special blog.

     CHENIN BLANC: Indigenous, noble grape variety of the region. It comes in all styles: bone dry, semi-sweet, and sweet, all age worthy in good years. Make sure you get the style you prefer. Best known appellations are Vouvray, Savennieres, and Montlouis.

Recommendation: Check out inventory at KLWines.com. Some Loire Chenins can be yours for around $15.

     CABERNET FRANC: One of the minor grape varieties of Bordeaux has found a home in the Loire Valley. Try to be the first one on your block to actually like the wines made from CF. I am a huge fan, but most of the Cab drinkers I know can't wrap their heads around it. If you are not bothered by herbal aromatics, this is for you. Good vintages age magnificently. Major appellations are Chinon and Bourgueil.
Recommendation: Major purveyors are Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant (kermitlynch.com) and KLWines.com. $15 will get you a good bottle.

THERMENREGION (AUSTRIA): Small wine district southwest of Vienna with high standards.

     ZIERFANDLER-ROTGIPFLER: Don't even try to pronounce these teutonic tongue twisters. These indigenous varieties are usually blended and have long been the source of a highly regarded wine called "Gumpoldskirchner." It's a rich, well-balanced white with lots of body and a spicy aroma.
Recommendation: Only place I ever saw it in the San Fransco Bay Area was at KLWines.com. Costs between $15 and $20. Also check with Biondivino (biondivino.com). The owner, Ceri Smith, specializes in Italian wines, but is also fond of Austrian varieties.

NEUSIEDLER SEE AND BURGENLAND (AUSTRIA): Both districts are southeast of Vienna where continental climate prevails (i.e. hot, dry summers, very cold winters).

     BLAUFRAENKISCH: Reds of real character with good acidity. Entry level bottles ($15) are for early consumption.
Recommendation: Good selection at KLWines.com

      RUSTER AUSBRUCH : Rust is an adorable, quaint town near the Neusiedler Lake. Ausbruch is not a grape but a noble dessert wine which is enjoying a revival. Furmint, the variety used to make the great Tokaj wines, was once widely grown around Rust and wineries are increasing plantings of this noble grape. This might be the best deal in botrytis (noble rot) affected sweet wines out there.
Recommendation: Check winesearcher.com. Not exactly a cheapy, but one 500ml bottle will provide a great dessert for six.

BORDEAUX BASICS: THE REDS

"Appellation Controlée: Bordeaux" 

 Multiple plate etching by the Wine Meister

THE SETTING

Bordeaux is the world's largest quality wine district and offers an amazing range of red wines, priced from ten dollars per bottle to over a thousand from the top chateaux. However, almost all Bordeaux reds have one thing in common. They are blends of grape varieties indigenous to the region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The first two varieties are by far the most planted ones and dominate the blends.

While California introduced varietal labeling (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon) to the wine world, France is largely sticking to a "terroir" system. French law in most cases doesn't permit varietal labeling, which may baffle consumers.

"Bordeaux" is the huge wine district in Southwest France along the Rivers Dordogne and Garonne, which eventually join to form the Gironde. The Gironde estuary is bordered by the largest sub district, the Medoc, where the premier grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon. Just before the confluence of the rivers lies Bordeaux, France's second largest city and the hub of the wine region.

The range in price and (presumably) quality begins with "Bordeaux," and continues with "Bordeaux Superior," "Medoc," "Haut-Medoc," and "Graves." The wines of the Medoc were classified in 1855 from First Growth (e.g. Chateau Lafite) to Fifth Growth (e.g. Lynch-Bages) according  to the prices the chateaux fetched for their wines at the time. The top dogs from 1855 still occupy their positions, but much of the classification is now dated. However, being part of the classification still delivers prestige and higher price points.

St. Emilion and Pomerol along the Garonne River are superb wine communes where Merlot is king. They were not included in the 1855 classification, but have earned their laurels by sheer dint of quality. More recently, some "junior" appellations like "Cote de Blaye" and "Canon Fronsac" have seen dramatic increases in quality.

VINTAGES

Unlike California, where growers once claimed that "every vintage is a good vintage," Bordeaux vintages vary greatly in quality. While many California wineries strive to increase the prices of their Cabs no matter what, Bordeaux wines are less expensive in lesser vintages.

If a "lesser" vintage is still very good, but stands in the shadow of a "great" vintage, it's time for the bargain hunter to get active. Perfect examples are the 2008 and 2009 Bordeaux vintages. Critics and Chateaux owners alike have declared the 2009 a "Vintage of the Century," the latter to fleece the consumer. In contrast, the 2008's are approachable early, absolutely delicious and a lot less expensive.


2008 VINTAGE

I got my first taste of  2008's at a March tasting at the San Francisco Wine Club (ten dollars for the tasting) and I was impressed. Prices ranged from fifteen dollars to ninety dollars per bottle. The wines were expertly presented by Bordeaux specialist Victoire Touton (www.aquitainewine.com).

Yes, you often get what you pay for, but there were already some very nice wines in the eighteen to twenty-six dollar range. I liked Chateau Le Conseiller (Bordeaux Superior) - $18, Chateau Doyac (Haut Medoc) - $18, Chateau D'Aiguile (Cotes de Castillon) - $26, Chateau de Sales (Pomerol) - $26, Chateau Vrai Canon Bouche (Canon Fronsac) - $26.

"Chateau La Confession"(St. Emilion) at  $37 was great, approachable now, but will be even better with a few years of cellaring.

A highly rated Chateau of the Graves district, "Chateau Haut-Bailly" (Pessac-Leagnon) at $90, more than lived up to its reputation. Their '08 is a fabulous wine.

However, if you were intent on getting the 2009 "Vintage of the Century" Haut-Bailly as a pre-arrival (you give the wine merchant an interest free loan until the wine arrives), you will pay on average around $130 and only time will tell whether the '08 at $90 or the '09 at $130 is going to be the better wine.

UNDER THE RADAR

In an article called "Savoring the Soulful Side of Bordeaux," Eric Asimov of the New York Times mentions among others Chateau Lanessan (Haut-Medoc) - priced at about $20 (Premier Wine Company, Richmond, California) and Chateau de Bellevue (Lussac-St.-Emilion) - around $25 (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, California). They are best at around ten years of age and vintages going back ten years are often available. As Asimov says and I certainly agree, they show the soulful side of Bordeaux (at down to earth prices).

NAPA VALLEY: APPELLATION ST. HELENA

View of the Napa Valley just below St. Helena in 1878

                                                
It has finally dawned on some California cult wineries that there is an economic downturn and that cash flow is more feasible if they lower their prices.

I used to see the Caymus Reserve Cab for the tidy sum of $180 and now you can get it for a miserly hundred bucks. Still on the steep side for a cheapskate like myself, but the tendency of prices going south is good news for consumers.

At least Caymus has an unblemished track record for its Cabs and some justification to command high prices, but there are plenty of Napa newcomers with no track record and still charging outrageous prices.

Speaking of Napa, I went to two recent media tastings of the St. Helena Appellation, one at the Greystone Wine Education  center in November and another one about two weeks ago which was held in an impressive old barn, sporting exposed huge roof beams, that serves as the hospitality center for the Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi winery.

There was some overlap between the two tastings. Still, I thought I had landed in a parallel universe. Perhaps it was due to the sterile professional tasting ambiance of the Wine Education Center vs. the more relaxed atmosphere at the Charles Krug winery.

Anyway, the tasting of the "great" 2007's at Greystone left me with the impression that these wineries were stuck in the mode that they supposedly have foresworn: over-extracted, over-oaked, huge wines, lacking acidity which makes them less suitable at the table.

Charles Krug Winery in 1877

The second tasting at the Charles Krug - Peter Mondavi Winery offered a potpourri of '06s, '07s,'08s and additional '09s barrel samples.

When California vintners experience less than ideal weather conditions as they did in '06, they describe it as a "difficult"year. They should be talking to their colleagues in France, Germany and even Northern Italy and parts of Spain. At least until recent climate changes, "difficult years" were more the rule than the exception. The 1990's, for example, with the exception of the splendid '95s, was pretty much a washout for most Bordeaux estates.

No doubt about it, great wines were made in the Napa Valley from 2006 through 2009. Personally, at the most recent tasting, I often preferred the '06s  to the '07's. We can also look forward to some balanced '09s as the Cab barrel samples and the already bottled Zins showed.
.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

'07 Benessere Vineyards Sangiovese (thankfully tastes different from a Cab). The '06 "Phenomenon," presumably a Bordeaux blend (Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc), was wonderful.

'07 Bressler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

'07 Casa Nuestra "Tinto St. Helena," a field blend, common in the old days, containing, as I understand, Zin, Carignan, Rofosco, and Petit Sirah, showing that blending can deliver delicious wines. This estate also makes a wonderful Chenin Blanc.

'06 Califia Cellars,  Red Meritage. Preferred this over the '07

'00 Corison Winery Cabernet Sauvignon "Kronos Vineyard." Eureka!
'09 Premiere Cabernet Sauvignon. Holds great promise.

'07 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon. Very stylish and delicious.

'07  Freemark Abbey  "Josephine." Good ol'  Freemark  Abbey is back in form.

'08 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tomasson Vineyard

Robert Biale Vineyards: I told the folks at the table, "prove to me that I should like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah," both of which I normally avoid like the plague. They won me over with their '09 Zinfandel "Old Crane Ranch" and the '08 Petite Sirah "Thomann Station."

'07 Sabina Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
'09 Sabina Vineyards: very promising barrel sample.

'07 Shibumi Knoll Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Great wine. Enjoy it at the French Laundry in Yountville

'06 St. Helena Winery "Scandale," Estate Cabernet St. Helena Winery Vineyard

Trinchero Napa Valley: Very good '08 "Cabernet Sauvignon," "Petit Verdot," "Cabernet Franc."

'09 Tudal Winery Barrel Sample - Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

V Madrone Cellars: '06 and '07 Cabernet Sauvignon V MadroneVineyard. Excellent wines.

Varozza Vineyards: '06 Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah were very impressive.

'08 Vineyard 29 "Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon." Shows lots of sweet fruit, richness, balance and length.

Most of these wines are going to cost you a pretty penny, but I believe that some represent the best the Napa Valley has to offer and a bit of research may reveal a nugget here and there that doesn't cost a queen's ransom.

Prices for the Casa Nuestra wines: $24 for the Chenin Blanc and $32 for the "Tinto" blend, which sounds very decent. On the other hand, the Fremark Abbey '07 "Josephine" would set you back $80.
All of these wineries  have websites that are identical except for the  name of the winery  (e.g. www.casanuestra.com).

MORE MADEIRA, MY DEAR?

                                          
After a very lengthy hiatus, Madeiras are coming back, alas more with a whimper than a roar.

Do you need proof that the Uptown Tasting Group (referred to in an earlier blog) is always on the cutting edge? No sooner had we decided on one of our monthly Friday tastings to check out Madeiras, then the very next Sunday the San Francisco Chronicle had a whole spread on the renaissance of Madeira.

The isles of Madeira (madeira =wood - wooded islands) lie about three-hundred miles off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. They were discovered by Portuguese seafarers in the early 1400's. No humans inhabited the isles. I hate to think what the seamen would have done with the natives. Soon land was cleared to grow food and terraces built to cultivate the vine.

The wines, like most others at the time were unstable and spoiled easily. Still, some of them were shipped to Portugal and even to England. Eventually the vintners learned to stabilize the wines by fortifying them with neutral brandy. Madeiras have about 20% alcohol.

British penetration of the West Indies, the East Indies and the founding of the American colonies made Madeira the wine of choice for these far off places. Ships in great numbers passed by the islands on their voyages and picked up barrels of wine.

Lo and behold, the greatest enemy of wine -excessive heat - proofed to be a boon to Madeiras. Barrels were lashed onto the deck of ships sailing to the Indies and their popularity grew in those far off locales.

When the British fought in the French and Indian War against the French for dominance in North America and later tried to put down the uprising of the thirteen American colonies, they came to know Madeira and upon return the demand in England for Madeira grew.

What better testimony as to the popularity of Madeira could there be than that the signers of the Declaration of Independence toasted its adoption with Madeira? To this day there exists a Madeira club in Savannah, Georgia, which somehow survived Prohibition.

Catastrophe struck Madeira's vineyards like those in Europe when powdery mildew and phylloxera from North America were inadvertently carried there in the middle of the 18th century. Madeira didn't really recover until the middle of the previous century. Now the vineyards are again planted with the classic grapes Verdelho, Sercial, Bual and Malvasia (Malmsey). This order also pretty much gives you the span of Madeiras from almost dry to very sweet (but never cloying).

The Rare Wine Company of Sonoma, California recently cooked up this great idea to get old stocks of Madeira and issue Madeiras whose bottles are graced with handsome labels showing historic depictions of East Coast port cities where Madeiras were unloaded during the hey days of its popularity. The Company issues wines in all styles (i.e. Verdelho, Sercial, etc) and most bottles are around fifty dollars.

There are other very good, less expensive choices available. We were impressed with the Vinhos Justinos 1997 Colheita which is available at twenty-five dollars. I have also enjoyed the Henriques & Henriques Madeira Verdelho (aged 10 years in cask) that sells for about thirty five dollars. Right now I'm working on a Blandy's Verdelho ("Matured in Oak Casks For Five Years") that I bought for twenty odd dollars. Once opened you don't have to worry about spoilage. Madeira can sit around for months without going bad.


The best source for Madeiras in the San Francisco Bay Area is the "Spanish Table" in Berkeley and their other store in Mill Valley's Strawberry Village shopping center.

The dryer style Sercial and Verdelho would best be served at about fifty-two degrees, while it is recommended to drink the sweeter Buals and Malmseys at around fifty-seven degrees.

Nuts, in particular walnuts and pecans, go really well with Madeiras. According to Hugh Johnson, the great British wine writer, "a Cox's Orange Pippin and a digestive biscuit is a classic English accompaniment." The sweet Bual and Malmsey styles are fantastic foils for dark chocolates and cakes made with dark chocolate.

The members of the Uptown Tasting Group were happy as clams that the finesse and character of the Madeiras gave them a break from their usual fair of First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundies. Right!

TEETOTALER ENTHRALLS THE WINE WORLD

                         

Is GREEN the new BLACK? It sure looks like it. Check the ads. Huge energy companies and global conglomerates are competing in a contest called "who is the greenest of them all?"

While we are waiting for the outcome, let's examine how the wine industry is responding to environmental issues. Three years ago, I researched an article on "natural wines" for a wine magazine. At the time there was already a groundswell of wine growers on both sides of the Atlantic, moving into "organic" or even "biodynamic" wine making.

For the wine trade, quality is the bottom line. "Green practices" are welcome as long as the wine is not below par. "Green" importer "Beaune Imports" told me that certification for organic wines from abroad is so onerous that they just don't bother. Check their website where they provide info on their wines.

The odd thing three years ago was that many estates kept their "green practices" under wraps. Organics was one thing but Biodynamics with its"voodoo practices" (e.g.: stuff cow horns with manure, bury for a season, dig up, water down the contents and spray on soil) was assumed not to be every wine consumers cup of tea.

Horses are becoming a common sight in French vineyards.

Biodynamics is the brainchild of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), founder of Anthroposophy, best known for its Waldorf schools. Biodynamics sees agriculture as an organic whole and maintains that everything that grows on earth is an expression of cosmic forces. Besides restoring abused soil to health and protecting natural flora and fauna surrounding the fields, the biodynamic grower links his work to cosmic forces like moon phases and planetary positions. The land is nourished with specific composts and cultivated plants are sprayed with infusions brewed from plants like stinging nettles and chamomile.

"Demeter," the certification authority for biodynamic growers does allow dusting with sulfur and spraying with Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfite and lime mixed in water), if the vines have been attacked by either powdery or downy mildew.

Ironically, wine estates more so than farms are now adopting the biodynamic practices developed by Steiner, a teetotaler who abstained from alcoholic beverages and thought of them as unseemly.

Biodiversity in the vineyards of southern France 

When prestigious French domains adopted Biodynamics in the belief that it would lead back to vineyard identity (terroir) that makes for individuality in wines, some of the tonier California estates (e.g. Phelps) followed suit. A heated debate in California is currently pitting believers in Biodynamics against viticulturists who think it's a hoax. Chief among the latter is Stu Smith, maker of remarkable wines at his Smith-Madrone winery. Follow the discussion on his website www.biodynamicsisahoax.com. Very interesting stuff.

WHY WOULD YOU CARE? 

Organic food has gone mainstream. Surprisingly, most wine drinkers are oblivious about the chemicals that are used in vineyards and wineries. If one strives to eat local, sustainable, and organic foods, it might make sense to check out how the wine was produced.

Terms like  "sustainably grown," "organic," and "biodynamic" are no longer just used by fringe elements of the wine world. I see them more and more on wine lists and on wine labels.

Most of California's wine growers now practice "sustainability" in the vineyard. It means that the grower maintains healthy soils and reduces waste of water and energy. Vague, but at least it's a start. Growers are encouraged to adopt organic or biodynamic farming.

Organic grape growing follows the guidelines laid down by the United States Department of Agriculture for any organic produce: no synthetic pesticides, fungicides or other non organic chemicals; soil enrichment must be natural (e.g. compost) and natural alternatives to pests, weeds, and vine disease management must be used.

If all of this is appears confusing, it is. There is fluidity in the nomenclature.

WHAT THE WORDS ON THE LABEL MAY MEAN:
"Contains sulfites" - The USDA forces every producer of sulfite containing food or beverages, to print "contains sulfites" on all labels. Sulfites have been used for centuries by vintners to battle wine-spoiling bacteria and it seems to have little ill effect on the average wine drinker. Nevertheless some people are extremely allergic to it.

"Contains No Detectable Sulfites" - Surprising claim, since sulfites occur naturally in the soil.

"Contains Only Naturally Occurring Sulfites" - No sulfites were used in the wine making process.

"Sustainibly Grown Grapes " - Grower and vintner use "sustainable practices." Chemical pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers may have been used.

"Made With Organic Grapes" - Winery used organically grown grapes only. Chemicals may have been used in the wine making process.

"Demeter Certified Biodynamics" - Winery underwent lengthy conversion and certification to Biodynamics.




VINS DE PAYS -  COUNTRY WINES FROM THE HEART OF FRANCE

Believe me, every Frenchman/woman you'll ever meet abroad is "from Paris," unless they are part of a mission to promote, say, the wines of Bordeaux. But deep down, all these Parisians, real or pretending, are still attached to the cow towns their families came from. Best case scenario: the family kept their modest dwelling in the Provence or their humble cottage in Bretagne.

If this family retreat happens to be in wine country, they'll  drink the little country wines that are produced locally. If you think French wines are all from Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne, you are in for a very pleasant surprise if you get off the beaten path while traveling in France.

From the French part of the river Moselle in the far north to the foot of the Pyrenees, there is a patchwork of wine producing areas and their wines can be delightful. It's from these vineyards that the Vins de Pays come.

Vins de Pays are the perfect antidote to overblown, overextracted, overoaked wines. They are cheap and should the wolf be at the door, you can still enjoy delicious wines.

Don't read any further if your luncheon wine is Lynch Bages, "lunch bag" as the Brits endearingly call it, and your dinner table is graced by a bottle of Chambertin. Lucky you.


Mere mortals who are looking for little nuggets of interesting and tasty wines that cost less than a king's ransom have some remarkable choices among these Vins de Pays. Lower your gaze as you examine the shelves of your wine shop and you will discover French country wines in greater and greater numbers at real budget prices.

Vins de Pays can come from all corners of France. They have not yet been allowed into the pantheon of the French appellation system. The Vins de Pays classification is now morphing into a system called "Indication Geographique Protegee" (protected geographical region). Too bad. Vins de Pays sounds much quainter.

Producers have to submit the wine for analysis and tasting. There are also regulations on grape varieties and blends. If a Vin de Pays is predominately made from one variety, it's name can be mentioned on the label. That should give them a leg up with the American wine drinker who is used to buy wines with the variety displayed on the label.

"Vins de Pays d'Oc" is the name you are most likely to encounter. These wines come from France's largest wine growing region, Languedoc-Roussillon. Its a pleasant surprise that in this  Mediterranean climate winemakers produce whites which are crisp and lively.

A delicious and very inexpensive example is the 2008 La Closerie des Lys, "Les Frutiers." This is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vermentino (Importer: Vintage '59 Imports LLC). I found it at my local wine shop for eight dollars. Another great producer of whites in the area is Jean-Louis Denois. He delivers with Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and he even makes Pinot Noir with a nod to his Burgandian roots .Denois wines and a number of other Vins de Pays producers are available at K&L Wines (www.k&lwines).

Reds made from Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from other producers and the roses made mostly from Cinsault will usually be just as well-made.

The Vins de Pays d'Oc have a few subcategories.Two of them, Vin de Pay de L'Herault (Languedoc) or Vin de Pays de Cote Catalane (Roussillon) are sometimes mentioned on a bottle.

Second in volume are the Vins de Pays de La Loire. This growing area encompasses the entire Loire valley that hasn't been classified yet. I keep buying the remarkable  2009 Domaine de L'Aujardiere Chardonnay (Vins de Pay du Val de Loire) that is available for about ten dollars. This producer is imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant (www. kermitlynch.com).

Other gems that I have encountered came from the Rhone valley and Provence and are called "Vins de Pays Rhodaniens" and "Vins de Pays de Vaucluse" respectively.

MISCELLANEA

BARGAIN ALERT: Best ever Loire sparkling wine must be the  Chateau de L'Aulee "Elegant" from the Touraine Appellation (mostly Chenin Blanc), made in the Champenoise method. It's sold at DeeVine Wines (www.deevinewines.com) for thirteen dollars a bottle (10% off for case purchases). Pull the cork ever so slowly. Exuberantly foamy stuff.

THINK SWEET FOR VALENTINES DAY: There are fabulous sweet wines that are under appreciated and therefore affordable. Why pair chocolates with Zin or Cab when there are better alternatives available?

FORTIFIED WINES (around 20%alcohol): Try your ultra dark chocolates with a sweet style MADEIRA (Bual or Malmsey), a great wine from the Atlantic isle of Madeira, whose wines are making a comeback. Don't worry about leftovers. They wont spoil for months. Best selection at the Spanish Table.
A great, alternative, fortified as well and also going well with Chocolates is PORT. It doesn't have to be a 1970 Taylor Fladgate. All prestigious Port houses are putting out "Late Bottled Vintage Ports" which cost around twenty dollars.
MALAGA is a legendary sweet wine from Spain that is now being restored to its former glory. Get the 2007 Jorge Ordonez & Co. No. 1 Seleccion (half bottle) for around twenty dollars at the Spanish Table.

NOT FORTIFIED:
VOUVRAY: Great Chenin Blanc wines from the Loire Valley in France. The sweeter styles are called
"Semi Sec" or "Moelleux," the latter being a sweet, late harvest wine.
GERMAN RIESLINGS: All go great with Asian food, in particular the spicy kind.
For a splurge, go with a 2006 "Scharzhofberger Auslese" a great wine that is available at DeeVines Wines (www.deevinewines.com) for thirty-six dollars, a real bargain. Drink it as a treat by itself.
SAUTERNES: The great sweet wines from Bordeaux are still undervalued, considering the laborious process that wineries follow to make them. 2005 was a very good vintage for Sauternes. Check out the
'05 Chateau Guiraud or Chateau La Tour Blanche which both go for fifty dollars each at the San Francisco Wine Club.